Watership Down: The CrossBearer
by RogueFanKC
Summary: Justin is a scorned and outcast human teenager, but when he is chosen as the Crossbearer, he must fullfill the prophesy of saving Elahrairah with the help of the Watership rabbits in the land beyond life, a journey of courage and love between friends.
1. A Painful Past

Watership Down: The Cross-bearer 

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of "Watership Down" and "Tales of Watership Down", which are products of the writings of Richard Adams.  All references to the novels are the property of the said author.  All created characters are fictional and any relation to anyone is purely coincidental.  This story is rated PG, and there is very little violence but a good plot (I hope =))

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Several people have asked me why I wanted to write the story in this way since it does deviate a bit from the book.  Well, for several reasons:

1.) I wanted to picture what the WD rabbits would be like after they died and were with El-ahriarah.  In other words, I wanted to let my mind create what the land beyond life was like.

2.) I always wondered what would happen if the rabbits could talk with a human, if they made friends with one and such

3.) I always wanted to know what would it be like if WD was a real thing and not just a story.  This said, enjoy the story!

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CHAPTER 1 

                "Outta my way, wimp," growled the football jock as he rudely shoved Justin into the wall of the hallway.  Justin stumbled and fell, causing himself to drop the books he was carrying onto the wet floor.  He reached over to pick them up, only to have a tennis shoe rudely kick his textbooks out of reach.  Another jock, Justin saw grimly as he tried to gather himself with what little dignity he had.  Apparently, this was going to be a field day for torment and harassment.  It wasn't just the jocks, heck, the cheerleaders, the members on student council, the gangster-wannabes, the rich kids with their BMWs and recently obtained driving licenses, and the popular kids all at one time or another went out of their way to make Justin feel like scum of the high school class.  After all, what do you expect from a bookworm who was a bit chubby, non-athletic, and who had less social standing than a cockroach?  If Peter Parker thought he had it bad, he should have seen what Justin's life was like.

                Justin angrily gathered the three textbooks from the floor, but when he counted them, to his horror, he realized he was missing one.  He gasped and looked around frantically.  No, please not that book, he thought, panicking, I saved my chore money for two weeks to buy that book!  It's my favorite!  It can't…

                "Lose something?" a mocking voice laughed behind him.  Justin slowly turned around to find that another jock was holding up a battered paperback copy of his book, "Watership Down".  Justin felt his stomach sink even lower.

                "Want this back?" the jock teased him as his football buddies just smirked at the relatively puny student.  Feeling his blood bubble dangerously, Justin wisely kept his cool.  If he chose to fight his tormentor, he knew he wouldn't be able to live to see another sunrise.  It happened many times before, the stolen papers, the bruises, the convenient legs sticking out to trip him in the hallways as he passed by, the times Justin had to walk home in the pouring rain because several bullies stole his backpack and umbrella.  It just never ends.  Still, maybe there was a chance that Justin could get his book back, though there was as much chance of that happening as there was of the rabbits from the book coming back to life to head-butt the jocks in the gut.

                "Please, can I have my book back?" pleaded Justin.  The jock thought for a moment, grinned, then held it out to Justin.  Relieved, Justin reached for it, only to have it jerked away again.  Justin was beginning to lose his patience, but he didn't say anything.  Hoping to see Justin cry and fall to pieces, the jock looked at the cover of the book in disdain.  The cover was a simple tan color with the pictures of rabbits of various sizes and color along with the design of a compass pointing north in the background.

                "'Watership Down'??" the jock scoffed loudly at Justin, whose face was turning scarlet, "You like rabbits??  What are you, some kind of queer fairy?  What kinda ass would fall for this crap?  Oh wait, I know, you."  With that final insult, to Justin's horror, he opened the book to the middle and ripped it in half mercilessly, tearing along the binding.  With a final flick of his arm, the jock tossed the now ruined "Watership Down" onto the floor, and he and his group walked away.  The laughter and jeering conversation rolled in the hallway seconds later as passing by students giggled and laughed at the sight of Justin gingerly picking up the torn novel, hot tears threatening to leak out of his eyes.  In his heart, he wished for some friends, he wished he could have the courage to fight back, he wished…he could go away to somewhere else.


	2. The Mysterious Cross

CHAPTER 2 

                "Justin, I don't know why you have to endure this," his best and only friend Michelle scolded as they walked home together later that day, "One of these days, you just going to have to make a fist and deck the jerks for harassing you.  Make a stand for yourself!"  Justin laughed hollowly.

                "Yeah, and if I do that, you can start helping my family make funeral arrangements.  Besides, if you think about it, I've always been tormented since the sixth grade, so if I try getting back at everyone who's made my life miserable, I'd probably wipe out more than half the high school population, not to mention my father."  Michelle nodded grimly.  She knew Justin since the sixth grade, seen how kids laughed at his geeky appearance, his shabby clothes, his lack of physical strength.  She too, was tormented and cast aside as a social outcast, but she was never noticed by anyone so her harassment was much, much less of severity than Justin.  Plus, she also knew that unlike her, Justin came from a broken family.  Justin's parents divorced when he was nine, and his gentle mother took his sister away to live in another state to escape the impossible behavior of his father.  Justin's father mistreated his wife with his authoritarian dictatorship of the house, and when his wife left, he started bullying Justin even more.  Sometimes, it even got physical, but Justin always lied and told anyone who cared to notice that he bumped into a doorway or fell down.  Yet, Michelle could always see through it, see the years of berating and put-downs from his father and his classmates, see the years of hurt and loneliness, see the years of never having affirmation or praise or a feeling of importance; it was taking a toll on Justin.  Justin shrugged easily enough.

                "Besides," he continued, "it's our senior year in high school, and soon, I can go live with my mom and go to the local college, I'll have free room and board, and I can stay out of my father's way."

                "But what about your book?  I know it's your favorite.  After all, it's not every day you have someone who has an obsession with 'Watership Down'."  She chuckled at this last statement; though it was a little weird, she knew and understood that Justin loved the stories of the novel, the tales of the brave, outcast rabbits journeying through danger just to find a place to live as a family, and how Justin fell in love with the cartoon movie when he was five.  Then she noticed that Justin was wearing a silver cross over his red flannel shirt.

                "Hey!  That's a beautiful cross!!  Where'd you get it?"  Justin looked at her in surprise at the sudden change in subject, but his eyes warmed up when he looked at the piece of jewelry.

                "I bought it in a swap market when I got back from church," he replied, "Remember how I became Christian two months ago?  Well, I wanted to have a cross, but the ones in department stores were always too expensive.  But when I went to the swap meet, I ran into this booth selling jewelry and the guy there sold me the cross for two dollars!"  Michelle frowned at that last statement.  Justin, noticing the look, asked, "What?  What did I say?"

                "Justin, he sold it to you for only two dollars?  That seems a little suspicious.  Ordinarily, I wouldn't question it if the jewelry was costume or fake, but the cross you have on doesn't look like it's made from ordinary metal.  Where was this swap meet?  I know you don't have a car, so you can't drive anywhere out of town to go the swap meets they have in downtown L.A."

                "It was really close by.  It was next to that empty lot next to my church, the one next to the highway."  Michelle frowned even more.

                "Justin, I drive out to visit my relatives every Sunday, and I pass by your church on the way there.  I never saw any swap meet in that empty lot.  Heck, that place has been desolate for years, except for the rabbits I see over there, feeding on the grass."  Justin hesitated at this statement, deep in thought.  No, it was there, he remembered.  He saw the swap meet himself, the individual tents and kiosks bantering their goods for selling.  Yet…there was something odd about it.  There were no other people in the swap meet, and Justin almost felt completely isolated if it wasn't for the sight of rabbits running around everywhere on the dusty ground.  Even the man who sold him the cross was a bit peculiar.  When he saw Justin approaching, his face lit up and he treated Justin with revered respect, as if he was the President's son or something.  In fact, he seemed really eager to sell Justin the cross; he even offered to give it to Justin for free as a reward for being his first customer.  Justin, slightly flattered, gave the man two dollars for fair payment.  As he put on the cross, the man kept talking jovially to him.

                "Ya' lad, ya've made a foine choice with that there cross there, dontcha' know.  It'sa made froim the fineist Lapine metal."

                "Lapine metal?" echoed Justin as he finished fastening the cross around his neck.  "What on earth is that?"  He couldn't help but like the enthusiastic seller, but there was something about his accent that sounded eerily familiar, as if he had heard the dialect somewhere before.  And for some reason, his mind was nagging at the word "Lapine".

                "Oi, dontcha know anything, lad?!  Lapine metal, ois it's a foine metal, rarer around these here parts, and this un's made completely of it!  Back in olden days, Lapine metal's bin rumored to have magick powers, dontcha' know!"

                "Umm…sure." Justin replied, not sure what to say to that fairy-tale, but he smiled back at the nice man.  "Thanks so much for helping me!"

                "Oi, lad, an' Oi'm glad ya found whatch'er been lookin' for."  As Justin was about to leave the swap market with his new purchase, the merchant called out, "Mai' Frith protect cha' for the journey, cross-bearer!"  Justin nearly stumbled on the dirt before he turned slowly back at the man, his eyes wide with confusion and his ears ringing, not sure what he had just heard.

                "Wha…What did you say??" he asked, but the man just smiled and waved him away as Justin walked back home.

"See you later, Justin!" Michelle called.  Justin snapped out of his flashback, shaking off the nagging feelings he just recalled from the incident.  He saw that they were at Michelle's house, and here, the needed to part their ways.  Justin waved goodbye as he continued on the path to his house.  It was a beautiful day with the warm spring sun shining on the trees and the green grass.  Yet after a few blocks, Justin stopped.  He saw he was at the church where he went to every Sunday, and next to the church was the empty, bare plot of grassy land.  The same area where Justin bought his cross from the vendor.  Justin walked slowly until he came up to the abandoned lot and looked around.  There wasn't anything except grass, weeds, dandelions, and primroses.  Nothing, not even a rabbit, appeared on the plot of land, and Justin heard nothing but the sounds of cars rushing by on the freeway to avoid rush hour traffic.  Justin laughed to himself as he shook his head.  He was being paranoid over nothing.  The seller, though kind, was obviously eccentric.  He was about to start walking away when he heard a voice gently call to him.

"_Cross-bearer…Cross-bearer…help El-ahrairah…help Watership Down…help save the world beyond life._"  The voice was gentle, non-threatening, and very faint, as if it was floating on the wind, but the words chilled Justin to the very bone as he whirled around in fright, trying to see if it was someone playing a joke on him.  Yet, no one was on the empty lot.

"H…Hello??" Justin called out nervously, not sure if he was hearing things.  "Did…did someone call me??"  No one answered back, and Justin absentmindedly stepped into the barren lot, his foot touching the dirt, grass, and primroses.  Instantaneously, his cross burst out into a flash of white light, causing Justin to yell in fright as he dropped his books and backpack.  In the next moment, a ray of golden sunlight shot straight out from the sky and enveloped the teenager in a pillar of light.  Justin, thoroughly frightened, tried to step back, but before he could do anything, he felt himself being jerked into the sky with amazing speed before he lost consciousness.  In the next moment, the light disappeared and if anyone was passing by at that moment, they would have only seen an empty, weedy plot of land and nearby, curiously enough, an abandoned backpack and a set of textbooks.


	3. A Dangerous Run

CHAPTER 3 

                "Wha…Where am I?" groaned Justin as he groggily sat up, one hand clutching his head as a painful headache throbbed excruciatingly.  He needed a couple of minutes to rest and get his bearings.  He winced as he moved around; apparently, nothing was broken, but…what on earth had just happened?  He opened his eyes, and his breath nearly stopped.

                It wasn't possible.  It just wasn't possible.  Where there were buildings, cars, a highway, and a grassy plot of land was now a gargantuan forest with grass growing up to the height of Justin's ankles.  All around, he could smell the sweet fragrance of flowers and the sunlight was extremely bright, almost blindly dazzling as the birdsongs gently blended in the environment with the sounds of running water from a nearby stream.  He was in a completely different world.  Justin's breath came in short gasps as he tried to comprehend what was going on.

                "I must be hallucinating!  Yeah, that's it!" he muttered to himself, his heart racing.  "I must have fainted and somehow must be dreaming all this!  This can't be real!  This can't be happening!  Oh geez, I must have overdone it on the lack of sleep and the reading.  Yeah, that's it!  It must be the stress and -"

                "HALT!  WHO ARE YOU?!" Justin's heart nearly gushed out with relief at the sound of the voice, thinking it was a police officer or a highway patrolman.  He turned around.

                "I'm so glad you're here.  I'm lost and I must have -" but the words died in his throat as he felt himself being pushed roughly to the ground on his back and felt something sharp poking into his neck, threatening to gorge him if he dared to get up.  Justin's breath nearly stopped as he saw what was happening to him.  It was an extraordinary sight, almost like from a fantasy book.  Justin was being pinned down to the ground by two rabbits.  But not ordinary rabbits.  These rabbits were huge, slightly bigger than a grown man, and they were powerfully built with their leg muscles quivering underneath their black, dark fur.  Both of the rabbits were wearing tunics of gray and brown, like the apparel of woodsmen in the olden days of England.  And both were armed with black, iron lances, beautifully carved into a rabbit's head with pointed ears as spear-points at the top of their poles, and they had intricately woven leather handles.  Both of the rabbits were also wearing a metal medallion with the letter "E" engraved on the surface.  One of the rabbits, the one squatting roughly next to Justin, had his lance tip at Justin's throat, ready to slay him where he stood.  The other rabbit approached him warily, his eyes bulging out as he gaped at Justin like he was some sort of monster.

                "By Frith and thunder!" he squealed in furious fright, "It's a man!  A man!"

                "A man?!!  That is impossible!  Men cannot enter the land beyond life!!" cried the other rabbit, his paws shaking furiously as the lance quivered under Justin's chin.  Justin wisely kept quiet.

                "What do you call this, then, Mallow?!  He isn't any rabbit or one of our own or else he'd be marked with the symbol of Efrafa and darkness!!"

                "Wait, Vervain!" growled Mallow, "we must find out what this…this weak man is doing here!  Who are you, and what in Frith's name are you?!"  This last question he directed at Justin, and the lance tip burrowed slightly deeper into his skin.  Justin, trembling slightly, spoke the truth.

                "I…I don't know how I got here!!  Honest, I don't know!  My…my name is Justin and I'm a senior in high school!  I just found myself here after I stepped into some abandoned place following a voice, telling me to save El-ahrairah and something about a cross-bearer!"  Justin thought that would put the end to the hostility, but he was wrong.  Both rabbits were now thoroughly frightened, and their anger and hatred were now escalating even more than before.

                "Cross-bearer?!  CROSS-BEARER??!!" snarled Vervain, "Then the legends are true!!  He's come, like the legends said, to destroy all of us!!  Kill him, Mallow!  Kill him now!!"  Mallow raised his lance, about to stab it into Justin's heart.

                "NO!" yelled Justin as he raised his arms automatically in defense, but by doing so, he brought his cross into the sunlight.  The cross flashed again, this time in the color of golden orange, blinding Mallow and Vervain, causing them to drop their lances and to rub their eyes with their paws painfully.  Justin, sensing a chance to escape, sprinted into the forest, only to hear the growls of fury come from the two attackers as they picked up their weapons and sprinted after him.  Justin ran, faster than any time he had ran before in gym class, his tennis shoes slapping hard against the sod and grass, as the two rabbits were gaining.

                "Faster, Mallow!" cried Vervain, "We must catch him or else Woundwort and Prince Rainbow will have our fur for not stopping the cross-bearer!!"

                "Not to worry, we can run faster than that weakling.  See, he has nowhere else to go!!"  Justin looked behind him and to his horror, Vervain and Mallow were nearly right behind him.  Despite the imminent danger, his mind was leafing furiously to what he had just heard.  Efrafa?  Prince Rainbow?  Mallow and Vervain??  Oh my god, he realized to himself, it's not possible, but it is!  I'm somehow in a world where "Watership Down" is real!  These are all characters from the book!  But, I have to keep running or else these two will kill me, but I can't last very long.

                It was true; Justin was starting to tire out from the sprint, and the two Efrafans were nearly upon him, ready to finish him off.  Justin, in his panic, stumbled and fell down on the dirt, the wind knocking out of his lungs.  He struggled to get up on his feet but before he could run again, two pairs of paws reached out of the bushes and grabbed Justin, pulling him into hiding under the cover of the leafy growth.  Justin struggled and kicked, but paws gently held his thrashing arms and legs and covered his mouth, stifling his cries of terror.  During the fight, he could hear hushed voices everywhere.

                "Hold him down, or else they'll find us!"

                "I'm trying, I'm trying, but the little fellow won't stop!  He thinks we're going to hurt him!"

                "Ow!  Well, if the lad doesn't stop, I'll cuff him so hard, he'll won't wake up until next season!!"

                "Really, Hawkbit!  He isn't trying out for Owsla!  He's just scared!"

                "Shh!" commanded a voice to Justin, stern but non-threatening, "Don't' scream, for Frith's sake, unless you want to get your ears torn off!  Bigwig, if Vervain and Mallow spot us under here, you, Holly, and Buckthorn fight them off until we can escape.  If not, stand still and don't move!"

                "Ouch!" yelled a voice as Justin landed a kick on a furry object, "For what it's worth Hazel-rah, this little buck's got a kick like a horse!  Don't see why we need to protect him."  At the word, "Hazel-rah", Justin stopped struggling and stared.  It was dark, but he could see figures in the dim light, the shadows of the bushes shading their faces.  The paws, feeling him relax, let go of him, and Justin was turned around only to stare face to face with another large rabbit standing upright.  This one was tall, slim, but obviously knew how to take care of himself as he looked at Justin with his kind, yet strong brown eyes.  His entire fur was creamy brown, the color of coffee, and he too, was dressed in a tunic with the color of red and silver.  Justin's breath died in his throat as he recognized him as Hazel, the leader of the Watership Down rabbits.


	4. Rabbits to the Rescue!

CHAPTER 4 

                "Young one, please listen, keep quiet and stay down.  I know this may be strange for you, but listen, or you will be killed.  We're going to hide in these bushes here, and I want you to keep still and quiet.  Vervain and Mallow probably won't see us, and the minute we're free and clear, Dandelion will carry you on his back and all of us will escape to someplace where it's safe.  Do you understand me?"  Justin only nodded, white in the face.  Hazel turned to three other rabbits while Justin felt a paw gently placed on his shoulder, and he turned around to see it was a lanky, golden rabbit wearing a blue and silver tunic; he was extremely tall and from the look of his physique, an extremely fast runner.  He smiled as he whispered, "Don't worry, young one.  Hazel-rah is a smashing leader.  Don't be scared to trust us or him."

                Immediately, all the rabbits in the bushes went silent, kneeling on all fours as they and Justin heard the sounds and growls of Vervain and Mallow.  They were no more than several feet apart, and sweat trickled down Justin's neck as he heard the furious tirade between the two vicious rabbits.

                "We lost him!  He's gone!!"

                "No, I can still smell his scent.  He's here!  Hiding somewhere in the growth, but he can't have gone far.  We can run faster than that man, so he'll meet the Black Rabbit very soon!!"

                "But, we're all already dead in the land beyond life!  How can we kill this man if he's here in this world too?!"

                Vervain smiled maliciously.  "The Black Rabbit only brings rabbits and animals to the land beyond living, so if the man is here, it means he was brought by other means, and not by death and the Black Rabbit of Inle.  He can and will be killed!"  Vervain shouted in the forest, his voice echoing, "YOU HEAR ME, CROSS-BEARER?!!  YOU WILL BE FOUND IN THESE WOODS AND YOU WILL DIE!!  YOU CANNOT ESCAPE EFRAFA, CROSS-BEARER!!"  At this statement, all the rabbits hiding in the undergrowth with Justin went tharn and gaped at Justin in the same way like Mallow and Vervain did earlier.  Except this time, instead of showing anger, it was with wonderment and disbelief.  Even Hazel was staring at Justin, but there was no time for puzzlement.  The two scouts were getting closer and closer to their hiding place, and it would only be a matter of time before they would be discovered.  Suddenly, to the right of them, a rustling sound was heard and Justin saw a rabbit disappear through the bushes and out into the open.  Immediately, there was a commotion.

                "Mallow!!  Mallow!!  It's Bigwig, embleer Watership rabbit!!  He must know where the cross-bearer is!!"

                "Where is he, Thalayi?!" growled Mallow, threatening Bigwig with his lance.

                "Silflay hraka, u embleer rah!!" Bigwig growled back, burning both Vervain and Mallow with the blustering insult;  Justin remembered in the book, it meant, "Go out and pass droppings, you stinking kings".  Bigwig turned and dashed into the far side of the woods, away from Hazel, Justin, and the rest, calling over his shoulder, "If you want to get the cross-bearer, you've got to catch me first!!"  In a second, he was gone.

                "I'm not done with you yet, Bigwig!" screamed Mallow in fury as he and Vervain trailed after him, "I still owe you for sending me to my death with that homba back when we were alive in Efrafa!!"  In another instant, they too were gone.  Immediately, Hazel and several others peeked above the bushes to see if it was clear.  Seeing that it was, Hazel hurriedly got up and ordered the rest of the group around.

                "Hurry, we haven't much time!!  Dandelion, take the cross-bearer on your back and run as fast as you can with Hawkbit, Speedwell, and Holly!  The rest of us will trail behind; don't worry, Bigwig can find his way back and we'll all converge back at the meeting place we found earlier."  Immediately, Justin felt himself be lifted onto the back of the lanky rabbit in the blue and silver tunic he met earlier.  By deduction, this must be Dandelion, Watership Down's greatest storyteller.  He was flanked by three other rabbits.  One was entirely gray with aged white whiskers and a tunic of white and silver, the second was a thin white rabbit with spots of black and brown on his back, and he was wearing a brown tunic.  The third was a blackish-gray rabbit, slightly smaller than the both of them, almost as tall as Justin, but from the look of it, he was a fierce fighter.  His tunic was green and gold, like the colors of leaves in the fall.

                "Hang on tight to me, cross-bearer," commanded Dandelion, and Justin held on obediently to the rabbit, clinging tightly to the fur of his shoulder blades.  Immediately, Justin was nearly thrown back as the four rabbits rushed across the woods and into the grassy plains in amazing velocity.  The world was passing by them in a blur, and dizzyingly, Justin held on as tight as he could, all the meanwhile, his brain was trying to piece together what was going on in his head.  Apparently, Justin was with the rabbits of Watership Down, the good guys of the story, the heroes.  However, unlike the book , this was entirely different.  He couldn't explain it, but Hazel, Dandelion, and other rabbits could stand upright and talk in perfect English.  Not only that, they were all wearing tunics, carried weapons and were almost like…men.  It just didn't make sense.  Why was he here?  What was going on?  And what was the whole big deal about "the cross-bearer"?  Vervain and Mallow wanted to kill Justin, obviously thinking he was a threat, but if he was a threat, why were the Watership Down rabbits helping him escape?  Justin also remembered the cross he bought at the swap meet, and he also recalled how he summoned that flash of light to blind Mallow and Vervain in order to escape.  Could his cross have something to do with this whole thing?

                "Are you all right, young one?" asked the old, gray rabbit with the white whiskers and the white and silver tunic.  Justin nodded.

                "But what about the others?!" he yelled over the roar of the wind as they rushed by quickly.  "What about them?!  They could be hurt or attacked!!  And…I'm sorry but I never got your name!!"

                "The name is Holly," the old rabbit replied proudly, "and not to worry about Hazel and the others!  Hazel and Bigwig know what they're doing, and they could run circles around those tharn Efrafans!  None of Woundwort's army has anyone like us rabbits from Sandleford warren!!"

                "Woundwort??!!" exclaimed Justin in disbelief, "I thought he died!!"

                "He did," put in the spotted rabbit with the brown tunic who was running behind Dandelion, "All of us have died.  That's how it always is in the land beyond life; we were born in one world, and when we die, we come here by the Black Rabbit of Inle.  Those that are good rabbits fight alongside El-ahrairah and his Owsla, but those who are not, they fight as part of the army fought by Woundwort, Prince Rainbow, and Elil-rah.  Oh, sorry to break up like this cross-bearer, but it's a honor meeting you.  I'm Speedwell."

                "Elil-rah??" asked Justin, the wind ripping across his face, "Who is the heck is Elil-"

                "Oh for Frith's sake!!", muttered the blackish-gray rabbit in extreme annoyance.  "Danger in one end and questions out the other!  Even when we're nearly tharn, we still have to endure your annoying questions!"  Justin looked at the third rabbit with the green and gold tunic; even though he seemed to be nothing but a complainer and with a short temper, he seemed extremely likeable.  And he seemed to resemble…

                "Let me guess, you're Hawkbit?" Justin asked smugly, trying not to grin at the surprised expression on the rabbit's face.  The rabbit (Hawkbit) coughed nervously, but kept his head down, not looking at Justin, and the teenager heard bits and pieces of "preposterous" and "Cross-bearer?!  Not likely!".  After several more minutes, Holly turned around and declared in a voice filled with relief, "Hazel and the others are right behind us!!  We're safe!  No one's following us!"  Justin turned around to behold the amazing sight.  There, behind them, were a group of ten rabbits, all in their multi-colored tunics, running on all fours and as fast as the wind.  Despite their various sizes and personalities, they all looked determined, comfortable with each other, close, like family.  And in the lead, keeping them together like a true leader, was Hazel.  Justin's heart tugged a bit painfully; if only the consequences hadn't been so dire, he would have liked to spend time with them, get to know them better than from what he remembered in the book he read various times, and…feel like he belonged with them, like a part of their family.  As the sun sank lower and lower, the group of sixteen travelers raced over the grassy hills and out of sight.

***

                "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVE LOST THE CROSS-BEARER??!!" thundered Woundwort, his dead eye staring intently at the cowering Vervain and the still Mallow.  They could almost feel his rage and power radiating from his fur.

                "We almost had him, Woundwort sir," explained Mallow, "but Bigwig distracted us."

                "Bigwig?  Second-in-command of Hazel-rah of Watership Down??" questioned Prince Rainbow intently, his eyes boring down on the two rabbit warriors.  Both rabbits nodded.  Prince Rainbow sighed in disappointment and frustration as his two guard dogs that were flanked along either side of him growled menacingly at Vervain and Mallow, hoping that punishment would be imminent.

                "Then the legends are true.  If the cursed rabbits of Watership Down are involved," muttered Prince Rainbow, "then they were sent by El-ahrairah to find and protect the cross-bearer.  Though he doesn't know it, the cross-bearer was sent here to heal El-ahrairah and protect this land from you, Elil-rah."  A deep, booming, powerful voice echoed throughout the entire warren of darkness, sending its malicious echoes into the shadows.

                "**NOT TO WORRY, RAINBOW.  MY PLANS TO ENSNARE THIS WORLD WITH DARKNESS AND DESPAIR FOR ALL OF EL-AHRAIRAH'S CHILDREN WILL COME TO PASS.  NOTHING WILL PREVENT ME FROM DOING THAT, AND THE CROSS-BEARER WILL NOT LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE EL-AHRAIRAH OR HIS FRIENDS, EXCEPT TO WATCH THEM SUFFER ALONG WITH HIM.  NOW, SEND OUT YOUR PATROLS WOUNDWORT, AND FIND THE CROSS-BEARER.  KILL HIM AND ENSLAVE ANY OR ALL THE RABBITS YOU FIND WITH HIM.**"

                "As you wish, Elil-rah."


	5. Introductions Made

CHAPTER 5 

                "No need to worry, buckos!" Buckthorn called out as he, Bigwig, and Silver finished scouting the area in a wide circle to ensure that there were no potential dangers around them while they rested in a deep ditch heavily covered with ivy.  "We sniffed and covered every bit of the area around us, and there's no smell of Prince Rainbow's soldiers or any other strange rabbits!"  Buckthorn was a powerful rabbit, though not as heavy as Silver and Bigwig, and in his lifetime, he was an extremely important member of the Owsla.  The new additions of being able to stand upright and the dark-purple tunic he was wearing did not conceal his large frame underneath his dark-brown fur.  Silver was a large, slightly obese rabbit with gray fur that shone under the moonlight and was wearing a black tunic that contrasted against his fur, but despite his huge appearance, Justin could see he had a gentle demeanor.  Bigwig, wearing a dark-brown tunic and vest, was apparently the most powerful and strongest rabbit in the group; his frame and weight easily outmatched everyone's, and on the top of his head was the famous patch of fur that gave him the nickname "Thlayli" (Fur-head).  He also had a rough exterior, sometimes bullying and cursing his friends whenever he was in a bad mood, which happened to be most of the time.  However, as Hawkbit put it lightly, "His bark's worse than his bite; he just does this to keep everyone ready in case of attack."

                The rest of the rabbits were either lying on the soft ground for comfort or on their hind legs talking excitedly to Justin, who was getting more and more overwhelmed by his experience in the strange and alien land.  He could tell that the rabbits were very friendly, but it annoyed him that they were too busy asking questions and not answering his questions about the cross-bearer matter.  At a safe distance, Hazel talked silently with Fiver and Blackberry.  Fiver was Hazel's brother, and he was incredibly smaller than the rest, his full height only reaching to Justin's chin, yet unlike the rest of the group, he had the power to foresee the future and have visions of upcoming danger.  Fiver was wearing a red and gold tunic.  Blackberry was also a bright, intelligent rabbit; he was the inventor or problem-solver of the group, and his quick mind could easily devise plans and solutions to anything.  What made him most noticeable than his pale yellow and pale orange tunic was that he was the only rabbit with black-tipped ears.  Quietly, the three discussed their concerns and worries over the matter with Justin.

                "But, Hazel-rah, can we trust him?" asked Blackberry, a bit fearful at the fact that they needed to put the life of El-ahrairah into the hands of a human, one who was always destined to be an enemy of rabbits.  "He seems nice enough, but remember when we encountered Cowslip at the warren of the Shining Wire?  They seemed nice and kind too until Bigwig nearly died in a snare!  We just can't base our judgments on what little we know about him."  Hazel nodded, sighing.  The minute he heard Vervain declare Justin the cross-bearer, he too, couldn't believe what he had just heard.  The legends and stories of the cross-bearer were just stories, and even in the land beyond life, El-ahrairah admitted that he himself never knew if the prophesy would ever come true.  It was passed on ever since Frith created the world and Frith never told El-ahrairah what to expect.  Fiver, however, shook his head.

                "You're wrong Blackberry, we can trust him.  I could see his mind, his thoughts, his heart when we helped him in the woods.  He's hurt and lost, like we were when we escaped Sandleford warren.  He doesn't know why or how he was brought here, not that I can understand that myself.  Great seasons!  Can you imagine seeing a man here in the land beyond life?!  I have never even heard of such a thing until El-ahrairah explained the legend to us when he fell ill."

                "But what is your take on the matter, Fiver?  Could it be possible that he has passed on as well and that the black Rabbit made a mistake in bringing him here?"

                "No, the Black Rabbit could never make a mistake, and even if he did, the boy isn't dead.  He was brought here, even though he was alive.  But I can tell you one thing of the boy: he's extremely lonely because I felt the pain he's experienced over the years of his life and he wishes he could have a normal family, or at least a group he could feel he belonged to.  Yet, I can also sense in him great loyalty, patience, and love.  Who knows?  Maybe he really is the cross-bearer."

                "If he is," jumped in Campion as he left the group that was wildly chattering with Justin, "then the boy is in great danger.  Since he's not really dead, he can be killed, and once he is dead, we don't have any power to save this land from Elil-rah.  Do you remember what Vervain said to Mallow in the forest?  That the man could and will be killed?  My guess is that they've already anticipated the legend coming true, and Woundwort and Prince Rainbow especially will do whatever it takes to stop the power of the cross-bearer from coming to light.  We would be in no danger since we all have already died in the physical world, but I shudder to think how the attacks from Woundwort's army can affect the cross-bearer."  Campion used to be a loyal soldier from Efrafa, but later, when Woundwort was killed, he came to Watership Down to protect and train the kittens of the Owlsa to fight and defend using the Wide Patrols, becoming a hero in the legends spread in Watership Down.  When he arrived to the land beyond living, he was placed as a soldier of the El-ahrairah's Owsla, despite being once a member of the enemy.  His auburn fur and powerful form stretched the fabric of his dark-blue tunic tightly across his fur and skin.  No one knew why he, along with the other Watership Down rabbits, were chosen to go bring and protect the cross-bearer back to El-ahrairah so that he could help the forces of good fight against the hostile takeover of the land beyond life by Elil-rah.  Yet, El-ahrairah specifically requested that Campion come along.  Apparently, the question would never be answered.  Campion continued speaking to Hazel.

                "Hazel, I also think it's time we told the boy the truth, about why we think he was brought here, and what he needs to do if he wishes to survive in this land.  The sooner he realizes it, the better, otherwise we may be wasting time when every moment, Efrafa and Prince Rainbow's patrols could be able to spot us at any given time.  Once they kill him, we're all lost."  Grimly, Hazel nodded and together, the four of them went back to the group discussion where the remaining rabbits were chatting animatedly with a completely floored Justin, who was never used to this much attention from anyone.

                "So you really came from the physical world, and you know us because all of us and El-ahrairah are part of a story??" Pipkin queried excitedly, his soft hazel eyes wide with admiration.  Out of the rest of the group, Pipkin was the smallest and easily the most innocent and childish, as his body only came up to Justin's waist.  He was wearing a light green and brown tunic and vest combination, and Justin smiled at the fact that Pipkin looked like a rabbit version of Robin Hood.  The small rabbit continued to pester him.  "So all of us are in a story called "Watership Down"??  Really?!"

                Justin answered with comforting assurance as they were discussing his favorite book since he was a child.  "Really, all of you guys are part of a famous story that has been passed down for several decades.  It tells about how you guys left Sandleford, fought Efrafa, and made your home at Watership Down.  It taught a lot of us how to face dangers and how heroism isn't dependent on status or power and how it was important to never forget your traits passed on to you from generations."

                "Frith-rah!  You could give Dandelion a run for his silflay for storytelling!  One of these seasons, we've got to hear you tell it!" praised Strawberry, a slightly fat yet wise rabbit whose fur was slightly less dark than Campion's reddish fur color.  He, like Campion, came from a dishonest warren who abandoned the ways of rabbits to live a controlled easy life, but luckily, he left to join the Watership Down rabbits when they left for the high hills.  He had on a dark-orange and green tunic.  Dandelion, in good humor, gave Strawberry a playful cuff, which whizzed over as Strawberry ducked his head.  The other rabbits laughed and Justin laughed softly with them, feeling slightly better since he came here.  Acorn, a skinny buck with light brown fur on his body and dark brown circles around his eyes, also put in his excited opinions as Bluebell, a dark-brown bushy rabbit in a orange and yellow tunic, joked with Justin.

                "I must say there, chap!" Bluebell teased Justin lightly, "you're the funniest and ugliest rabbit I've ever seen!  If we want to make you an honorary member of the Owsla, we'll do what El-ahrairah did and get some dock leaves for ears and some clematis and ragwort for whiskers and a tail.  How about it, young one?  Want me to teach you how silflay and hop around like the rest of us jolly chaps?"  Justin snickered at Bluebell's humor, lightly nudging the rabbit on the side with his elbow in mock retaliation.

"Oh, come now Bluebell!" laughed Acorn as he held his sides with his paws over his black and purple tunic, rolling on the ground in insane giddiness.  "You couldn't teach anyone to be an effective member of Owsla, unless the Owsla likes bucks with big mouths, bad jokes, and less than half the brains to know when to keep his mouth shut!"  With a playful gleam in his eye, Bluebell tackled Acorn and both the rabbits scuffled and rolled on the ground, trying to pin the other beneath him.

"Still think I've half a brain, do you?  Seems like this rabbit still got the better of you!"  Unexpectedly, Acorn expertly flipped Bluebell on his back with his powerful hind legs, and with a bound, pinned Bluebell to the ground.

"You've got the better way of leaving yourself wide open, I'll give you that!"  Yet, a loud series of stamping from Campion made the others go silent, and Bluebell and Acorn stopped their play, knowing what was going to happen was serious.  Justin felt his heart skip a beat as the smile and his euphoria drained away from his face.  Hazel, with a somber attitude, quietly approached Justin and spoke in a clear, firm yet gentle voice.

"Cross-bearer, we would like it if all of us took the time to listen to each other and let you know the truth.  We may know why you were brought here in the land beyond life when such a feat is deemed impossible.  Yet, we can see we can easily trust you, and the same is mutual for you.  However, we don't know anything about you, your name, or what kind of help you could possibly offer to save this world.  Now, you've heard bits and pieces about the cross-bearer, but you don't know what it could possibly mean.  After you tell us your story and how you came to be here, Dandelion will tell you, to the best of our knowledge, the story of Frith and the cross-bearer."  Justin, keenly at a loss of words, forced himself to clear his voice as he told the rabbits his story underneath the bright moonlight.


	6. Questions Answered! The Legend of the Cr...

CHAPTER 6 

                Justin told the Watership rabbits everything: his childhood, his abusive life with his father, how he was always jeered and bullied, how he came to buy his cross, and how, to the best he could recollect, he came into this world and his run-in with Mallow and Vervain.  When he was finished, he felt the gloom he felt for his entire life return back into his heart, but apparently, he wasn't the only one.  He remembered reading in the book how Mr. Lockley said that rabbits tend to be indifferent and are able to withstand loss and disaster up to a point until they can finally let their feelings out, so he pretty much expected the rabbits to find his story slightly sad but not be very effected by it.  Yet what he saw shocked him.  All the rabbits were feeling his pain very greatly.  Pipkin and Hawkbit were crying softly, picturing Justin's encounter with the school bullies and for destroying a revered story in such a hateful manner.  Acorn, Speedwell, Bigwig, Silver, Bluebell, Campion and Dandelion were shaking in anger at the thought of mistreating someone so innocent, so loving and easy-going.  Bigwig kept muttering on how the Black Rabbit would finally find a human if the day fell when Justin's dad met up with Bigwig.  Hazel, Blackberry, Fiver, and Strawberry just sat, shaking their heads.  Yet, Buckthorn said the most touching sentiment as he placed a paw on Justin's shoulder and told him fiercely, "It won't happen.  We won't let anything happen to you, Justin.  You're with us now, and we'll protect you the best we can.  If Woundwort and Prince Rainbow want you, they will have to deal with us first."

                Holly chimed in, "And you should never blame yourself for what happens, Justin.  You're a lot stronger than you think, and we all see that.  You've got the courage that would make any Chief rabbit proud to call his friend."  Justin smiled sadly; he still wasn't convinced.  Yet, he felt he needed to ask his questions now while he still had the moment to himself.

"But none of you guys have answered any of my questions," he asked apprehensively, not sure if he was going to like what he would be told.  "Why do you guys keep calling me 'the cross-bearer'?  Why am I such a threat to everyone?  And where the heck am I?  Please, I really need to know what's going on and what I can do to get back home where I belong."  Upon hearing this, Hazel and the other rabbits averted their gazes slightly, but Justin caught a glimpse of sadness and reluctance in their eyes.  His blood chilled.  Hazel cleared his throat and spoke.

                "I think you should listen to the story Dandelion is about to tell you, to tell all of us.  It may help answer your questions of why you're here and how your cross may be the key to helping you and us survive against the upcoming battles.  If there are any other questions, then you may ask us anything, and we promise to answer truthfully.  Dandelion?  If you please…"

Dandelion, with a trembling voice, began to narrate his story with his skillful display of story telling.

                "I've told all of you how the world was created," narrated Dandelion in a nervous voice, "and how Frith gave the blessings to El-ahrairah and the other animals, but not all animals know about the beginning, before the blessings were to begin, and yes, it involves the cross-bearer and Frith.

                You see, when Frith became mad at El-ahrairah for defying his command and for allowing his children to overpopulate the world with out thoughts for the other animals, Frith realized that he had to teach El-ahrairah a lesson.  Yet, there was one other animal who had defied the laws of Frith with his dark, stubborn nature.  It was so dark, so evil, that it threatened to consume all happiness from the world.  The thing was, the creature was never created by Frith in the first place, and not even he knew where it came from.  Yet, he let it exist anyway because he was hoping it would see the peaceful nature of all his creations and also abide by the tranquility of the world.  Yet it was not to be.  The creature was so full of darkness and greed, it started attacking others of the purest and most innocent hearts, creatures that would rather face death itself than fight and cause war in their home.  As a result, the evil managed to kill many innocent animals and made it so that they would never exist in this world again because it simply wiped them all out with its ruthlessness.  Some creatures that were affected were the dragons or the unicorns, which is why they don't exist in the physical world with humans.  When Frith saw this, he didn't know what to do since he never created the monster in the first place, but Frith had someone else help him since he himself wasn't powerful enough to deal with this abomination.  There was a powerful force, an omnipotent being called 'God' who knew where the monster came from.  It was created by a fallen angel who wanted to wipe out the living creations in this world and tempt them into darkness and evil.  As a result, the dark beast and the fallen angel were able to influence some of the animals with evil; this is why some animals, such as Woundwort, turn into vicious, bloodthirsty animals who abandon the natural ways of life for power and control.

                Anyway, when God saw how much havoc the beast was making, he created the creature man, an animal who would always be different and more powerful than any animal Frith created in the world.  After they multiplied and spread, they were able to beat the darkness and subdue it, allowing Frith and God to seal it forever in a place far beyond the influence of any animal.  Yet, the fallen angel who created the dark creature started tempting the men instead, telling them to rebel against God.  They did, but God then chose a single man he especially created to die for those men, allowing them to have a chance of redemption for the evils they committed."

                "Oh my gosh!" exclaimed Justin, interrupting the story and causing all the rabbits to turn and look at him curiously, "That man must have been Jesus Christ!"

                "Jesus who?  Who was he?" questioned Pipkin.

                Justin explained, "In my religion, we believe that God loved man so much, despite the evils he would inevitably commit, he sent Jesus to die for all men as a sacrifice, allowing men to have a chance for forgiveness if they believe that Jesus died for them.  It's sort of like Frith having El-ahrairah sacrificing his life to save his warrens from dangers of elil, so that his children could live on and know the power of Frith in their lives.  But I'm sorry, Dandelion, please continue."

                Dandelion shrugged.  "There isn't much more to that story.  But, there was a prophecy that bridges from that story and leads into what is happening now, in our world.  You see, Frith and God knew that the evil would come back in one way or another, so the both agreed that someday, when it did, a man of pure heart and armed with the protection of love and power from God, would be the cross-bearer and take the responsibility to battle the evil creature with El-ahrairah.  The legend continued, saying that the cross-bearer would have limitless power and have the ability to do anything.  If he wanted to change into a rabbit, he could.  If he wanted to summon the rain and thunder, he could.  Even if he wanted to do something impossible such as stop time on only one season or speed up time so that seasons pass by in moments, he could.  The only rule was that God and Frith wanted the cross-bearer to use the power to protect the innocent and to fight evil; if he ever used that power for self-gain or greed, he would lose it, and the power would be given to another man.  The prophecy ended with some sort of riddle that none of us could make head or tails out of, yet El-ahrairah told us it was the key to winning the final battle against the beast.  I believe it went like this:

'When the hearts of many prayers become one

And the light of Inle releases Frith as the sun

Only then will evil's darkness become undone

For El-ahrairah and the cross-bearer have achieved a mixed oinun'."

                "O-I-nun??" asked Bluebell out loud, his whiskers twitching in confusion.  "What in the name of Frith and Inle is that??"  Dandelion shook his head, unable to provide an answer, confessing helplessly, "I don't know.  Neither El-ahrairah nor I could understand the meaning of the song, and the only one that could possibly understand it would be Frith himself, but he hasn't answered any of our requests to talk with him.  It was like he ignored us completely!"

                Justin, however, went pale and slowly got up, not sure what to believe anymore.  He didn't hear anything else Dandelion said after the purpose of the cross-bearer, and now, the shock of it was starting to take into effect.  The blood was threatening to drain from his head, and his heart was almost brimming with surprise and skepticism, but he forced the thought that was ransacking his mind anyway.  "Wait…you mean to tell me that you…all of you…think…I'm…the cross-bearer??  I'm the one that was chosen to fight this evil creature?!"  The other rabbits nodded solemnly, while Silver whispered to Bigwig softly, "Here it comes."  Justin swore he heard his brain cells die, one by one, as he cracked.

                "You cannot be serious!  Me, puny little Justin, who's been tormented throughout life, who never had the strength to stand up against anything, fight something that couldn't even be killed in the first place?!  You can't be serious!!  It must be a mistake!"

                "It's not a mistake, Justin," Fiver said, trying to reassure him, "You know the story of us on 'Watership Down' better than most men do, and you know that I have the power to see the future and sense things with my gift of visions.  Well, ever since I've met you, I was able to sense something about you.  There's hurt and loss, certainly, but also inside is something strong, something powerful, something virtuous, something that reminds us of El-ahrairah."  His sanity was threatening to buckle and break from Justin's soul again, but Justin forced himself to keep it together as he clenched his head and tried to think of several reasons of why he couldn't possibly be the cross-bearer.  But his mind was a blank slate due to the shock and fatigue he was feeling. He slowly sank back down on the ground.  After a couple of moments of silence, Campion decided to explain some more about the world he was living in.

                "Justin, think about it this way.  This is the land beyond life, a world that's separated from the physical world you know of, and it is excluded to all creatures except animals and rabbits.  Yet you, a boy who hasn't even stopped running, was able to defy the laws of life and death, and enter here.  That cannot be a coincidence; it takes unspeakable power to achieve such a thing.  You see, Justin, here in the world beyond life, all animals come here after they stop running so that we could live in the peace and tranquility that El-ahrairah was fighting for.  Even though bad rabbits, like Woundwort, and elil also come here, they remain peaceful and abandon their fighting ways so that life here was just like it was before Frith gave his blessings to the animals to make each one different from the rest.  Yet recently, Woundwort and Prince Rainbow have been attacking all rabbits here in the land beyond life and seriously injuring them.  I believe you've heard that no animal can die once they have been brought here by the Black Rabbit of Inle, yet we can be injured, especially if an evil force has been doing the attacks.  When the attacks on us became more and more frequent, El-ahrairah was determined to stop this in a peaceful manner, and if not by that, then by trickery.  Yet, somehow, El-ahrairah fell strangely ill, and one day, we all found him surrounded by some black mist, constantly covering him and causing him to be in excruciating pain.  We all recognized it as the evil that was once banished a long time ago, but no one could even think of a way we could stop it.  Then El-ahrairah told us the legend of the cross-bearer and how he knew that the prophecy would be fulfilled and that only us, the rabbits from Watership Down, could come to get you and protect you.  And he said it could only be us who could carry out the mission.  Though none of us know why, while he could, El-ahrairah also used his power to give us the ability to walk upright like men, to wear these garments of clothing, and to talk and understand the language you use so we could communicate, since men cannot understand the Lapine words of us rabbits."  At the word "Lapine", Justin's brain just clicked as he remembered something.

                "Wait a minute!  I knew I heard that word before!  It's my cross!  The guy who sold it to me said that it was made with 'Lapine metal', and he also called me the cross-bearer!"  Strawberry and Blackberry leaned over to Justin to get a better look at his necklace.  Blackberry sniffed at it, and then he scuffled around nervously.

                "By Frith!  What a strange apparatus!  It's even the color of Frith himself when we comes out into the sky!"  Justin looked at Blackberry oddly.

                "'Color of Frith'?  You must be seeing things, Blackberry.  My cross is silver and -" yet he trailed off in shock when he looked down at the piece of jewelry to see that Blackberry had spoken the truth.  Instead of the pale, silver metal, the cross was now entirely made of crystal, almost like glass, and it now shone softly in the darkness with a vibrant orange glow.  Stunned, Justin was at a loss for words for a moment before he asked another question that didn't seem to add up from his knowledge of the Watership Down stories.

                "Earlier today, Speedwell said that Prince Rainbow and Elil-rah were the ones responsible for the attacks here.  But, what confuses me is why Prince Rainbow?  I thought he was a messenger of Frith, and even though there were times he disliked El-ahrairah, he would always try to help him and the other rabbits when they were in trouble.  Why is trying to hurt you?"

                "It's not Prince Rainbow's fault," Strawberry spoke mournfully, as if he saw someone die before his very eyes.  "It was the dark creature, the same one that Frith and God banished before time began.  When it came back, it was able to influence Prince Rainbow into joining its side along with many other animals in this land.  They aren't really evil; they were just corrupted into the dark side, so you could say that they're being controlled, like how the river controls the routes of the pikes in the water.  They can't fight against the current, and they are forced to swim wherever the river leads them.  Yet what frightened us the most was that once an animal was converted to the dark side, they too, gained the abilities not normal of nature.  They walked upright, carried strange weapons, and wore clothing, just like men.  And most frightening of all, they became a lot stronger that any of us.  That's why the attacks have been so brutal on our side; we haven't been able to keep up much with the defense with our Owlsa and if it wasn't for El-ahrairah, we'd all be with the dark army."

                "But…but why on earth aren't you and El-ahrairah been corrupted then?  I mean, you guys wear clothing and can stand upright too!" stuttered Justin.

                Silver answered, "Because when El-ahrairah gave us these new abilities, he did it using his powers, and his powers don't stem from darkness and evil.  They come from hope, cunning, trickery, and friendship.  That's why we cannot and will not use weapons like when Vervain and Mallow attacked you, because we don't use the weapons of men.  We use the tools of digging, running, swift warning, trickery, and those alone are the most powerful weapons a rabbit can ever have.  Also, we can't explain it, but when El-ahrairah gave us these powers, he also gave us the ability to withstand the darkness so that Elil-rah couldn't tempt us into turning to the dark side and abandoning our gifts given by Frith.  So that we could carry out our mission of protecting you on your journey."  Justin pondered this before he realized something.

                "Then that must be why El-ahrairah is ill instead already being in the darkness!  Because the evil can't tempt him; he's too powerful since he's the Prince of all Rabbits, so the evil is doing the next best thing.  It's poisoning him so that he wouldn't be able to defend as well when Woundwort and the others try to take over this land.  But, you still haven't answered one question: who is Elil-rah?"  At this last statement, none of the rabbits would answer, and Justin noticed that some of them were wincing at some bad memories.  Finally, Pipkin, trembling, spoke bravely.

                "It's the name of the dark creature that was banished, the same one that's been attacking El-ahrairah, and the one that's been trying to take over the land beyond life.  When we were trying to defend the warren, all of us saw him, and…and it was so awful!"  At this, little Pipkin was sobbing and quivering, but he continued, "It was like looking into the eyes of every single elil in the world all at once!  And it had huge claws, and we couldn't see it's face because it was hidden, but all we could see were its red eyes, and they were shining with a red light.  It was very black, much blacker than the Black Rabbit, and it was so scary!!"  Justin looked at Pipkin sadly crying next to him, so he put his arm around the small rabbit, hoping it would comfort him.  Still, he himself felt ready to cry from what was going on.  Hazel slowly hopped in front of Justin before addressing him, staring at the teenager intently.

                "Justin, this is something we need to ask of you.  We need you to come with us to our warren to heal El-ahrairah and then to fight Elil-rah with your power.  You, and only you, can do this feat for no other in the world has the ability to accomplish this.  I know you may be scared and this may be asking for a lot of you, but you must do it."

                "Why?!" snapped back Justin, his eyes brimming with frustration and helplessness, "Why must I do this?!  Don't you know you're asking the wrong person?!  I don't even know if I can do this!  This too much, more than anything I can ever handle!!  I can't possibly be strong enough for this!"  Hazel understood Justin's behavior, so he decided to not take it into offense.  Yet his next words chilled Justin to the very core of his heart.

                "Justin, realize this: if you don't do this, if you fail, you will be killed by Elil-rah and his army.  They now know you're here in this world, and since you haven't stopped running unlike us, it is possible to seriously hurt and kill you in any way possible.  We know this, Elil-rah knows this, and now you know this.  You were brought here for a reason, but we can honestly say that it was no accident.  I know you feel hurt and scared yourself, but also realize that you're with us now.  The rabbits you've known since you were a kitten, the rabbits you've admired for their courage and bravery, and the rabbits that now see you as a friend and our only hope in this fight.  Like Buckthorn said, we won't let anything happen to you, and we'll do everything in our power to protect you."  Trembling, Justin finally looked at Hazel in the eye, and he could see nothing but determination and kindness.

                "You promise?"  Hazel and the other rabbits nodded vigorously and without hesitation.  Taking a deep breath, Justin nodded in agreement.  "I guess I don't have any other choice.  All right then, I'll do it.  I'll help you."  Yet he didn't know whether he'd live to enjoy or regret that decision.


	7. Powers Alight

Author's Note: To all who reviewed (even though it was one person), thanks a lot!  I really like knowing that some people enjoy the story and I hope you find it interesting.  Anyway, some people e-mailed me and asked how often I will update.  I'll probably put up one chapter a week, and the story is a bit long, but I have it planned out.  For those who asked me what the plot is, I can't tell you cause you have to wait like the rest of the WD fans, but one hint is this: look in Chapter 6, there's a lot of hints there about the mystery of the cross-bearer.  Anyway, just to let some people know, yes, I'm trying to remain as faithful to the WD books as possible, and if you don't know some of the vocabulary, look in the book.  There's a glossary of terms in the back.  Anyway, thanks for reading and please review if possible.  THANKS! =) CHAPTER 7 

"But Hazel," Justin broke the news to his new friends gently, "Even if I wanted to help, I don't know how.  Dandelion just said that the cross-bearer has limitless power as long as he can use it for good, right?  Well, hate to tell this to you, but I have never in my life done anything remotely magical or supernatural."  Blackberry, however, remembered something.

"Not exactly.  What about when you were able to escape Vervain and Mallow?  You said you tried to defend yourself, and something happened that allowed you to escape before they could kill you."

"I…I don't know what happened, Blackberry.  I think something hurt them temporarily, and by some sort of miracle, it luckily happened at the same time Mallow was about to murder me with his spear."  Hazel narrowed his eyes, deep in thought; he wasn't one who believed in coincidences.  Encouraged, he got an idea.

"Well, try to do something now, Justin," he persuaded lightly, his hopes for El-ahrairah rising slightly.  "Try to do something that you can't do as a normal man."  He glanced around until his eyes rested on a stick about ten feet away from the circle of rabbits, lying half-hidden in the grass.  He indicated with his paw, pointing to the stick.  "Try to pick up that stick from here.  Don't' get up and hop over to it.  Try to make it come to you, like a leaf gliding on the autumn wind."

A bit annoyed at the frequent use of metaphors, Justin rolled his eyes in doubt, but he kept his mouth shut and looked at the wooden stick.  He squinted his eyes, trying to push it like he was telekinetic, as he sometimes saw on science-fiction shows on TV.  Nothing happened.  Justin sighed, shaking his head.  However, the other rabbits weren't ready to give up yet.

"Try it with your cross, the collar around your neck," suggested Hawkbit.  "I mean, Frith gave you that thing for a reason, so it use it somehow.  Try pointing the thing at the stick or try holding it in your paw when you call the stick to you."  Willing to give it a try, Justin took the cross between his thumb and forefinger; then he silently shut his eyes and concentrated on the image of the stick appearing in his hand out of thin air.  The rabbits just looked at him intently, wishing something would happen, but like the first time, nothing did.  Feeling a bit foolish, Justin took the cross and pointed it at the stick as far as the chain would allow.  The stick remained as motionless as before.  Turning red in the face with embarrassment, Justin felt his temper and irritation rise with every failure, but he should have expected it.  He felt stupid for getting his hopes up that he could help with something for a change.  He looked up to see the same disappointed look on the faces of his new friends, and he felt even worse, knowing this would probably mean an end to a possible friendship that was beginning to bloom.  After all, if he wasn't the cross-bearer, there would be no reason for the Watership Down rabbits to look out for him.  Hazel and Blackberry sighed while all around, the other rabbits were silently whispering to themselves.

"Maybe he just doesn't know how to do use his magic…"

"Fiver, could it be possible your second sight can be wrong?"

"Shame, really, that he's not the cross-bearer.  He's a nice lad, easy-going too."

"I don't care; I still think he's a good one.  He's different from all other men we've seen before."

"Pipkin, even though he is friendly, we can't waste any time with him.  We still have to go find the real cross-bearer."

"So now what's to do now??  Set off again for another full Inle of traveling to find another man??"

Justin felt hot tears of embarrassment flood his eyes.  "I guess I'm not your powerful cross-bearer after all," he muttered thickly to Hazel, silently cursing himself.  He flung a hand angrily at the stick in the distance, all the meanwhile still venting out.  "I mean, if I was, I'd at least be able to make that stupid stick…!"  Yet to the amazement of the rabbits and Justin, before he could finish the sentence, the stick vanished in a flash of gold sunlight and in another flash of orange, appeared magically into Justin's outstretched palm.  The teenager let out a yelp of surprise and dropped it on the ground.  He saw it, but he couldn't believe it.  He just couldn't believe it.  Yet…when the stick appeared in his hand, he felt something.  An essence of warm feeling, of comfort, of safety, of assurance, of confidence.  It had actually surged in his heart and chest the second the stick teleported into his hand.  All around him, the rabbits were making a shocked yet joyous commotion.

"O Frith and Inle!!" squealed out Speedwell, "Did you just see what I saw?!!  He did it!!  He made the stick come to him!!"

"Then he is the cross-bearer!!" Buckthorn stamped happily, "No ordinary man could have been able to do such a feat!  You were right, Fiver, old chap!  Sorry for doubting you there for a moment!"

"By the fur of El-ahrairah!" gasped out Hawkbit, "Never before have we seen anything like this!!"

"Well done, young one!!" cheered Bigwig, cuffing Justin on the back in congratulations while Pipkin nuzzled Justin in the stomach with his nose in happiness.  "You are the cross-bearer!!  No doubt about that now, eh?!"  Hazel, though looking extremely pleased, kept his excitement in control; he didn't want himself and the others to lose their heads.

"Quiet!  Let him alone!  Do you want the enemy to find us with all this yelling?" he commanded, and as the Watership rabbits became silent again, Hazel spoke to Justin in encouragement.  "You see?  There is no need to doubt yourself or fear what lies ahead.  You do have the power of God with you to help us and fight Elil-rah!  Please, try to do something else now, with your power."

"But…but…" Justin tried to protest, but Hazel shook his head.

"Justin, you must learn how to call on your power as the cross-bearer!  That is why it is so urgent to practice now, while we still have some time before we have to be forced to fight against Prince Rainbow and Woundwort.  If you don't know how to use the powers of your cross when we're in battle, it could mean the difference between life or death.  Please, try something different.  Try…"  He paused, desperately trying to think of something.  "Try making something appear out of nowhere."  Justin, his heart beating, thought for a bit before he remembered the story of "The Trial of El-ahrairah" and how Yona, the hedgehog, called for some slugs while singing a odd ditty.  It was worth a try.

"Uh…OK, I'll…I'll try to make some slugs appear.  I'll use the song that El-ahrairah told Yona to sing in 'The Trial of El-ahrairah."  Hazel nodded his approval, and the other rabbits watched Justin eagerly.  Pushing himself for faith, Justin wildly read out the ditty he remembered from the "Watership Down" story that Yona used.

"O Slug-a-Moon, O Slug-a-Moon, O grant thy faithful hedgehog's boon," he stated hesitantly, picturing a slimy pile of gray slugs, fat and oozing in a big clump.  Immediately, his orange cross had flashed with a golden light again, causing the rabbits to fall back in fright.  When the light had passed, Justin looked in shock when he saw a small pile of slugs magically piled between Fiver and Silver.  Just like what he pictured in his mind.  Fiver and Silver edged away from the slugs while Acorn gingerly jabbed at it with his forepaw.  Seeing it was real and not an illusion, he twitched his nose at Justin in heartening approval.  "If this is part of your power, Justin, you'd be able to make Yona and the other hedgehogs very happy around here.  Hey, I must say, instead of slugs, how's about thinking up of some good flayrah for us to eat?  You know, some greenstuff, lettuce, and carrots, all for us!"

"Now, THAT is a first!" Dandelion chuckled loudly, "Instead of raiding a farm for flayrah, we're asking a boy to give it to us!  What's next, we ride on sky-blue and green horses and ride on crocus boats, like in Speedwell's story?"

"Oh Frith, don't even remind me of that nonsense again!" groaned Hawkbit, winking at Justin mischievously, "You should know Justin, that Speedwell hasn't had a proper story that made sense since he was a kitten in a litter!  I'm betting his father had cuffed once too often on the head when he got unbearable!"  As Speedwell impishly tackled Hawkbit on the ground, and the two started wrestling, the other rabbits and Justin laughed.  As the laughter died down, without warning, Holly and Bigwig suddenly turned around in alarm, sniffing the air around the furiously, trying to catch the scent.  Their companions looked at them in fearful apprehension as Speedwell and Hawkbit, sensing something was wrong, stopped rolling the grass.

                "Holly, Bigwig, what is it??" Blackberry asked intently.

                "They're here," whispered Bigwig in a tight voice, making every heart in the group turn cold with terror, "We can smell them.  Woundwort and the Efrafans are somewhere close.  They've found us."

                                                                                                                                                ***

                "They're in danger!" gasped out El-ahrairah painfully, his eyes shut tightly as he grimaced in the pain the black mist and fog were delivering on his body.  He bent over, hissing in excruciating agony as his senses and nerves felt as if they were on fire.  Rabscuttle and Hyzenthlay, who were standing over El-ahrairah, desperately doing everything in their power and knowledge to try to ease El-ahrairah's pain, heard his forced whispers.  Rabscuttle, who was out of his mind with worry for his master and friend, tried to lean as close to El-ahrairah as he possibly could without having the dark energy burn his fur.

                "Master, what did you say?!  Who's in danger?!"

                "They are all in danger!  Elil-rah is getting closer to hurting the cross-bearer, and the others are with the boy!"  At these last words, El-ahrairah fell into a deep stupor, dead to all mind and body as the black mist continued to swirl and envelop the Prince of all Rabbits.  Hyzenthlay gasped at this statement; she knew he was referring to her mate, Hazel, and now, the gloom Rabscuttle was feeling was threatening to affect her too.  Rabscuttle cursed to himself as he angrily cuffed at the dark fog in frustration, but the minute his fur touched it, the energy burned him so painfully, he had no choice but to stop venting out at it.

                "If Hazel-rah and the other Watership rabbits found the cross-bearer," Hyzenthlay said softly, trying the best she could from having the dread force her into going tharn, "then that is good news, right Rabscuttle?  That means that they'll protect the one who can fight against Elil-rah and help El-ahrairah with his sickness, right?"

                "But you're forgetting that none of us know where Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, and the others are!" hissed Rabscuttle in pain as he gingerly licked the burning wounds on his paw, "Kehaar and the calf Whitethorn have searched the land for many days and nights now, hoping to meet up with them on their homecoming, but both of them told us that they haven't found anything!  Plus, you can be sure as Frith rises that Elil-rah knows that the cross-bearer is the only chance we have of protecting the warren, and he'll do anything to prevent it!  I shudder to think what would happen if the rabbits of Watership Down are not enough to protect the cross-bearer!"

                "I still don't understand why El-ahrairah gave Hazel and the others such strange powers!  I also don't understand why he wouldn't let more rabbits come on the journey!  A bigger Owsla of rabbits protecting the cross-bearer would certainly increase the chances of the chosen man getting back to our warren safely!"  Hyzenthlay's frustration barbed her gentle voice.  She, Stonecrop, Blackavar, Flyairth and Kehaar begged, pleaded, and argued insistently many times to request going with the rest of the rabbits, but El-ahrairah was adamant on his decision, cryptically blurting out that only those rabbits that he sent could be with the cross-bearer.  When they tried to ask him why, he only managed to blurt out weakly, "Only Hazel-rah and the rabbits of Watership Down can share the heart of the cross-bearer!" before the pain and sickness caused him to lose consciousness again.  Rabscuttle sighed understandingly as he and Hyzenthlay hopped out of the warren.

                "Hyzenthlay, we must not question his decision.  I can tell you in the past travels I have been with him, I too, have seen and followed strange plans and orders that he had given, only to find that they surprisingly worked due to his cunning and trickery.  El-ahrairah has always known what to do in the past, and I trust him, with all my heart and soul."

They were out in the dark, starry sky, the moonlight shining down on the trees, grass, and the few rabbits that were still out, watching intently for any sign of Hazel and the others returning.  These were Stonecrop, Groundsel, Vilthuril and Flyairth.  Stonecrop was a strong, powerful rabbit who once lived in captivity as a pet before he managed to escape to Watership Down, only to be ruthlessly attacked because he reeked of the smell of man.  If Hazel hadn't stopped them, he certainly would have met the Black Rabbit on that day.  Yet he couldn't be accepted, he was brought down to the warren Vleflain only to save that warren from an attack of vicious weasels, scaring them off with his body scent of human.  After that incident, he became a hero and was welcomed into the warren by the Chief rabbit, Groundsel.  Groundsel was also a powerful rabbit, a bit taller and thicker than Stonecrop, with his sleek black fur shining slightly in the moonlight.  He used to be a member of the Owsla in Efrafa in the physical world, but at the siege of Watership Down, he surrendered to Fiver and he was welcomed as part of the warren.  Over time, Hazel and the others trusted him to be the next Chief Rabbit of the new warren Vleflain.  Vilthuril was a doe, small yet gentle in composure and personality; she was gray and white and the mate of Fiver, who later passed on his second sight to his children such as Threar.  Hyzenthlay could easily see the worry and sadness that were darkening Vilthuril's eyes, making them downcast and dull, but Vilthuril wasn't going to give up her faith so easily.  Flyairth was another doe who escaped Efrafa to start a new life except that she did it separately from Hazel and the others.  When she was discovered on Watership Down, fearing the warren being close to men, took some of the rabbits to start a new warren in a more secluded area, with Hazel's blessings of course.  Despite her being female, she was huge, burly, almost as much as Stonecrop, and she was brave, resourceful, and knew how to take charge; she had even once saved Hazel from a dog when they were still alive.  Now, Rabscuttle and Hyzenthlay joined the four rabbits squatting on anthills, joining them on their sentry duty.

"Any sign of them?" Rabscuttle asked, preparing himself for the same answer he's heard for the past month.

"No, not even a scent.  Blackavar and Whitethorn went out patrolling, hoping they could meet up with them before Woundwort or Prince Rainbow would.  They even went out for five days, only to come back and tell us that they couldn't find any of their tracks or paths!" Stonecrop grumbled in aggravation before adding, "I don't care what El-ahrairah said, we should have gone with them!  If they get hurt or injured, I won't ever forgive him or myself, for that matter!  He should have known I'd be a good candidate for the mission; my stench of man would have driven off all the enemies away from us!"

"No it wouldn't," Vilthuril said softly, her black eyes shining with acknowledgement, "Since the animals joined with Elil-rah and made them more man-like, they would have been more powerful and ruthless so that the stench of man wouldn't have scared them off as it would have had they been ordinary rabbits."

"Well then what would you propose, then?!" yelled Stonecrop, turning on Vilthuril, "At least we're trying to come up with an idea!  You haven't done anything to help with convincing El-ahrairah that more rabbits were necessary to accompany Hazel on the journey to find the cross-bearer!  Aren't you even worried for Fiver?!  After all, he's risking himself for your benefit!"  At this statement, Vilthuril started crying, ducking her head between her forepaws as Groundsel and Rabscuttle looked at Stonecrop in exasperation; Stonecrop instantly regretted saying that.  Hyzenthlay comforted Vilthuril as Flyairth voiced her concern.

"I don't like it, the idea that we have to trust a human, a man, to help us and El-ahrairah.  Men only exist for one thing, to kill and cause suffering to rabbits, and yet we have to trust one!  I don't like it!  We should have tried to find another way to save the land beyond life!  I can honestly say I won't be very welcoming to this man if he comes with the others, and I'm not the only one who thinks so!"

"Maybe that is why very few of us were chosen for the mission," replied Groundsel, "After all, hazel and the other rabbits from Watership Down are by far the most resourceful, understanding, and courageous rabbits that have even come to the land beyond life, and if any beasts can help with the cross-bearer, it is them.  Maybe they're more open to the legend of the cross-bearer, so they would probably be the best to find and welcome him."  Suddenly, interrupting the conversation, there was a scream of pain echoing in the air, sending shivers through the fur of all six rabbits.

"Wha…What in the name of Frith and Inle was that?!" gasped Flyairth as more screams and howls joined in the sounds of the night.

"Could it be Elil-rah?!" questioned Vilthuril in panic, thinking immediately of Fiver being out there in enemy territory.

"No!  At least, I don't think so!" broke in Groundsel, but before he could say anything else, there was a sudden flash of golden light from the horizon above the mountains.  Though it was extremely far away, the distance being more than a full month's worth of traveling by foot, it was so bright, it lit up the entire sky, making it seem like it was daytime and erasing the night.  The orange light flashed once, twice, then disappeared, leaving six rabbits in shock, staring as the sky was now back in the dark starry sky.

"What was that light?!" whispered Hyzenthlay in shock, but Vilthuril, in a tharn manner, her body rigid and stiff as her second mystic sight took control of her body, answered the question.

"It was the cross-bearer," she said in a cryptic voice not her own, "He used his power to save his friends."  And then she toppled over in a faint, unconscious.  The others looked at her, then at each other, and then to the horizon where the mysterious, powerful light originated.


	8. A Bleak Battle

/*

Author's note: Because this chapter was too long, I decided to break it up into two smaller chapters.  Enjoy!  This week, it's a two-chapter update!

*/

CHAPTER 8 

                While Hyzenthlay, Rabscuttle, and the others were discussing matters at El-ahrairah's warren, the Watership Down rabbits and Justin were prepared to fight for their lives.  Hazel stood up, his quick mind trying to take hold of the situation.

                "Blackberry, Strawberry, Hawkbit, Bluebell," he commanded in a low voice, "get ready to dash out and escape with the cross-bearer once all our enemies are out in plain view.  Justin, I want you to ride on Bluebell this time, and whatever you do, do not leave and get separated from any of us!  Bigwig, how close are they?"  Yet the Efrafans popping out of the underbrush and surrounding the group of sixteen answered that question.

                "Uh, that close, Hazel-rah?" answered Dandelion, trying to be funny despite his terrified demeanor.  Hazel and Bigwig cursed under their breath; so much for escaping like last time in the forest.  Bigwig yelled out, his words in sync with his strategic experience.

                "Surround Justin!  Don't let the Efrafans get close to him!  Everyone else, get ready to attack!"  Then turning, he snarled at several rabbits which were ten feet in front on him.  "Right, then you stupid, miserable, flea-bitten lot!  Let's see how well you can fight after joining with Elil-rah!  I'm betting that the dark chap hasn't succeeded yet in having your brains grow bigger with your bodies!  Pity that your wits haven't improved much!"  Hazel and Holly could see that Bigwig was trying to taunt them into attacking him and not Justin, giving his friends a better chance to escape.  Yet, the Efrafans were no fools.  They just remained still, their dark iron lances lowered and ready to gouge anything that came close to them.  The other rabbits got down on all fours in defensive poses.  Justin glanced in between Strawberry and Bluebell as they, along with Blackberry and Hawkbit, stood upright in an informal circle around Justin, facing the Efrafans fearlessly.  He could tell now that the Efrafans soldiers had a little more of an unfair advantage.  They were slightly bigger than the Watership rabbits, and they were armed with weapons while Hazel and others only had their paws and trickery.  With a quick count, Justin could see that there were more than twenty rabbits, outnumbering their fifteen.  Unless they had a bigger army or God's intervention, it was going to be miraculous to be able to escape.  Suddenly, the group in front of Hazel and Bigwig parted sideways, like the parting of the Red Sea by Moses in the Bible, to reveal Mallow and Vervain, smirking in arrogance.  Speedwell and Acorn growled, ready to rush at them, but Fiver wisely held up a paw to stop them while Vervain addressed the Watership Down rabbits.

                "Hazel-rah, Fiver, I see you both haven't changed much."

                "Save us the formalities and tell us what you want us to hear," retorted Hazel dryly, narrowing his eyes.  Vervain's smirk got wider.

                "I think you know what we want.  We know you have the cross-bearer, the human, and you cannot possibly expect to take him back to El-ahrairah's warren to heal El-ahrairah without running into all sorts of risks.  Even as I speak, Prince Rainbow, Woundwort, and Elil-rah are setting up forces all along the land to prevent all of you from succeeding in your mission.  Not that it matters anyway.  Elil-rah will take over the land beyond life to rid this potential paradise of all of El-ahrairah's children and his legacy.  But still, we think you could save yourself a lot of trouble if you hand over the boy to us.  I promise you in good faith that once we kill him, we'll let all of you go back home.  We know you cannot kill us, and we cannot kill you, as this is the land beyond the living.  Yet, certain wounds and injuries can be avoided, and I know that Hazel-rah would like it if all his friends and companions from Watership Down were safely out of harm's way.  Well, almost all are from Watership Down.  I must say, dear Campion, I'm disappointed in you.  You've actually gone soft in thinking that these new-found friends of yours are worthwhile."  Campion glared at him but said nothing.

                "You must have hraka for brains if you actually believe we would take that offer seriously," replied Hawkbit, his paws up and ready to cuff the first Efrafan who came in his path.  "The minute our backs would be turned, you'd attack us anyway, with or without Justin."

                "'Justin'?  My, my, the man has a name?  How pathetically touching," drawled Mallow, "Besides, what's to stop us from killing the cross-bearer anyway?  We've easily got you outnumbered, and Elil-rah made us more powerful than El-ahrairah's gifts to you."  Justin shivered at this statement.

                "And you have the audacity to call yourselves 'rabbits'," commented Strawberry, his eyes igniting as hot anger rushed adrenaline throughout his body.  "And I sometimes wonder why Frith even took the time to make sure you were even born and raised as a kitten!"  Vervain, not answering, raised a paw.

                "We're wasting time!  EFRAFANS, ATTACK!  IGNORE THE OTHERS!  JUST KILL THE BOY!!"  With that, the twenty something Efrafans charged out at Hazel and the others.  Justin gasped in fright as he saw the battle unfold.

Silver, Holly, Buckthorn, Dandelion, Bigwig, and Hazel charged together at the same moment, a huge, heavy force, and tackled nine Efrafans, knocking them down to the ground and stalling them.  They rolled, fought and struggled in a furry heap, shouting curses and emitting the occasional cry of pain from a cuff, a scratch or a spear wound.  Three other rabbits rushed out at the small group valiantly protecting Justin, but Campion, Fiver, and Pipkin intervened, steeping into the charging rabbits' paths.  Undaunted, the three Efrafans raised their lances threateningly, but Campion, trained from years of organizing Wide Patrols, winked knowingly at Fiver and Pipkin, and they all hopped out of the way at the last second, leaving the Efrafans to stab at the empty ground.  Before they could do anything, Campion leaned on his front paws and kicked out with his powerful rear feet, catching one Efrafan off guard and sent him crashing into his fellow colleague.  Pipkin and Fiver dashed at the third remaining Efrafan with a combined head-butt to the rabbit's soft stomach, stunning him to the ground.  Silver and Holly were able to get up from the tussle and face two other soldiers charging at them with full speed, while Dandelion, Bigwig, Hazel, and Buckthorn still held on strong, cuffing, dashing between awkward spear thrusts, and kicking at the Efrafans with every opportunity they had.  Holly nodded to Silver as the two Efrafans leapt at them.  With strategic teamwork, Holly and Silver fell on their backs and caught the Efrafans on their stomachs as the wretched rabbits painfully landed on the outstretched claws of Silver and Holly's feet, dropping their lances.  Within another second, Holly and Silver effortlessly kicked out and flipped the enemy on their backs into the hard ground.  With a bound, Silver leapt up and landed on both of the Efrafans' stomachs, his paws and feet ready to scratch them if they dared to struggle as Holly rammed another Efrafan with a full-on head-butt to the back.  Despite their efforts, many of the other rabbits, including Vervain and Mallow, were able to get past Silver, Holly, Hazel, Dandelion, Buckthorn, and Bigwig, and were now menacingly getting closer and closer to Justin and his four protectors.  Even the efforts of Campion, Pipkin, and Fiver were only able to stall two Efrafans while the others got closer and closer to Justin, Strawberry, Blackberry, Bluebell, and Hawkbit, ready to strike on all sides.  Yet Acorn and Speedwell were not prepared to let them by without a fight.  They courageously charged Mallow, Vervain, and their ten uninjured Efrafans.  Seeing the dash, the rabbits lowered their spears at them, hoping they would run right into the dangerous points.  However, with a brilliant leap, Speedwell landed on his belly and slid headfirst underneath the spear points due to his velocity, like a major-league baseball player sliding to steal home plate, only to crash into the upright feet of three soldiers and knocking them over, like a bowling ball crashing into the bowling pins.  Seeing a perfect opportunity, Acorn jumped and landed on the head of one of the fallen soldiers who was now trying to get up were it not for the fact that Acorn was sitting on his head and pushing it into the dirt.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Acorn condescended in a sarcastic, droll tone, "If it hurts, let me know so I can make it hurt some more."  Enraged at the impudence, two other Efrafans raised their spears to hit Acorn, but at the last possible instant, he hopped back and avoided the blows, leaving the spears to come down on the head of the rabbit Acorn was sitting on previously.  Shocked at what they had unintentionally done, the two enemy soldiers did not see Acorn head-butt straight into them but they certainly felt Speedwell's hind feet as Speedwell kicked at their backs at the same moment Acorn charged.  Both of them fell, stunned and breathless.  Mallow and Vervain were hysterical as they saw the remaining troops were too occupied fighting the others, and they screamed, "You fools!!  Grab and kill the cross-bearer!!  He's escaping with the others!!"  Sure enough, Justin was on the back of Bluebell as they, Strawberry, Blackberry, and Hawkbit were edging slightly away from the ruckus, about to make a hasty escape since the rest of the Efrafan Owsla were too busy being preoccupied with defending themselves.

"Uh-oh, that's our cue to run for it chaps!" Bluebell cried, but unfortunately, five Efrafans got in front of them with their lances drawn.  Blackberry and Justin turned around to see Mallow, Vervain, and two others block the group from behind.  Now they were trapped with no way out.

"Hazel-rah!" yelled Hawkbit in terror, and all of them turned and looked past Vervain and Mallow to see a terrible scene.  Fiver, Dandelion, Pipkin, and Hazel had been overpowered by some of the soldiers and now the four bucks were on the ground, pinned by the heavy Efrafan bodies and their lances at their heads.  Buckthorn and Acorn were struggling to rise and buck off the Efrafans who were pinning them down onto the grass too, but they were easily outweighed.

"I'll get them!" roared Campion as he charged straight at the melee, but an Efrafan swung his lance into Campion's stomach, causing him to sink into the ground in agony as he too was pinned like his friends.  Holly, Speedwell, Bigwig, and Silver were surrounded by the Efrafans that they were not able to render unconscious, but they were still full of fighting spirit, so no enemy rabbit dared to advance near them.  Instead, they just made a circle around them.  Enraged at being surrounded, the four could only helplessly watch as Bluebell let Justin off his back and put himself in front of his human friend.  Hawkbit and Blackberry did the same while Strawberry silently whispered to Bluebell and Justin.

"Whatever you do Bluebell, make sure none of the Efrafans can get a clear shot at Justin with their lances.  Shield him with your body!  Justin, we want you to duck your head and try to avoid any weapon that comes your way.  Once the battle becomes too ferocious, they won't be able to do much when you can make a run for it.  The instant you get a chance, young one, run as fast as you can and don't look back.  We'll stall them for you."  Justin, who wasn't able to utter a single word during the whole ordeal, now found his voice as his stubbornness and anger rushed out.

"No!  Forget it!  I'm not leaving any of you!!"

"For Frith's sake, stop being so much like Bigwig!"  Bigwig, upon hearing this, glared at Strawberry.

"No!" Justin repeated hotly, "I'm not leaving anyone behind!"

"Oh, you idiot!" stuttered Hawkbit, who was so angry with Justin that he could barely speak straight.  "Stupid, fatheaded, buck, doesn't know when the running's good for him!  Need I remind your small head that we can't be killed in the land beyond living but you can?!  Just listen to us and run for it when you have the chance!"

"And need I remind you, Hawkbit, that the Efrafans can run a hell of a lot faster than I can, so even if I did run for it alone while the rest of you fight, I'd be defenseless and they'd overtake me before you could even say 'flayrah'?!!  And did it also occur to you that I don't know where to run to?!  I don't even know how to get to El-ahrairah's warren even if I did make it out alive!"  Hawkbit apparently didn't of think that one, and he just turned back to face the advancing Efrafans, red in the face, while Blackberry glanced back amusingly at Justin and commented, "You're like Bigwig all right.  Hot-headed, but bright when you want to be."  At this point, Mallow, seething with impatience and seeing an opportunity, flung his lance directly at Justin's heart with lethal precision.  Bluebell saw the weapon coming as Blackberry yelled, "Justin, behind you!"

Justin turned only to see the big, dark body of Bluebell roughly push him to the ground and shielding Justin.  There was a soft noise followed by a squeal of agony by Bluebell as Justin could see him wincing from the lance which had its tip embedded into Bluebell's shoulder.  Justin turned white as Blackberry helped him up from underneath Bluebell who was starting to pant and gasp with effort as the blood ran down his fur from the wound.  Hawkbit and Strawberry did their best to continue remaining in between Justin and the Efrafans, though their hearts were nearly blazing with absolute hatred as they braced themselves for a beating.  Blackberry and Justin, nearly in tears, knelt next to the wounded Bluebell as the other rabbits from afar, restrained by the Efrafans, watched the drama helplessly.

"Bluebell..." whispered Justin, not knowing what to say, but Bluebell just shook his head and tried to make his voice as jovial and joking as ever.

"What are you crying for??  C'mon, young one, keep a stiff upper lip!  Had to do something to protect the cross-bearer, you know!  Besides, this is just a flesh wound, I'll be up and ready before you know it!  You know I can't die here in the land beyond life."  Despite the cheerfulness in his voice, Justin could see the worry and concern in Bluebell's eyes, and it was touching.  Never before had he known anyone to risk his or her safety to save his life.

"Brave, yet foolish and delusional as ever, Bluebell," snarled Vervain as he and the other rabbits surrounding them got ready to launch their spears too.  Hawkbit, Strawberry, and Blackberry gasped; there were far too many spears to block for Justin, and it would be inevitable that one of them would wound him, or worse.

"Oh, no you don't!!"  Seeing the upcoming danger, Bigwig tried to barge himself through to save his rabbit allies and Justin, but the surrounding Efrafans hit him on the hind legs with their lances, causing him to stumble.  Buckthorn, Acorn, Campion, Hazel, Pipkin, Fiver, and Dandelion tried to sunfish and break loose, but they could not free themselves from the gripping weight of the huge Efrafan Owsla, and for their trouble, they only received several blows from the iron lances.  It was beginning to look bleak, but then, something miraculous happened.  Justin, in his anger and grief at Bluebell being injured, raised his head and yelled out what he thought would be his last words at Mallow and Vervain.

"If you didn't have those damn spears, you wouldn't be able to fight and run like the cowards you really are!  I wish you never even had those lances!!"  The second those words left his mouth, Justin felt a familiar warm feeling rush out of his heart as his cross flashed with a golden light, shining so brightly, it nearly blinded all the Efrafans, Mallow, and Vervain as it covered the grassy field with sunlight.  In disbelief, Strawberry, Hawkbit, and the other Watership rabbits could only stare as each and every lance in the battlefield, including the one in Bluebell's shoulder, glowed in a golden luster before disappearing into dust, crumpling in the hands of the Efrafan soldiers.  When the flash subsided, the Efrafans were completely tharn with disbelief when they saw that they were weaponless.  So were the Watership Down rabbits, but Hazel, seeing an opportunity, quickly came to his senses and yelled to his friends, "NOW, EVERYONE!!"

Understanding the situation, Bigwig and Silver rammed headfirst into the Efrafans surrounding them while Speedwell and Holly bravely tackled the rabbits pinning down Campion and Buckthorn.  Once they were free, all four of them overwhelmed and kicked at the rabbits pinning down Hazel, Fiver, Pipkin, Dandelion, and Acorn.  The enemies were so completely in awe of witnessing the power of the cross-bearer, they were much too dazed and shaken to even try fighting back.  Some even began to run away in fright, abandoning their posts and duty as Mallow and Vervain kept screaming at them, "No, you fools!  Come back!!  Kill the cross-bearer!!  He can't harm you!!"  Yet their furious cries landed on deaf ears as more and more Efrafans kept edging away from Justin and the others, unwilling to fight them after what they had witnessed.  As Hawkbit and Strawberry did their best to protect the others, they could hear the frightened mutterings of the Efrafan soldiers as they looked at Justin like he was the Black Rabbit of Inle himself.

"By the light of Inle, the boy has more power than Prince Rainbow!!"

"Keep away from him you fools!!  He'll hurt all of us if you get too close to him!"

"Oh, by the stars, Woundwort is a fool to think that we could win against him and the rabbits of Watership Down!  We should run for our lives!"  The wretched rabbit that said this was immediately cuffed so hard by an angry Vervain, he bleed profusely between the ears.  Mallow, who felt that he needed to set an example and who wasn't the least bit terrified of the small teenager, rushed towards Justin at full gallop, snarling, "I don't need any weapon of man to take care of this threat!  I'll tear out your throat myself, cross-bearer!!"  Bluebell, seeing this, tried to get up and fight for his friend but he was too weak from his spear wound, and Justin could only watch in petrified horror as Mallow leapt at him with his teeth bared...

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	9. Ilips and the Healing of Bluebell

CHAPTER 9 

WHAM!  Mallow was thrown back by more than twenty feet as Blackberry, Strawberry, and Hawkbit came to Justin and Bluebell's aid.  Their heads were still ringing from head-butting straight into Mallow's skull, yet they still stood firm in front of Justin and Bluebell, shielding them, as they glared at the Efrafans in absolute fury, daring any of them to try to attack.  Mallow, who was now nursing a bloody and possibly fractured snout, was about to rise and try again, but by this time, Hazel and the other rabbits rejoined with Justin and Bluebell, now uniting the entire group of El-ahrairah.  Blackberry growled at the Efrafans.

"We're not letting any of you lay a paw on Justin!  Not while we're with him!" he shouted before adding, "And I doubt any of you wants to see what else the cross-bearer can do with his power!"  His words struck home as this caused the now defenseless Efrafans to fidget nervously, making them even more reluctant to try to attack, but Vervain snarled viciously, "You haven't won yet!  The cross-bearer will not leave here alive!!"

"Bigwig, quickly!  Take Justin with you.  I don't like the fact that Vervain is so confident, and now's the best chance we have of getting the cross-bearer away from here," Holly whispered, but Bigwig and Hazel shook their heads.

"We can't leave here without Bluebell, and it's apparent Justin won't want to leave without him, and besides, we're still surrounded so..." but what Hazel was about to say trailed off when the ground started shaking with gentle tremors, as if something heavy was landing against the grass.  Yet, it was too rhythmical for an earthquake, if there were any in the land beyond the living; in fact, the shaking was almost like...

"Footprints," Pipkin gasped with realization, "Something's coming, Hazel-rah!  Something big!  Can't you smell it?!"  Fiver and Hazel did smell something, something that reeked of darkness, decay, and it was extremely overpowering.  Even Justin could detect the stench.  Vervain laughed cruelly.

"Woundwort and Prince Rainbow knew that we would not be enough to kill the boy, so he commanded several beasts to accompany us to finish where we left off!  They were only so glad to take the responsibility, especially since they despise men!!  Now prepare to meet your fate, cross-bearer!  Ilips, show yourselves!!"  As soon as Vervain had stated those chilling words, a large black shadow, cast by the pale moonlight, suddenly towered behind Justin and the Watership rabbits, silhouetting all sixteen companions, and with dread, they all turned to see a living nightmare.  It was an Ilip, the same beasts Justin remembered that ruled in the land of darkness in the story of El-ahrairah gaining the sense of smell in "Tales From Watership Down".  Yet the book could not possibly prepare him for the sight that he beheld in front of him.  It was tall, as big as a two-story house, and it looked like a distorted version of a bear, except its face was flat and stretched, like the face of a cat smashed against a window.  Its entire body was white, whiter than the moon, and it was completely covered with shaggy, white fur which helped set off the blue pupils which were narrowed into slits as they gleamed sadistically at Justin.  Its wide mouth had rows and rows of ivory-colored, round teeth, ready to crush anything into powder in its mouth.  It was on all fours, and each of its wide paws had six fingers with a wicked, ivory-colored claw.  They all gaped at the large, ferocious beast that was looming over them as it spoke in a guttural voice lined with hatred, "Evil man, you will never escape us, so don't even try to do anything foolish!"

"Um...'us'?" stammered Justin, trying his best to not cower in the presence of the animal, but two roars from behind them answered that question.  Hazel and the others turned around to see two other Ilips behind the Efrafan Owsla, and they were already starting to advance towards Hazel and the group.  Now they were surrounded by three Ilips instead of one.

"Oh embleer Frith!" cursed out Buckthorn in aggravation.  "If it isn't one thing, it's another!"  Hazel nodded to Bigwig, silently signaling him to escape with Justin while he tried to stall or reason with the Ilips.  It wouldn't hurt.

"Ilips!" he cried out in a loud yet calm voice, "Please, don't do this!!  You helped El-ahrairah before to send him to the King of the Yesterday to help his children gain the sense of smell!  We're all part of El-ahrairah's Owsla and his loyal friends, so please spare the boy!  He's the only hope we have of helping El-ahrairah and saving this land!"  Yet the Ilip shook his head in disgust and advanced closer and closer to Justin.

"Saving El-ahrairah?!  With a human boy??!  You rabbits are a disgrace to all animals created by Frith!  You cannot possibly expect to trust a man to help you!  They're all evil, enemies to Frith himself, and we will not let you or any other creature stop us from killing him!!  He is a threat to us all, and Elil-rah was right to send his army out to destroy him!!  Now step aside!"

"You're wrong!" shouted Pipkin angrily as he bravely tried to get into the Ilips path.  "Justin isn't evil!  Elil-rah is the one who's evil!!  He's lying to you about the cross-bearer!!  Justin actually cares about animals and his friends, and he would never -"

"Silence, you insolent wretch!" roared the Ilip, and with a mighty swipe of its paw, he hit Pipkin out of its pathway and sent the poor rabbit sprawling into the grass and dirt.  Fiver and Hazel rushed over to their fallen companion's aid (Pipkin was unharmed but dazed and dizzy) while the violent act infuriated the other Watership rabbits.  Without warning, Holly, Speedwell, Acorn, Hawkbit, Silver, and Campion rushed together towards the Ilip, ready to head-butt the creature into its face.  Yet, undaunted, the Ilip simply charged, barreling past the rabbits and scattering them.  Bigwig, seeing this, hurriedly ran over to Justin, hoping to carry him away from the Ilips, but with another bound, a second Ilip pounced and put itself between Bigwig and Justin.  Bigwig tried to dash between its legs yet a heavy paw clamped down hard on Bigwig, nearly crushing the rabbit with its weight, preventing him from moving.  The Ilip snarled to his other two fellow comrades, "Hurry Zhuron, Trycaw!  Kill the boy while I hold off the Watership rabbits!"  Justin nearly felt his legs give out from under him as the two Ilips, one in front of him and one behind, got closer and closer while the third one effortlessly swatted and batted at Hazel and the others while keeping a firm paw on top of Bigwig.  The Efrafans, who were watching from the sidelines, were cheering for the Ilips and Justin could hear Vervain boasting to his Owsla, "You see, you fools?!  The cross-bearer isn't powerful!  He can't even help his so-called 'friends'; he's only intent on saving himself!"  Justin felt his heart wince from the pain of those stinging words, but he didn't want to give up.  He wanted to live so that he could help Hazel and the others; after all, what good would he be to them and El-ahrairah dead?  Yet he didn't know how he was going to survive this, and he wished with all his might that he could use his power again to help his friends right now.  Yet he couldn't think of anything.  He couldn't teleport himself and all the Watership Down rabbits away from here since the Efrafans and the Ilips would simply track them down again, not to mention he probably wasn't powerful enough anyway.  But he couldn't kill any of them because they were creatures too, and even though they sided with Elil-rah, like Strawberry said, they were simply being controlled by their fear and hate.  And seeing a man in the land beyond life certainly qualified as a reason to hate him.

"Please, don't hurt Hazel and the others!" Justin pleaded to the Ilip in front of him as his mind tried to think of any possibility of using his powers to help get out of this predicament.  "Look, if you just let me heal El-ahrairah, I promise I'll leave this land!  Please, I don't want to hurt any of you!  Just let us go help El-ahrairah!!  Please, just give us more time!"

"There will no compromise!!  This land will be better off without evil plagues such as you!  Farewell, cross-bearer!!  Your time has come to an end!!"  As the Ilip raised his paw for the final blow, the word "time" set off a chain-reaction of memories in Justin's brain as he recalled when Dandelion was telling about the prophecy of the cross-bearer: "..._the cross-bearer would have limitless power and have the ability to do anything.  If he wanted to change into a rabbit, he could.  If he wanted to summon the rain and thunder, he could.  Even if he wanted to do something impossible such as stop time on only one season or speed up time so that seasons pass by in moments, he could.  The only rule was that God and Frith wanted the cross-bearer to use the power to protect the innocent and to fight evil._"  Stop time.  Freezing the moment so that he, Hazel, and other Watership rabbits could escape, and it was passive, so it wouldn't hurt or injure the Ilips or the Efrafans, even though they certainly deserved it.  Yet, would it work?  Knowing it was possibly his last hope, Justin grabbed the cross around his neck with both hands and prayed aloud as the colossal paw of the Ilip came rushing down on his frail body.  Justin yelled with all his might, hoping God or the cross would listen, his voice echoing in the grassy plain.

"PLEASE, STOP TIME!!  PLEASE, LISTEN TO MY PRAYER!!  STOP TIME SO HAZEL AND THE REST OF US CAN ESCAPE!!  I DON'T WANT TO HURT ANYONE!!  TIME, PLEASE STOP!!  PLEASE!!!"  In an instant, the cross necklace flashed with a brilliant light, far greater than anything Justin had done with his cross before.  It was shining as brightly as the sun, and the Ilips, whose eyes were not used to such intensity, shrieked in pain as they covered their eyes.  Their howls were so loud, that Rabscuttle, Hyzenthlay, and the other rabbits back at El-ahrairah's warren were able to hear it, many, many miles away.  The Ilip who was pinning down Bigwig also followed suit and released his prisoner, allowing Bigwig to dash out from the enemy's shadow.  The Efrafans were also howling in rage, surprise and pain as the light from Justin's cross had overwhelmed them and the Ilips.  Strangely enough, the light was not affecting the rabbits of Watership Down, and they were able to look with astonishment and amazement at the sight of Justin, with closed eyes, clasping the cross in his hands tightly in front of him as the pillars of light even illuminated the night sky.

"By the fur and paw!!" gasped out Holly, "I can't believe it!!  He's harnessing his power!!  The young chap finally did it!!  He's keeping the Ilips at bay, to help us!!"

"It's such a beautiful light," whispered Silver in awe as he stared, "It so warm and comforting, like the power of Frith himself."

"But what is he doing?!" Hazel asked, yet before anyone could guess, the cross illuminated the sky, turning the night into day.  The cross flashed once, twice, and then slowly faded as it lost its orange radiance, returning the color of the sky back into the dark, starry, night.  Justin, feeling the warmth of the luminosity fade away, opened his eyes as he, Hazel, and the remaining rabbits gaped at the wonder of the miracle that occurred.  The Ilips and the Efrafans, including Mallow and Vervain, were completely frozen!  Each of them were softly immersed with golden sunlight, completely covering their bodies, and were in immobile, frozen positions, their faces contorted with rage and pain, as time had stopped on the entire field.  Only Justin and the rabbits Owsla of Watership Down were immune from the time-stop.  Dandelion joyously hopped around Justin and the Ilips in giddiness.

"You did it!!  You did it, young Justin!!  By Frith and Inle, when you use your powers as the cross-bearer, you certainly know how to use it effectively!!"

"Hey, it was you who gave me the idea when you told me about the prophecy of the cross-bearer," smiled Justin, relived and exhausted from the entire ordeal.  "I'm just glad it worked or else it would have been my last night alive."  As some of the rabbits gathered around him and nuzzled him happily, showing their affection for their human friend, his eyes fell on the injured Bluebell as he was being looked over by Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, Blackberry and Strawberry.  His heart started to ache again with worry as he slowly walked back to Bluebell and knelt down next to him.  Bluebell was panting with effort, but as Justin knelt beside him, he slowly rested his head on Justin's shoulder as the teenager gave him a soft, yet emotional hug.

"Thank you," Justin whispered in his ear.  Bluebell, a bit embarrassed for being hugged by a human, replied, "By Frith!  From the way you're acting, you think I was meeting the Black Rabbit of Inle again!  Don't worry, Justin, it's just a flesh wound!  It'll take more than some tharn lance to put a good rabbit down!"

"Actually, it did," answered Strawberry as he sniffed and licked the dried blood off Bluebell's shoulder.  "With something like this, you certainly can't journey back to the warren without resting for three or four days of constant supervision and care.  The journey would make us lag behind, not to mention we would go at a much slower pace than if Bluebell was completely well."

"But we don't have three or four days, Strawberry!" Bigwig complained in exasperation.  "We don't know how long the Ilips and the Efrafans will remain like tharn like this, but I can say by the King's Lettuce that it won't be for long!"

"But what other choice do we have?" Hazel said.  Bluebell answered the question as he turned to face them.  "Simple, leave me behind.  Take Justin with you and leave me here.  Elil-rah won't hurt me since he's after the cross-bearer, and the sooner you start to travel, the better because you'll put more distance between yourselves and the enemies."  Before anyone could respond to that, Justin argued vehemently, "Not even an option, Bluebell!  I said I wasn't leaving any of you behind, and I meant it!  I'm also not leaving behind my friend who got injured because of me in the first place!!  Either we leave together or we stay together!"

Blackberry tried to reason.  "Justin, Bluebell is right.  If we stay, you'd just put yourself in more and more danger since your power is probably not going to last forever.  How long do you think that time-freeze will last on Elil-rah's creatures?  Please, don't be stubborn."  The memory of Bluebell putting himself in Justin to block the deadly spear blow just further convinced Justin to stick with his choice.  He refused.  At this, Bigwig got extremely angry as he stood up to his full height and glared down at Justin snarling, "Listen, you may be the cross-bearer, but you're still, by our standards, a young kitten who doesn't know common sense unless it's knocked into of him, and believe me, you don't want to test me!  You cannot possibly do Bluebell any good if you get yourself killed, making the sacrifice he gave to you in vain.  Now, I agree with Strawberry that we should leave, and we will leave.  Even if I have to wrestle you to the ground, beat you unconscious, and carry you on my back myself, you, by Frith, are going too!!"  Yet before an argument and a possible fight could break out, Fiver jumped in gently.

"Wait, there is a third option.  Justin, try putting your hands on Bluebell's wound."  Justin was genuinely confused.

"What??  Why??"

"Just do it, trust me, Justin.  It will help."  Bigwig rolled his eyes in annoyance as he snorted at Fiver, "Don't tell me, let me guess, it's your visions again, isn't it?"  Hazel nudged him gently to signal him to be quiet as Justin, deciding to put his faith in Fiver, knelt next to Bluebell again and gingerly placed his hands on the bloody lesion on the rabbit's shoulder.  He didn't know what to expect, so he kept his mouth shut and just prayed in his mind, _God, please, I don't know what to do, but Fiver says it'll help us.  Just help do whatever I'm supposed to do to help Bluebell and the rest of us continue on_...He broke off when he suddenly became aware of the rabbits gasping in bewilderment around him, and throughout his entire body, he felt the familiar sensation of warmth erupting now through his hands.  He opened his eyes to find in astonishment, his hands were glowing with a soft orange light, and the light was slowly starting to move from his hands and spread onto the injury on Bluebell's shoulder.  In a matter of seconds, the light entirely covered Bluebell, making him glow softly like the other animals.  Bluebell closed his eyes and let the comforting warmth and assurance spread throughout his body, erasing the throbbing pain and dulling his aches.  With a final flash, the light disappeared and Bluebell was back to his normal self.  The rabbit opened his eyes and slowly got up, expecting his wound to hiss and burn from the effort, yet to his joy, he felt refreshed, anew.  Strawberry and Blackberry knelt closer to examine the companion's shoulder to only find that it miraculously healed!  There was no tear, no blood, not even the faintest sign that there was a wound there to begin with.  The other rabbits, with joy and wanting to see if it was really Bluebell who was standing before them, happily went up to him, showing their affection by sniffing, tussling, and rolling the burly rabbit in the grass.  Bluebell, a bit more embarrassed by the attention, rolled Pipkin and Dandelion off his back before turning to Hazel.

"Well, c'mon then, Hazel-rah!  What are we doing standing around here for like a bunch of clover fields?  Waiting to be eaten by some rabbits?  C'mon!  Let's leave now!  I'm up to it!"  Hazel, Fiver, and Bigwig nodded at the wise words from the Watership jester, and in less than a minute, all sixteen travelers went east, towards El-ahrairah's warren and leaving the still frozen Efrafans and Ilips.  Hazel, Campion and Holly were leading the front while all the rabbits in the middle were flanking alongside Bluebell, who requested the responsibility of carrying Justin on his back.  Bigwig, Buckthorn, Silver, and Blackberry were tagging along the back in case they were being followed.  As fast as they could, the rabbits of El-ahrairah's Owsla went at full gallop, not knowing the many obstacles Elil-rah had prepared to face them on their perilous journey back home.

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Author's note: Next update in a week!  Till then, please REVIEW!

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	10. Campion's Guiding Faith

/* 

Author's note: Sorry about being a bit late, but it's Labor Day here in the U.S. and I had to go celebrate.  Hope you enjoy this update; it's a long chapter.  Oh, and there's a little contest for all your readers out there.  Read on to find out what.

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CHAPTER 10 

            "How much further must we travel, Hazel-rah?" asked Pipkin, exhausted, as he stopped feeling his paws a hour or so ago.  They had been running all night, eager to try to get as far away from the last battle scene as possible, but now their fatigue and weariness was starting to take a toll on all of them.  "I think we've gotten far enough from them, and they can't possibly catch up to us so quickly.  Besides, we'd travel a lot faster if we had some rest."

                "Pipkin is right, Hazel," whispered Fiver quietly, "I don't have any sudden feelings of misgivings or sorrow or uneasiness right now, so I think now is as safe as any that we can use to rest and sleep."  Hazel nodded, giving in.  They were now traveling through a thick grove of trees and bushes, and plenty of spots were offering a thickly, covered shady area, safe and concealed from anyone.  He decided to settle in an area underneath a fallen oak tree, partially covered with juniper bushes; the leaves and dead branches were so thick, it would take some effort to barrel through.  If the Efrafans had discovered them, they would take some time to work their way through the foliage and it would certainly create a racket loud enough to give them warning.  He stated to Campion and Holly, "Tell the others we'll sleep next to that oak tree.  It seems like a safe place, and we can rest until it gets dark again.  That'll give all of us enough time to gain back our strength and energy."  The veteran soldiers agreed whole-heartedly, and both of them spread the message throughout their team, giving them a long-deserved feeling of relief.  Yet Bluebell was still hanging on strong.  He looked like he was ready to travel for two more days, and Campion joined alongside him as they talked quietly apart from the others.

                "My, you look chipper," he commented to Bluebell, "I'm surprised you're not feeling tired like the rest of us.  Even Bigwig and Holly feel they could use a breather, but you look as if you could run all the way back to El-ahrairah's warren with Justin on your back."  He looked at the sleeping teenager who was now slumped on top of the walking Bluebell.  Justin, thoroughly exhausted from panic and the battle, fell sound asleep while riding an hour ago.  Bluebell cast a fond glance at his passenger before replying to Campion.

                "I owe it to Justin, and besides, I don't feel like it's a burden at all.  I can't explain it, but after he healed me with that light, it gave me more courage and I could literally feel his faith, his friendship and his heart.  It feels like Frith is inside me, lighting my own heart and giving me strength.  Though I must admit, Campion, I'm letting everybody on; my feet feel ready to fall off like a rabbit's fur in autumn!"

                Campion gave a soft laugh and turned to Bluebell.  "I see you've grown fond of Justin."

                "Somewhat."  Bluebell paused a bit, remembering the battle and the aftermath afterwards.  "I don't know why in Frith's name did I even dive in front of him when Mallow threw that spear.  I just acted, I guess.  I mean, Justin's the only one I've ever met, besides Holly, who actually appreciates my humor and jokes, as if he's never heard anyone act like that with him before.  Hazel-rah's and everyone else who has ears are always telling me to shut up and be serious, and Bigwig's always cuffing me whenever my jokes rub him the wrong way. Yet, with the cross-bearer, it's different.  And when he saw I was hurt, he didn't want to leave me, even though it was probably the best thing at the time.  He was even willing to resist Bigwig's orders, just to stay with me and make sure I would stay with all of you, just to make sure no one would be left behind.  I mean, you should know how I now feel about him.  You've probably felt the same way whenever you've trained kittens and young rabbits for the Wide Patrols back at Watership Down, and even now, in the land beyond life, you sometimes return to the physical world to influence a leader's heart to take his patrol back home."  Campion warmly remembered, how he always wanted to teach rabbits the same reliability and strength he learned in Efrafa, except he wanted to teach it to help rabbits and the future generations, not to be used for warfare and destruction like Woundwort did.  When he died from a fatal battle with several farm cats, El-ahrairah gave Campion permission to send his spirit to the physical world to influence leaders of Wide Patrols in all rabbits around England to give them leadership and faith.  Even beyond the grave, Campion always was dedicated to helping young Owsla.

                "Justin acted like a true rabbit would act in any Owsla.  I know he feels he's weak, but I think the time will come when he sees that his faith and compassion will always save himself and the ones he cares about.  I just wished I learned that when I was a kitten."  There was a hint of sadness in Campion's voice at that last statement, as if Campion was remembering something that was giving him regret.  Bluebell, noticing this awkwardness, tried to lighten his mood.

                "But Justin can't be a rabbit in the Owsla yet, not until I decorate him with dock-leaf ears and a clematis tail.  Then he'll be the most unique man-rabbit in the entire warren!"  Campion, chuckling, cuffed Bluebell lightly on his right side, which stirred Justin into wakefulness.

                "Wha...Where are we?  Are we OK?  Is anyone hurt??" he asked groggily, a bit slurred in his speech, but still prepared to expect the worst.  Campion said gently to Justin as the teenager slowly slid off Bluebell's back, "No, cross-bearer, we're stopping to rest.  Hazel-rah and Bigwig feel that we've gotten far enough from the Efrafans and the Ilips, so we can afford to take a little break.  Everyone's been worn out cause we've been running throughout the night, so we could use the sleep."

                "I'm not tired," Justin denied unsuccessfully as he rubbed his forehead and his eyes, trying to focus, "And besides, don't we need some rabbits to stand watch while we sleep?  What if more enemies of Elil-rah come back and find us while we're resting?"

                "No, Fiver hasn't had any feelings of dread and danger from his second sight, and Bigwig and Holly are very light sleepers.  Even the sound of a mouse walking on the dry grass would wake them up, and they would be ready to pounce on anything that comes our way to harm us.  But don't worry, I will keep watch over us until late morning.  I already cleared it up with Hazel."

                "But, what about you?" Justin asked, concerned as he and the rabbits carefully crawled underneath the thick bushes and into the shade of the oak tree.  Several rabbits, such as Pipkin, Fiver, and Strawberry, were already fast asleep once they went under cover, and the others were starting to drowse off too.  Campion shook his head, convincing Justin that there was no need for unease, as he heard Bluebell already gently snoring.

                "I'll be all right.  I've done plenty of guard duties when I was alive back in Efrafa, and a little lack of sleep won't hurt me too badly.  Besides, I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway because I'm too uptight from the last battle.  Just go to sleep, Justin.  You'll make things a lot easier for us if you weren't in danger or killing yourself with worry and paranoia."  Justin gave a small laugh.

                "Please, I'm not Fiver."  Campion chuckled as Justin lay down on his side and fell asleep, unintentionally using Silver as a pillow, but neither of them seemed to mind.  Campion, after sniffing the air and straining his ears to hear if all was well, slowly laid on his belly, keeping his eyes wide open and letting the dark, secret regret in his heart eat away at him even further.

                                                                                                                                                ***

                When Justin awoke, it was now late afternoon and the sun, though partially hidden by the thick brush, had not set down yet.  As he was about to go back to sleep against Silver, he suddenly realized that Campion was gone.  He slowly sat up, looking all around in the shaded darkness to see if Campion simply moved to a more serene position to sleep.  Yet he was not among the still sleeping rabbits, though he noted with dry amusement that Bigwig looked as if he could sleep through a wild stampede of elephants.  Though his common sense told him not to, Justin slowly crawled out of the underbrush, out into the warm sunlight, and went to go find Campion.

                As it turned out, Campion was simply just a few feet away next to a wide, fast-moving creek of clear water.  He was sitting in an upright position, staring at the water, but Justin noticed as he walked up closer and closer that the rabbit's ears were drooped down, almost as if Campion was depressed about something.  Campion's head jerked up when he heard footsteps, but when he turned around, he was relieved, yet partly horrified to see Justin walking towards him.  Justin, seeing the look in the rabbit's eyes, stopped, not sure if it was a good time to do anything.

                "I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, Campion.  I...I just woke up and saw that you were gone, so..."

                "So you went to look for me?" finished Campion, and his face softened considerably at the teenager's compassion.  "That was a foolish thing to do, you know, you young duffer.  You could have been attacked or killed by being out in the open like this, and I can take care of myself."

"I know you can," Justin replied, smiling, "I remember from the stories of Watership Down in my world on how you became the next Chief Rabbit in Efrafa after successfully leading the rabbits back after the attempted siege on Watership Down.  I also remember how afterwards, you became a legendary hero to the rabbits on Watership Down because you trained so many kittens with the Wide Patrols."  He paused a bit before continuing.  "I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I didn't think you couldn't handle yourself.  I was just worried about you, that's all.  I mean, besides, no one should be alone, regardless how strong they are."

Campion said quietly, "Sometimes, being alone is the only option you have."  Though he acted nonchalant, Justin could hear sorrow in Campion's voice; he grew to recognize it since he always had that tone of voice whenever he mentioned his father to anyone who gave a damn about his troubles.  Feeling for Campion, Justin tried changing the subject.

                "I don't see why you're worried about me, though.  If there is any trouble that comes our way, I'll have you to protect me," Justin said to Campion as he slowly sat down next to him, his voice outlining the faith and hope he had for his rabbit friends in his heart.  Campion, hearing this, slowly turned his head back to the water and said softly and forlornly, "It's not always good to put your faith in people, or rabbits for that matter, who may not be strong enough or worthy enough to even deserve it in the first place."

                Justin looked at Campion, now even more worried and concerned than before.  He could now see something was bothering the Owsla rabbit, and he decided to pry, even though it wasn't really a good idea at the time.  But, after all, what was he supposed to do?  Let Campion wallow deeper in darkness and self-pity?

                "Does this have something to do with me?" Justin asked Campion, expecting some blame to come his way.

                "No...well, not entirely.  Did you ever notice that I'm the only rabbit that is part of the expedition to come retrieve you that isn't part of Watership Down, at least in the very beginning when Hazel and the others escaped from their doomed Sandleford?"  Justin nodded, and Campion continued, "It's just that there were a lot of speculations when El-ahrariah himself requested that I come with Hazel and the rest of the Watership rabbits, even though I wasn't part of the veterans from Sandleford warren, and because of the decision, I've been subjected to a lot of scorn and resentment from some of the other rabbits at the warren back home, especially from Blackavar, Stonecrop, Kehaar and Flyairth.  They tried arguing that I wasn't reliable enough or trustworthy enough or strong enough to even be considered for the journey, and when El-ahrairah stuck to his decision, it just infuriated them even further.  What bothers me the most is that my past as an Efrafan officer won't let me go because that's the first thing a rabbit will think of when they see me, and no matter how hard I tried to make amends for my past through helping kittens in Wide Patrols or by being the Chief Rabbit at Efrafa after Woundwort was killed, I'm still under some suspicion and dislike. Even Groundsel, a fellow companion from Efrafa, back at the Vleflain warren was suspicious of me when I started organizing the Wide Patrols again while we were still alive in the physical world, and now, not even he is treated with as much wariness as I am.  I guess my being allowed to join El-ahrairah, influence Wide Patrols in the physical world, and now going on one of the most important journeys of all Lapine history just rubbed the furs of several rabbits the wrong way."  He became glum again.

                "Campion..." murmured Justin consolingly, but before he could even think of something supportive to say to the veteran, a voice, high-pitched, disembodied and mocking, hissed out.

                "_You never felt part of Hazel-rah's group, did you Campion?_"  Both of them jumped at the sound, and Campion, wide-eyed, turned to Justin violently, thinking that he was the one who spoke the cryptic message.

                "What...what did you just say?!"

                "I didn't say anything, Campion!"  Then the voice spoke again, this time a bit more caustically, as its cruelty and contemptuous emotions intertwined with the words.  It seemed to echo throughout the entire copse and across the surface of the stream, so neither of them had any idea of where the voice was originating.

                "_You know it, deep in your heart, old Captain Campion.  You never felt you belonged anywhere since other rabbits have always judged you as Woundwort's right paw of evil. They never fully trusted you.   That's why it kills you to think that anyone naive enough could ever believe in you, depend on you, or look up to you for help.  Because you're never sure if it is because they pity you or humor you or tolerate your useless notions of Wide Patrols._"

                "Who are you?!  Show yourself!!" demanded Campion as he and Justin just stood on the creek bank, listening to the chuckling of the unknown evil lurking in the trees, its face hidden in the cloak of the shadows leaves.

                                                                                                                                                ***

                "Oh no!!  Justin and Campion!!!" Fiver gasped in pain and clairvoyance from his dream as he sat up upright, startling Hazel and some of the rabbits surrounding him out of their slumbers.  Bigwig, humorously, was still dozing.  Pipkin was yawning and rubbing his eyes while Silver asked grumpily, "What in Frith's name is going on now, Fiver?"

                "My visions!  I saw Campion and Justin!!  They're both in danger, right now!!  One of Elil-rah's messengers is close by!!!"  Hazel, his heart plummeting, looked around wildly while Acorn and Dandelion woke the rest of their group up.  Fiver was right; Campion and Justin were no where to be seen in the shade of the juniper bushes, and as Holly and Buckthorn raced out into the open, sniffing for a trail on the dusty ground, he tried to not think of the potential "what-could-happens" if Elil-rah's Owsla found Justin.  He prayed, deep in his soul, that Campion's best cunning would be enough to get the cross-bearer out of there.  The rest of the rabbits followed Holly and Buckthorn while Bigwig, incredibly cranky from being rudely woken up, was cursing out loud.

                "By the Hole in the Sky!!  When I get my paws on Justin, he's going to by very, very sorry for doing this to us!!  We try our best to protect him and keep him hidden, and what do we get?!!  The young idiot goes running out into the open the instant our backs are turned!!  If he doesn't stop running after this, I'll beat the living daylights out of him!!"  Before Silver and Speedwell could angrily tell Bigwig to shut up, Holly declared out loud, "I got their scents!!  They're not too far away from here!  Campion's first, then Justin's.  It seems that Campion must have left earlier, and Justin must have followed him."

                "But...but why would Campion leave here without telling us?" Hawkbit asked Hazel with a tidbit of suspicion.  "I mean, even though he's part of our group and was requested by Elil-rah, he wouldn't...well...you know...betray us and turn Justin over to Elil-rah, would he?"  Speedwell angrily cuffed Hawkbit in the back of his head for thinking of such a horrible thought.  Hazel decided not to answer that question and to focus only on the task at hand.

                "We all have to get there as fast as we can!" declared Hazel breathlessly, "Holly, Buckthorn, Bigwig, lead the way and everyone, be prepared to fight anything that's trying to hurt Campion or Justin!!"

                                                                                                                                                ***

                "On my back, cross-bearer," Campion ordered to the teenager quietly as he quickly laid on all four of his paws.  Justin hurriedly, if not a bit awkwardly, scrambled onto the broad, furry back, and they both raced off back towards the sleeping camp where Hazel and the others were currently.  The unknown voice sniggered as the echoes struck frost in their bones.

                "_The cross-bearer will never leave here alive._"

                                                                                                                                                ***

                "Holly, are we even going the right way?!" yelled Dandelion as the fourteen rabbits raced across the barren path among the trees and grass, oblivious of anything except of finding their two comrades.  "We've been running on their scents for a hrair time, and we still haven't found them!!  We've should have come across them and the creek by now!!"

                "No, we smell it too, and we can also smell the water running in the creek, so we are on the right path!" Strawberry answered as he, Acorn, and Blackberry raced alongside him.  "But, you are right, Dandelion, we should have reached them at this point!  And doesn't anyone else notice that Campion and Justin smell close, but no matter how fast we're running, we can't seem to reach them??!  It's as if we're running in circles!!"  He was right; they have been running for over fifteen minutes, and while Justin was able to reach to the creek where Campion was in a matter of seconds on foot, the rabbits weren't able to arrive at their destination, no matter how fast they galloped.  They tried running for several more minutes before they stopped, a bit exhausted over the exertion of sprinting so fast.  Yet Blackberry suspiciously looked up at their surroundings before he gasped out in realization.

                "Hazel-rah!  Bigwig!  Look at the trees!!"  Everyone glanced up and they immediately saw what was so astounding.  All around them, the trees, bushes, and grass were wavering in shape and color, rapidly disappearing and reappearing like mist on a cold morning.  Though it smelled real, none of them could tell what they were seeing was true or not, making it extremely difficult to get their bearings.  Blackberry realized the problem at once.

                "Hazel-rah!  The entire copse around us!  It's an illusion!  None of it is real, and that's why we can't find Justin or Campion!!  Since we can't be killed, Elil-rah must be trying to stall us with mirages and magic, making it nearly impossible for us to find our way out of here!!  It's like we're trapped in a warren with no runs, so no matter how far we run or in which direction, we'll always be lost among the illusions because it's all around us!!  But that's not the worst thing!  If we can't find Justin and Campion..."

                "Then they can't find us," Hazel finished the sentence for him grimly.  Unwilling to admit defeat, he spoke to Holly and Buckthorn, "Quickly, you two run ahead of us while the rest of us wait here.  You two have excellent scouting abilities, so it'll be easier to find the cross-bearer for you without having the rest of us trailing behind.  Once you find Campion and Justin, ignore any enemies and convene them back here.  If Elil-rah's army follow you, they will meet up with us, and we'll deal with them."  Holly and Buckthorn nodded and they immediately raced off at a fast pace, disappearing among the shimmering foliage.  They waited patiently for several seconds until Hawkbit broke the silence.

                "Hope they'll be all right," he muttered, his sentiments echoing all the feelings the rest of the Watership rabbits were feeling at this point.  Suddenly, a sound of approaching footprints slowly appeared behind them, and turning around, Hazel and the other rabbits looked on in shock when Holly and Buckthorn came up running from behind!  Holly and Buckthorn skidded to a stop and, they too, looked at the scene of coming to the group from behind in disbelief.  Buckthorn shook his head wildly.

                "It can't be!" he squealed, "Holly and I just ran straight ahead!!  There's no way we could have circled back to you!"

                "We also didn't see Justin or Campion while we were running," Holly stated solemnly, making the hearts of the rabbits sink even lower.  Bigwig, not even willing to accept the fact that there was no possible way out, ran ahead himself, following the path Holly and Buckthorn took seconds earlier.

                "Bigwig, wait!" Hazel yelled after him, but the Owsla veteran disappeared into the foliage before Hazel could say anything even further.  Hazel rolled his eyes in annoyance, but he knew if anything, Bigwig would be willing to defend Campion and Justin to the very end if given the chance.  Still, it irritated Hazel that he would always go rush in without thinking, and...

                A sound from the left of the rabbits made them turn, and to their dismayed astonishment, it was Bigwig, this time appearing from between two maple trees.  Bigwig just gaped at seeing Hazel and the others again, realizing that he too, was magically circled back to where he started in the maze of illusions like Buckthorn and Silver.  Upon seeing this, Dandelion turned to Blackberry, a bit frantic.

                "Blackberry, now's the time to use some of your wits and bright ideas!  Is there anything you or Hazel-rah can think of that can help us with this?!"  Blackberry shook his head and said softly, "No, it seems to me that no matter which direction we run to in these fields, we'll always come back to where we started.  It's all up to Campion now."

                "Somehow, that isn't very comforting," Hawkbit said a bit snappishly, earning two cuffs from an irritated Speedwell and Bluebell at once.

                                                                                                                                                ***

                "_Give it up, Captain Campion.  You will never leave here with the cross-bearer, and I will not allow you or your other rabbit comrades find each other until the human boy is within my grasp.  You will fail, Campion.  Not even your Wide Patrol expertise can save the cross-bearer._"  Campion just gritted his teeth in stubborn resolve as he tore among the trees and tall grasses, not knowing he was running in circles due to the mystic forces in the copse.  On Campion's back, Justin laid himself flat, letting the wind rush over him, but soon, he too noticed what Blackberry had spotted earlier.  They should have been able to return to the oak tree where the other Watership rabbits were sleeping a long while ago.  Yet he wasn't the only one; Campion's sharp eyes noticed it too.

                "I...I can't understand!" he stammered, his nerves threatening to break.  "I don't recognize any of the markers I took the trouble to memorize before I left the resting place!!  I even smell that the others are close by, yet I can't reach them!!"

                "Are we lost?!" asked Justin frantically, "But that's impossible!  You weren't even more than several yards away from us, so how can we possibly get lost in this short of a distance?!"  Campion didn't answer as he tried to think of every solution possible.  He couldn't recognize the environment or get his bearings straight, so the only option was to use his sense of smell to lead them back.  Yet that was what he had been doing for half an hour, and they were still wandering aimlessly among the copse.  No matter how hard Campion tried, he couldn't get an accurate spot on where the other rabbits were or where the smell was originating.  Struggling with his disappointment and sorrow that he was letting his friend down, Campion stopped running and paused, out of breath and slightly frothing at the mouth from his sprint.  He didn't want to, but he was getting nowhere.  Justin, seeing Campion's hurt, leaned over and tried to console him.

                "It's all right, Campion, you tried your best," he said, rubbing Campion's neck in slight, humble affection, "Don't beat yourself up over this."

                "_How can you listen to such foolishness, Campion?_" the shadowy voice continued mocking, "_You've failed at this, a simple task to get the cross-bearer back to your friends, and now you know that if anything happens to young Justin, it will ultimately be your fault.  Just like how it was your fault for not succeeding in taking over Watership Down when Woundwort laid siege upon the warren of Hazel-rah and the others.  Of course, deep in your heart, you've regretted even plotting against them in the first place after you joined up with Watership Down, didn't you?_"  Campion, whimpering, shook his head violently, trying to stop the ringing of the harsh words tormenting his soul.  Justin, sensing trouble, slid off his friend's back.

                "Stop it!" Campion cried out, close to pleading.  "Stop it!  I couldn't...I just couldn't!"

                "_Every time you remembered that innocent young bucks and does died on your frivolous Wide Patrols, you took it personally responsible, didn't you, Campion?  Knowing that even though you taught many rabbits to be self-dependent and resilient, there would always be some who were violently killed.  Rabbits who never deserved to die like that.  Rabbits that died all because of you and your Wide Patrols._"

                "Stop it!!  I'm not listening to you!  You don't know what you're saying!!"  Justin looked on horrified as Campion was nearly crying in regret, pain, and guilt as the voice continued to crumble the rabbit's strength, little by little.

                "_You remembered the scorn and mistrust of the rabbits in Efrafa when you became Chief rabbit after Woundwort.  It wasn't that they wanted you to be Chief rabbit; it was because they couldn't find anyone else to complete the task, so you may have been leader by the ridiculous notion of default, but no one wanted it to be that way.  And when you left to join Vleflain and Watership Down, you pictured all the rabbits left behind in Efrafa celebrating that they got rid of the foolish rabbit with his 'fancy ways'._"

                "Stop it!!  Shut up!!  Stop, please!!" Campion squealed as he started to shake and tremble in fright and shame, nearly going tharn.

                "_You were an embarrassment to all rabbits in Efrafa and Watership Down.  That's why so many objected when you came with the group to retrieve the cross-bearer._"

                "Stop it!!"  Unable to take anymore, Campion tried unsuccessfully to cover his ears with his forepaws, trying to block the sound.

                "_Leave the cross-bearer behind.  He doesn't need you.  Hazel-rah doesn't need you.  El-ahrairah doesn't need you.  No one wants you.  Just abandon your mission and save your own pathetic hide._"

                "No!!  I won't!  I won't listen to you!!"

                "_Leave the cross-bearer behind.  Save yourself._"

                "I wont!!"

                "_You have caused so much pain in your past life.  You think all your good acts now can ever redeem you, even in this land?_"

                "Shut up!!"

                "_You will never succeed, and Hazel-rah and the other rabbits will hate you forever because of it_."

                "Stop it, please!!"

                "_Justin will die because of you, like so many rabbits before him_."  At this, Campion gave up as he slowly sank to the floor, his spirit fleeting out of him.  The figure in the trees smiled.  Now, the cross-bearer was completely defenseless, completely vulnerable, and...completely helpless.   Yet before it could even move from hiding to murder the human, Justin unexpectedly kneeled in front on Campion and gently placed his hands under Campion's chin, causing the rabbit to slightly lift up his head and look into Justin's eyes.

                "Campion, listen to me!" he told the rabbit fiercely and urgently, his grief shining brightly in his eyes, "Don't listen to him!!  You're not at fault for anything, just like Holly told me earlier that I shouldn't blame myself for anything bad that happens to me or other people.  Sometimes things happen beyond your control, and no one could have done anything differently if they were in your place.  Not Bigwig, not Hazel, not even El-ahrairah!!  Even though rabbits did die in your Wide Patrols, it was due to the elil and the enemies of all rabbits, not because of your training expeditions, so it's not your fault!  You weren't leading rabbits to their deaths, you were helping them survive!!"  The figure, sensing trouble, tried to dissuade Campion from empathizing with the cross-bearer.

                "_He is lying, Campion.  How can you think of trusting a man who knows nothing about what you feel?_"

                Justin continued to talk Campion out of his angst and misery, now feeling the pain of his own memories coming back to haunt him.  "The voice is wrong, Campion!  I do know what it feels like, to try your best only to feel that it isn't good enough, to fear that people will always criticize and scoff at you, no matter how hard you work or how good your intentions are, to always live as a disappointment to others who couldn't care less about you!"  At this last part, Justin nearly choked but he forced himself to continue for Campion's sake.

                "You remember how earlier, I told you and the others about my father and how I had to live with him after my mother left?  Well, ever since the divorce, I always had to live with my dad's degrading comments, his bullying, and his abuse.  I was always a disappointment to him, never being the strong, independent ideal son he always wanted, never good at sports and always forcing him to say I was pathetic and a wimp, and always being too weak to be manly enough for his standards.  Sometimes, he'd even beat me, pummel me to the ground and saying that he would rather have no children than be embarrassed by a weakling like me.  And you know what?  I believed him.  I always convinced myself that everything was my fault, just to humor him, until it happened so often, I believed it to be the truth.  I always convinced myself that he was right, that I wasn't any use to anybody, that no one cared if I lived or died, and that I deserved everything bad that happened to me, to have myself come crawling back with my head down for more punishment because I felt I deserved it, like some animal."  Justin was now crying, but he was too intent with trying to help Campion, and he didn't even feel the burning tears running down his face.  Campion, finally feeling the weight of the teenager's words, looked up to see the extraordinary sight of someone weeping over him for his pain.

                "_Do not listen to the boy, Campion.  He's just trying to humor you, just like all the young rabbits did when you were training them._"

                "And the voice is also wrong when it said that you never did any good to any rabbit.  In my world, I remembered the stories about you from 'Tales of Watership Down', and you helped so many rabbits in the physical world, and all the youngsters loved you because you were one of the few adult rabbits who understood them, who never patronized them, who would always be proud of and give encouragement to the future Owsla.  You were never a burden to anyone, and even Hazel and Bigwig trusted you fully to help the future generations on Watership Down!"  At this, the figure in the trees could feel Campion's hope gently becoming restored, and it was starting to panic at the increasing likelihood that it would lose.  It was now screaming with all its might, making his words so violent, even Hazel-rah and the other Watership rabbits could hear the voice.

                "_YOU WILL ALL DIE HERE!  CAMPION, YOU FOOL!!  GIVE UP NOW AND LEAVE THE CROSS-BEARER WITH ME!!  YOU WERE NEVER A WORTHY RABBIT OF EL-AHRAIRAH OR TO ANY OF THE RABBITS FROM WATERSHIP DOWN!  NO ONE TRUSTS YOU, NO ONE WANTS YOU, AND NO ONE WILL EVER BELIEVE IN YOU!!_"

                "He's wrong, Campion.  Don't you remember who asked you to come to this expedition?  El-ahrairah himself, the Prince of all Rabbits since the beginning of time, and out of all the rabbits at the warren, he chose you because he believed in your abilities, your strength.  What, you mean to tell me that you would rather believe some coward who doesn't have the guts to show his face than the Prince and Savior of all rabbits himself?"  Justin smiled through this last statement when he saw the realization and understanding dawning in Campion's face.  Before the mysterious voice could further scream at the duo, the teenager said the magic words.

                "You're not alone, Campion.  _I_ believe in you, _I_ have faith in you, and _I_ care about you, just like all your friends do back at the other end of this copse.  Your friends, the ones who have been with you since you lived at Watership Down, the friends who have forgotten and forgiven you for your role in Efrafa's siege, and the friends who I know you will always fight and defend for to the very end.  Hazel, Bigwig, Fiver, and all the others, you know they feel exactly the same way, maybe even more than I do.  And what you said earlier, about how it's not good to put your faith and hope in people who don't deserve it or who aren't strong enough?  You're wrong about that too; no matter how little faith you have, even a little bit of faith, as small as a mustard seed, can help you move mountains.  And it doesn't matter whether or not a person deserves it or whether they're strong enough because as long as they care about others as much as others care about them, they'll never be weak."  _I believe in you, I have faith in you, and I care about you_...Those simple words echoed in Campion's head over and over, and Campion couldn't explain it, but he could almost feel the darkness, the regret, the pain from his past, and the grief slowly being released in his heart.  Struggling, he rose and stood upright while the mysterious voice was now screaming in rage, trying to dissuade Campion with its illusions and lies again, but the rabbit didn't even hear them as he gratefully looked at the teenager who he towered over by at least a foot.  Letting his heart open, Campion whispered back.

                "You're right, young one.  I...I do believe in El-ahrairah, I do have faith in Hazel-rah and all my friends, and...and I care about you too, Justin."  Before the figure hiding in the trees could do anything to stop them, Justin's cross, feeling the faith of Justin and Campion, reacted strongly and began to illuminate with a golden light.  Unafraid, Campion and the cross-bearer just stared as the gentle, orange light engulfed them, the trees, the fields, and the entire copse.

                                                                                                                                                ***

                Among the trees, the Watership Down rabbits, still lost and wandering among the maze, looked on in awe when they saw the familiar orange sunlight from Justin's cross engulf all the trees and grass with its brilliant luster.  The light was so strong, the rabbits could see that it was starting to completely dissolve all the illusions around them, eliminating the evil magic and making it disappear like dew on a hot morning.  Within a few minutes, the light disappeared and so did all the mirages.  The copse now looked real and familiar, no longer maze-like, and to their joy, within a few feet away from them in plain sight were Campion and Justin.

                "Campion!!  Justin!!  We found you!" cried Pipkin happily as he was the first to spot them, and within instants, Hazel, Fiver, Holly and the rest surrounded their two friends, extremely relieved that nothing bad had happened to their comrades.  Suddenly, there was a loud thud behind them, and turning to the noise, they all saw a horrific sight.  There, struggling on the ground in pain a few yards away from them, was a gigantic, black rat.  It was as big as a Saint Bernard dog, and its eyes were glowing in a harsh, red light, like its master, Elil-rah.  Yet despite the terrifying demeanor, Blackberry and a few others noticed that the rat's fur was singed and smoking, and a few areas on the rat's body was charred with black burns against the pale, pink skin.  The light from Justin's cross not only destroyed all the rat's illusions, but it was also so intense, when it engulfed the creature, it set its body on fire.  Even now, the rat was rolling in the dusty, powdery dirt of the ground, trying to further smother the smoky charred bits of its flesh and fur.  Hazel decided to get to the bottom of the whole matter.

                "Who are you?" he questioned a bit harshly, "Since you were the only creature in this copse that was affected by the light of the cross-bearer, then I wouldn't be wrong to assume that you are the messenger sent by Elil-rah to come kill our friend."  The other rabbits waited silently as the rat, finally succeeding in putting out the smoldering ashes on its body, stood up furiously and snarled.  Campion and Justin recognized it as the same voice that echoed in the copse earlier before, but now, without the illusions and mirages, it was less impending and raspy.

                "You fools!" the rat squeaked in lividness, "You embleer rabbits!!  Curse you and your precious cross-bearer!!  I almost had all of you in my power of illusion and I would have succeeded in enslaving all of you and killing the boy if it wasn't for that accursed light!!  And you!" he snarled, pointed a singed claw at Justin, who was watching quietly, "you think you've won haven't you, you troublesome pest!!  Well, you haven't!  Elil-rah will prevail in this land, and he will reward me and my other rat minions for our loyalty against El-ahrairah and men!!  Mark my words, cross-bearer!  I will come back again, and when I do, I will wipe you and the rest of the rabbits out with my army, like I nearly did with El-ahrairah and the warren of Burdock!!"  Dandelion gasped as he recognized the rat from the stories he had exchanged with El-ahrairah over the years.

"Now I remember you!" he exclaimed, "You're Veil Guplea, the king of all rats, the same king that led the killing spree on hundreds of innocent animals and who nearly finished off the warren of Burdock-rah in 'The Story of the Great Marsh'!  If it wasn't for El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle, you would have finished them off too!!" At these words, Campion barreled past the other rabbits and stood face to face with the Veil Guplea.  Despite the burning anger he was feeling for the hell the rat had put him through, he kept himself in control as he muttered in a low, dangerous voice.

                "Leave.  Now.  There's nothing else you can do to me, to  Justin, or to the rest of us.  So leave while you still have the ability to crawl back to the cold, embleer, flea-infested hole you came from."  Veil, however, was not too eager to return back to Elil-rah with reports of failure, so in a last desperate attempt, he veered away from Campion and foolishly lunged straight towards Justin.  Before the murderous rat could even get close, he was painfully flung into the ground as Hazel and Campion did a double-team head-butt directly into the left flank of Veil.  Veil fell to his side, breathless, but Campion could still see the look of murder in his eyes and without giving the rat a chance to stand up, with a yell of rage and battle, Campion charged as fast as he could and rammed into the evil rodent with all of his might.  With a howl of pain, Veil Guplea flew into the air in a low arc only to come splashing into the cold water of the stream nearby.  The rest of the rabbits and Justin, morbidly curious, ran up to the back of the wide creek to see the sight of Veil cursing and sputtering insults as he was swept away by the torrent current of water.

                "You haven't seen the last of me!" Veil screams echoed as he disappeared into the distance.  The other rabbits watched silently for several moments before Hazel ordered to his friends, "I think we've all had enough rest for one day, so let's start moving again.  We can go silflay once we reach a nice field of grass and clover, all right?"  The rabbits agreed and they started to slowly walk to the nearest edge of copse and towards the sumptuous grassy plains, full of grass, dandelions, cowslips, and clover, which were a mile away.  While walking, Hazel lightly reprimanded Campion as they ambled out of the grove with Bigwig and Justin.

                "You shouldn't have left us without letting us know, Campion, you old duffer," he said, "We would have nearly lost you, and when you found out that Justin went out into the open to keep you company, you should have brought him back straight away.  We were lucky this time that Veil couldn't hurt you or Justin."

                "It wasn't Campion's fault," Justin broke in, trying to defend Campion's apparent oversight, "It was mine.  Campion wanted me to go back, but I refused because I didn't want to leave him.  And yeah, I know how close I nearly came to getting killed, but Campion protected me and stayed by my side.  Though you do have a right to be annoyed, Hazel, you didn't have to worry.  I believe in Campion, and I know you trust in him, too."  Campion shot Justin a look of warmth, gratitude and devotion as he glanced at the young teenager who had just helped him conquer his inner demons and regrets.  Unfortunately for Justin, it infuriated Bigwig as he got riled up and was reminded of being furious with Justin in the first place when they discovered he was missing.

                "By Frith, you're becoming the biggest nuisance I've ever had to deal with!!" he raged, "What in the name of the Black Rabbit do you use for a brain?!!  A lad like you with no possible way to defend himself and who hasn't even mastered his powers yet, go out during Ni-Frith in plain daylight and nearly fall prey to Veil, the King of all Rats?!!  And you just stand there, slightly abashed, but not ashamed of your foolishness?!!  By the King's Lettuce, first Bluebell, now Campion!!  If you were in my Owsla, I'd beat some sense into you, and then some!!  Stupid, tharn, fat-headed, adolescent buck, doesn't know when the elil is coming until the danger is right in front of your useless nose!!"  Bigwig kept yelling, scolding, and fiercely admonishing to Justin while the other rabbits kept silent as they heard their friend being told off.

                "This will probably take a while," sighed Silver to Acorn, Speedwell and Hawkbit as they walked ahead, "Justin is going to be in for a rough time.  I'm surprised that me and Holly don't have to restrain Bigwig from beating the hraka out of Justin."

                "Well, can't say he doesn't deserve it," Hawkbit commented nonchalantly and impassively, "Think I should tell the cross-bearer, 'I told you so'?"

                "Do and you're going to be the next one who gets a tongue lashing!" Acorn warned sternly as Silver and Speedwell laughed.

/*

Hope you liked it; next update in a week!  Oh, and as for the contest, I am offering any reader a chance to give me input and create a specific enemy character that I will be honored to use for my story in the later chapters.  I will acknowledge the person who created the character in the chapter I introduce it to.  The contest is to solve this riddle:  VEIL GUPLEA is an anagram that spells two words.  What are those two words?  Can you solve it?  Post on the reviews what you think it is and the first person who posts the correct answer can have the chance to design an enemy character for my story.  There are two requirements though:

1.) The enemy character has to be an animal; I want to stay as faithful to the Watership Down books as possible.

2.) The character cannot be another man or Elil-rah himself; I'm saving Elil-rah for the final battle with El-ahrairah.

OK, best wishes, and good luck to solving the anagram!  Post it on the reviews and see you in a week!  Deadline for this contest is September 11th of this year.  Good luck!

*/


	11. It's A Mad, Mad Bigwig

/*

Author's note: To all those who've grown to like this story, my deepest apologies!!  I was in Hong Kong for two weeks and I couldn't finish this chapter until I came back!  Well, on the upside, I did get a few concerned e-mail asking what was going on, plus I would like to make a few assurances: yes, I do plan to finish this story, yes, I do plan to update this story with a new chapter every week unless I say so otherwise, and yes, there will be a chapter dedicated to each rabbit of Watership Down in my story.  Anyway, I also would like to add congratulations to Bulgeta la Wang for solving my anagram puzzle from the last chapter!  He/She will get to design an enemy for an upcoming chapter and I will use it and acknowledge that it was his/her creation.  Again congratulations!  And now, ALL BIGWIG FANS REJOICE!  This chapter is about Bigwig!  Enjoy! =) (This has been the longest chapter I've written yet!)

*/

CHAPTER 11 

                It was early evening and the moon was just rising above the horizon, and it was cool and refreshing as the rabbits grazed on clover and grass under the starry sky.  For once, it was quite pleasant and peaceful.  Well, it was almost pleasant and peaceful.

                Justin ruefully sighed in aggravation as a very protective, bitter, and fuming Bigwig, after the incidents with the teenager's foolishness with Bluebell and Campion and who took it to his own responsibility to safeguard and look after the cross-bearer, closely watched him sitting on the grass.  Earlier, Holly and Hazel realized that Justin couldn't silflay like the others, not that Justin was eager to chew on grass and weeds for dinner.  Since it had been over a day since Justin had last eaten, he felt the pangs of hunger attack his stomach shortly after the scare with Veil Guplea; seeing as there were no supermarkets or fast-food restaurants in sight, Justin knew meals were going to be a definite problem.  Luckily, Acorn and Pipkin, who before had gathered food for Kehaar when he was stranded on Watership Down, suggested to Justin that they go look for berries and fruits in the copse together.  However, much to everyone's frustration, including Hazel's, Bigwig flatly rejected that idea, almost screaming himself hoarse about the idea of having Justin go in the face of possible danger again.  After a long argument, Bigwig ended up gathering assorted fruits and berries with Pipkin, Acorn, Bluebell, and Campion while the other rabbits stayed behind with Justin in the grassy fields.  Justin wasn't ungrateful for the help for they luckily brought edible blueberries, raspberries, and some soft groundnuts, but Bigwig, being exasperatingly domineering, told the rabbits not to gather too much food for Justin so that he wouldn't stuff himself and get soft from overeating like Strawberry (Strawberry didn't appreciate the simile).  If Justin were needed for battle, it would better to do it on an empty stomach than a full one.  After his meal, Justin got thirsty and was about to get up and go get a drink of water from the stream he and Campion were at earlier, but Bigwig demanded unreasonably that Justin remain sitting where he was, in the plain sight of everyone, and that he could wait until it was safe.  At this, Strawberry, Buckthorn, Bluebell and Campion lost their tempers at Bigwig's sudden, unbearable, protective regulations, arguing that Justin needed safety and security, not punishment and isolation.  Bigwig argued back that Justin was the only chance they had left of saving El-ahrairah, and after several extremely close calls, he wasn't willing to take any more risks.  Fiver and Justin, who wished that the rabbits would not fight amongst themselves over his sake, tried to gently break up the quarrel, but Bigwig, who was now already irate, growled at Justin to stay out of it and be silent.  This flared up Justin in response.

                "Bigwig, stop treating me like I'm a prisoner or like I'm an Owsla soldier in-training!  You're supposed to act like a friend, not like my father!!" he yelled in a hurt voice.

                Bigwig snarled back, "Maybe if you started acting like a boy who was responsible and smart enough to be the cross-bearer for once, I wouldn't have to treat you like a tharn buck!!  And until I see you change for the better, you're staying in my presence where I can keep an eye on you, whether you like it or not!!"

                "You're just as bad as Woundwort!" but as soon as those words left Justin's angry mouth, he immediately regretted saying it.  Justin numbly put his hand over his mouth, realizing that the comment wasn't the best thing to say to Bigwig, a brave soldier who actually risked his own life to save his friends by fighting General Woundwort during Efrafa's siege and who nearly lost his life in doing so.  The other rabbits just stared at Justin, stunned at the outburst, and the teenager could only just look down at his feet in shameful silence as Bigwig, who reached a new level of fury, narrowed his burning eyes and bristled his fur upright as he growled in a livid, deadly voice, his voice lining each word with stabbing, cold, rage, "Don't...you...ever...After what I've been through in Efrafa...How dare you..."

                Before he could even finish his thoughts, it took the efforts of Silver, Holly, and Hazel to restrain him from doing something rash, and Justin just weakly sat on the grass, feeling nothing but a cold, icy numbness of remorse in his stomach as Blackberry, Campion, Bluebell, Dandelion, Fiver, and Pipkin sat with their friend and silently comforted the teenager.  At a distance, the three veterans talked quietly to Bigwig, trying to calm him down, although it wasn't with much success.

                Hazel reasoned to Bigwig, "There's no point in making Justin feel worse than he already does.  He knows what he did earlier with Bluebell and Campion was foolish, but has every good intention to do what he did.  His heart's in the right place.  He's not doing this to spite you, Bigwig; he's doing it because he cares for us too much to let us go.  He's bonded with all of us in such a short time, and I don't want you to do something that could jeopardize our relationship with Justin.  The young one has had a rough enough time as it is, and you're not really helping matters much."

                "_I'm_ not the one who's helping?!!" shouted Bigwig, extremely scandalized, "That young chap over there's got no respect for me and for my efforts of trying to keep him safe!!  He's the one who's not helping us by constantly getting his fat furry tail in the likes of danger!  Little, ungrateful...he's got the nerve to say I'm just as bad as Woundwort?!!  Instead of talking to me, Hazel, you should give Justin there a good dressing down!!"

                "Thlayli, I don't think he needs it," commented Holly severely as he glanced over and saw that Blackberry and Strawberry had their paws over Justin's shoulders, trying to console him.  "And I think that Justin is partly right about what he said earlier.  Don't you think you shouldn't be so hard on him?  There's a difference between keeping him safe and keeping him captive.  He's one of us now, and we all trust his judgment, yet you don't seem to have much opinion that he should be free to do what he wants as long as it doesn't jeopardize someone's life.  Can't you see the young one has a pretty good head on his shoulders?"

                "The minute that young troublemaker stop wandering off the minute our backs are turned, I will be ready to treat him like everyone else," Bigwig muttered hotly.  "By Frith, I didn't have as much trouble when we had to deal with Sandwort back at Watership Down, and at least with him, I'd feel it would be a fairer fight if I had to beat some common sense into him.  This annoying chap, on the other hand, doesn't even listen to me; it comes in one ear and out the other!!"

                "He's not the one who has a problem listening."  Holly gave Bigwig a reprimanding look, but Silver jumped in before Bigwig could explode in retaliation.

                "Bigwig, be reasonable," Silver cajoled gently his long-time friend, "Justin knows his life is in constant danger, and he would never do anything to jeopardize us or the chance to save El-ahrairah; he knows he's too important for this entire mission.  But the more you treat him like this, the more he's going to have feelings of resentment towards you, and eventually, that's going to cause some friction for us in the future.  If we wish to get the cross-bearer back to the warren in one piece, we need him to stick close by and to trust us, but frankly, your behavior and treatment towards him are just going to push him farther and farther away.  He's already gone through this with his father, and you doing the exact same thing is going to make things a lot worse.  Just listen to us, and stop treating him so impassively."

                Bigwig however showed no sign that he listened to any of the conversation and sidetracked stubbornly, shortly, and deliberately, "I'm going to go silflay with the others."

                With that, he was off, hopping a bit haphazardly and aggressively, towards the group of rabbits surrounding Justin.  As Hazel, Holly, and Silver watched, to their disappointed aggravation, Bigwig tersely spoke to the rabbits for a few short moments before Campion, Bluebell, Dandelion, Fiver, Pipkin, and Blackberry stiffly left Justin alone with Bigwig as they went to silflay somewhere else.  And they also noticed Campion and Bluebell glaring back at Bigwig, almost unconsciously threatening the Owsla leader with consequences if he did anything to hurt their human friend.  Bigwig, unfazed, started to feed on the grass and clover alone while watching over Justin with an angry look in his eye.  Justin didn't even bother to gaze back at him as he pretended to be more interested in shredding a dandelion blossom between his fingers, his downcast eyes showing gloom and apologetics.  Neither of them had spoken, and it had been that way for half an hour.  Hazel was starting to get a little worried, especially when Blackberry and Fiver voiced in their concerns after talking with Bigwig.

                "The problem with Bigwig is that he feels he's always right," sighed Blackberry as he tried to contemplate the situation without bad-mouthing his friend, "And whenever there's a little bit of the off chance that he is wrong, he's so stubborn and hot-headed, it's extremely difficult to tell him without having him curse you or heatedly argue with you.  Remember when we were at Cowslip's warren of the Shining Wire?  Bigwig was exactly like how he's acting right as of this very moment, and it took the event of him nearly dying in a snare before he could realize and admit that he was wrong."

                "Bigwig does have his heart in the right place, though," admitted Fiver, "But the thing is Hazel, in his heart, I can feel the pain and fear he has of failing, just like Campion.  So he's always trying to take charge of everything, trying to do everything himself without anyone's aid, because he's so afraid of something going wrong if he leaves it to be done by someone other than him.  But what does worry me is that by isolating himself like this, he may befall into serious trouble, and we won't be there to help him."

                "So what's to happen?" Holly asked skeptically as he joined in the conversation, "You want to hope that another messenger of Elil-rah will come by to attack Justin and in doing so, bring Bigwig back to his senses?"

                "O Frith and Inle!" muttered Blackberry, shaking his head, "Let's hope not!"

                After the rabbits had had their fill of silflay, Hazel and the other veterans agreed that it would be best if they started eastward again as soon as possible.  They still needed to voyage a good, long distance before they could reach the mountain range that was separating them from the land where El-ahrairah and the warren were waiting.  Justin, upon hearing this, realized how many long days and nights and over what terrains and obstacles the rabbits of Watership Down had to travel through to get him, and it did make him appreciate a bit more of what they were all doing for his sake and safety.  However, that appreciation was starting to wither when he was about to go on top of Campion's back for the trip; Bigwig immediately came by before he could scramble on.

                "Hold it, young one!" Bigwig barked brusquely, "I said I'm keeping my eye on you, and by Frith, I'm still standing by that promise.  You're riding on me tonight cause you've put Campion through enough trouble, and it'll be easier for me to stay close to you if you ride on my back.  Now get on!  Hop to it!"  There was a slight harshness to his voice in the last two sentences, and frankly, Campion didn't like it.  And neither did Justin; earlier, Campion told the young one that he wanted to carry him since it would give them more time to hang out and to know each other better.  Like Bluebell, Campion wanted to bond more with the teenager.  Yet Justin didn't want to argue with Bigwig.  Even less, he wanted another fight to sever the close relationship Bigwig had between the rest of the Watership rabbits, so before Campion could say anything, Justin jumped in.

                "It's all right, Campion," he whispered to his friend, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice, "I'll be fine, and right now, please, just humor Bigwig.  I don't want to make him any madder at me, and I especially wouldn't feel right if you and Bigwig started fighting.  It would definitely make things a lot easier for Hazel and El-ahrairah."  Campion, though exceedingly averse, sighed and nodded, giving in.

                "Come on, young one!" exclaimed Bigwig with extreme impatience, "We're not waiting for you all night!"

                "I'm coming, I'm coming," muttered Justin tensely as he walked over to the hulking rabbit without even looking at him.  Campion looked sadly at Justin, then glowered at Bigwig for a moment, and then left abruptly to join with Silver and Hawkbit.  As Justin boarded the strong back of Bigwig, he didn't notice the look of discomfort and sullenness Bigwig had in his eyes as he watched Campion edge away from him.  Yet the rabbit didn't say anything as they started galloping at a fast pace towards the warren of El-ahrairah.  As they galloped across the grassy terrains, Hazel noted that there were still some strains between Bigwig and the other rabbits; everyone was either nervously looking at the veteran with uncomfortable glances or just pretended to keep their minds on the running.  He knew something eventually needed to be done, but before he could think of anything, Holly cried out suddenly.

                "Hazel!  There's a rabbit in front of us!  Look!"  Everyone's attention turned immediately to the view in front.  Holly was right; there, lying on its side and gasping for air as his sweaty dark-brown fur drenched its body, was an injured hlessi, a wandering rabbit that lived in the open without belonging to a proper warren.  He was big, as scruff, brawny, and massive as their Bigwig; any Owsla would have been glad to have him in the physical world.  However, Hazel wasn't able to recognize him; he was pretty sure he had never seen a rabbit like him in El-ahrairah's warren before, and by the look on everyone's faces, neither did they.  As the others stopped to gather around the hlessi and sniff him, Justin, feeling concerned and vexed, jumped off Bigwig's back, trying to see if there was a way he could help.  Bigwig, however, wasn't as poignant.

                "What in Frith's name are you doing?!" yelled Bigwig as he angrily jumped in front of the teenager and blocked his path before he could advance towards the hurt rabbit.  "Do you constantly have some death wish?!!  Get behind me and stop before you do something foolish!!"

                "But...But that rabbit needs help!  And if he's hurt, I can try to heal him, like I did with Bluebell!" stammered Justin nervously as the look of rage from Bigwig's brown eyes cut him down by a few notches.

                "Did it ever occur through your small brain that this could be another one of Elil-rah's tricks?!" whispered Bigwig heatedly, trying his best to not let the hlessi rabbit overhear him but at the same time, summoning all the ferocity he could muster in a whisper.  "Are you even trying to think about your safety, you overgrown, dumb-headed puffball, or are you doing your best to annoy me?!  Now shut up and stay back!"  Justin could feel the anger and resentment bubble precariously in his blood as he tried his best to keep his temper down.  Yet before he could do anything, the hlessi gasped out in awe as he realized who the teenager was.

                "You!" he wheezed out shakily at Justin in awe and revered recognition as Hazel, Blackberry and Dandelion sniffed and tenderly licked his wounds that littered all around his body.  The buck had several lacerations, very deep and caked with dried blood, and from what Dandelion and Blackberry could see, they were made by spear wounds.  Efrafans.  The buck hlessi continued to pant out, "I can't believe it!  You're...you're a man!  In the land beyond life!!  That must mean...you're the cross-bearer!  The one who was foretold in legends and stories past forgotten!"

                "That's right, and who are you?" asked Hazel blankly.

                "My name is Zadnir-rah," panted the buck, wincing from his pain, "I was once a Chief rabbit in the physical world, but when I died, I came here only to be invited to join the warren of El-ahrairah and the other rabbits.  Yet warren life wasn't for me, especially since I couldn't be Chief Rabbit like I used to in my old life, so I requested El-ahrairah to allow me to live as a hlessi in this land.  Yet some time ago, while I was at silflay, several Efrafans of Elil-rah's army ambushed me.  They were looking for more animals to join in their army to destroy the warren of El-ahrairah, but when I refused the offer since my loyalty lies with the Prince of all rabbits, they attacked me and stabbed me several times with their spears.  But since all they were able to do was injure me, they left after they were done, and I've been lying here for several days and nights out here.  Please, for Frith's sake, can you help me??"  Hazel's compassionate heart pained from seeing a rabbit in agony, but he had to think about the hlessi's story.  It was true that any rabbit that didn't enjoy warren life can make the decision to live a wanderer's life out in the open, with El-ahrairah's blessing, of course.  El-ahrairah never wanted to hold a rabbit against his will, and sometimes, the hlessi have proven helpful in finding new feeding grounds, exploring new lands, and even making friends with unlikely animals such as the pikes, the mice, and even the elil.  Since this was the land beyond life, all animals, elil and prey alike, were friends and stayed that way; well, at least before Elil-rah's corruption on the animals.  Recently, some hlessi such as Toadflax, Blackavar and Scabious, rabbits that Hazel had known in his past life, were successful as scouting parties to gather and report the enemy's activity.  Still, could they trust him?  As Hazel contemplated on the story, Justin, unable to take seeing Zadnir's pain, stepped forward and out of the range of Bigwig's hulking body.

                "Hazel, let me heal Zadnir, let me help him.  I've done it before with Bluebell," he requested, almost pleading.

                "Hold your tongue, Justin!" growled Bigwig, as he tried to put himself between Justin and Zadnir again, almost afraid that the hlessi would make a mad dash towards the cross-bearer.  "We don't know anything about this rabbit, and how do we know he's even telling the truth?!  For all we know, he could be leading us into another army of Efrafans, ready to slay the cross-bearer!!"

                "Bigwig, stop being so stubborn, be reasonable and start thinking straight!" cried out Blackberry, his patience was already wearing thin.

                "That'll be a first," chuckled Bluebell out loud, his voice slightly derisive.  Bigwig glared at the rabbit jester and snarled, "I'm warning you, Bluebell..."  Silver then spoke.

                "Bigwig, look, if he was part of Elil-rah's army, they wouldn't have injured him like this and left him.  Besides, we can't smell any other rabbits or strange creatures around us, except him and ourselves, of course, so I can't think it's a trap.  Besides, he doesn't smell unnatural like the Efrafan rabbits do, and can't you see that he doesn't have any clothing and can't stand upright, like the soldiers of Elil-rah's army?  Besides, aren't you forgetting Blackavar and Toadflax?  They're hlessi, just like Zadnir here is, and they help us fight against Elil-rah, Woundwort, and Prince Rainbow!"

                "Well...I...but..." sputtered Bigwig, apparently at a loss of words, before grunting, "I still don't trust him!"

                "Oh, that was such a convincing rebuttal," whispered Bluebell sarcastically to Speedwell, trying to keep his voice low so that Bigwig wouldn't hear him.  Unfortunately, Bigwig's ears were sharp.

                "Just one more word, Bluebell..." he threatened as he raised a forepaw, ready to cuff him.  Bluebell, sensing the danger, kept silent.  Seeing a chance, Hazel gave Justin his approval.  "Go, Justin, heal Zadnir.  The sooner we can start on our journey, the better and I don't think even El-ahrairah would approve if we left an injured hlessi without even bothering to help.  Like in the story 'The Hole in the Sky', so go heal him, Justin.  We support you."

                Bigwig was extremely scandalized, but the look Hazel and Holly gave him forced him to keep his mouth shut.  Still, Acorn and Strawberry noticed that Bigwig was on the balls of all of his four paws, ready to dash out and tackle Zadnir if he played false.  Justin was a little nervous as he approached the hlessi, but the look of extreme gratitude on Zadnir's face quietly eased his apprehension as he placed his hands on the rabbit's back, closed his eyes, and prayed for God to give him the power to heal the injured rabbit again, just like he had done before.  In an instant, the rabbits saw the ever-familiar golden sunlight of the cross engulf Zadnir, and soon, the buck was on his feet and gazing at his healed body in wonder.  There wasn't even a mark on him, and gratefully, he thanked the Watership rabbits with all of his heart.  Then Zadnir was about to go up to the human teenager to give him his gratitude, but with a smooth interception, a glowering Bigwig put himself between the two of them, his dark eyes warning the hlessi what will potentially happen if he laid a paw on Justin.  Zadnir, being no fool, silently backed away condescendingly while the other rabbits noted this with slight, annoyed chagrin.  As Justin and the other rabbits were about to continue on their journey to the east, Zadnir stopped them with a surprising request.

                "Let me join you!" he pleaded, "I want to help the cross-bearer get back to El-ahrairah too, and besides, I'm loyal to the Prince of all Rabbits, so if he's in danger, I want to do anything I can to be of assistance!"  Before Bigwig could object, Justin inquired to Hazel, "Hazel, can he?  He seems friendly, and it'll be safer for Zadnir if he travels with us so he won't get attacked again.  He might not so lucky next time."

                "Yes, please Hazel-rah!" chimed in Pipkin excitedly, "Please say 'yes'!"  Hazel, seeing that Bigwig was about to oppose, immediately nodded, making all the travelers except one indignant Bigwig happy, especially now that they've made a new friend and companion for the journey.  It was also a slight relief for Justin; with so many animals in this land that especially hated his guts, it was refreshing to find an animal that was accepting and not easily shaken from the sight of a human.  As the band went eastwards once again, Bigwig just scowled out of the corners of his eye as most of the rabbits running around Zadnir were asking him questions about hlessi life and his adventures.  Zadnir, in turn, regaled tales of playing with the lendri, riding on the backs of eagles and hawks as they took up in the air so that he could scan a wide area from the high view, and doing water games with the otters in a lake full of pikes that were as big as clover fields.  Pipkin especially took a fascination to the stories as he was galloping with the huge buck since he always had a secret desire to fly to the skies and be airborne from the time when he met with Kehaar in the physical world.  All this was starting to make Bigwig secretly jealous because it began to seem that everyone, even Hazel, was beginning to prefer Zadnir over him since he was kind, open, and patient, unlike surly, bullying, tough Bigwig.

                After a long night's worth of running, Hazel and the rest of the rabbits decided to take a small break under the cover of a thick forest they had just come across as dawn was just about to crack the night sky in about an hour or two.  Everyone was starting to have his spirits lift up, due to the fact that there hadn't been a single sight or smell of Efrafans or Elil-rah's Owsla throughout the whole trip.  As the rabbits started to chew on pellets and grass while resting in the huge woodland, Zadnir went up to Justin and squatted up with his human friend.

                "I must say I still can't believe I'm in the presence of the cross-bearer!" he exclaimed as he chatted with the teenager under the darkness of the tall redwood and pine trees.  Hawkbit and Pipkin sat along with him as Zadnir continued, "I mean, by Frith and Inle, I could have never imagined all this in my wildest dreams!  And to be with the famous rabbits of Watership Down, this will truly be the most memorable and exciting journey I will have ever been on!"

                Justin smiled at the compliment before all three rabbits heard the boy's stomach growl loudly.  Hawkbit smirked, "Is that thunder I hear rumbling, Justin, or is this the strange human way of telling us you're hungry again?"

                Blushing, Justin grinned, "I guess now's a good time to go find something to eat here."

                Zadnir looked confused.  "Are you sure you wouldn't mind chewing on pellets or having some nice grass and dandelions to silflay on?  It'll do wonders for any hungry rabbit!"  Justin doubtfully glanced at Acorn and Strawberry chewing on their dry hraka.

                "Yes, I am definitely sure," he repeated more insistently.  There was unquestionably no possible way he was going to put rabbit droppings into his mouth.  Hawkbit and Zadnir chuckled as Pipkin broke in, "Let's go out and explore together, see if we can find some berries and such for you to eat again.  You didn't eat from much last time since Bigwig wouldn't let you have your fill.  Zadnir might be able to help too!  Being a hlessi and all, he probably knows where to find some good fruit and nuts!"  They all agreed but they took no more than five steps when Bigwig's angry voice rang out, getting the attention of all the other Watership rabbits.  Now trouble was really brewing.

                "Where in the name of the Black Rabbit are you four going?!" he demanded as he went up in front of Justin.  "And why are you going to wander off?!!  Embleer Frith, didn't I just tell you to stay where you are?!!  By the Great Marsh, you're really starting to get on my temper, young one!!"  Zadnir, looking extremely sorry, tried to interrupt.

                "Don't be mad at Justin, Bigwig.  It's just that he was hungry, and we decided to go look for some food for him in the forest since -"

                "I don't care if he hasn't eaten for a full Inle!!" snarled Bigwig as he seared the hlessi with a fierce look, "Justin knows better than wander off, especially when Elil-rah is looking for him!!"

                Justin argued back, now feeling his anger reaching the boiling point.  All that needed was one little snap, and his resolve would completely break.  "Bigwig, I'm not being irresponsible!!  Hawkbit, Pipkin, and Zadnir would look out for me, and we won't wander far from Hazel and the rest of you guys!!  I just needed to go find some food since I can't silflay like the rest of you!!"

                "And I suppose you're willing to trust Zadnir?!!  You ignorant, little kitten!!  You can't trust every single animal that comes within our way, and I still stand by what I said before, I don't trust that hlessi!!!"  Zadnir looked extremely hurt from that remark, and this caused Justin's burning hatred to multiply.  By now, Hazel and the others were sensing the rift between Justin and Bigwig was growing, putting the two of them even further apart.

                "Bigwig, stop it!" commanded Hazel, but the fur-cropped rabbit was too angry to stop as his rage was boiling over.

                "Bigwig, you're not being fair!!" yelled Justin.

                "_I'm_ not being fair??!!  You're a fine one to talk, running about and getting yourself in the thick of danger, needing us to pull your furry hide out of the messes you cause!!  First the Efrafans, then the not wanting to leave because of Bluebell, then the Ilips, then Veil Guplea, and now Zadnir!!  You're always trying to jeopardize your life and our mission and El-ahrairah's health!!"

                "Bigwig, that's enough," Dandelion tried to gently warn him, but then Bigwig said the final straw that broke the camel's back.

                "It's stupid decisions like those that makes me wish you never were the cross-bearer!!"  Justin's shocked face immediately shot straight up, and before the rabbits could gasp out in surprise, the teenager punched Bigwig hard.  In the nose.  The rabbit, though unhurt, was so jolted back, he fell backwards from his standing position and as Hawkbit and Pipkin rushed over to their friend's side, Justin felt the tears of pain and hurt well up in his eyes as he glared at Bigwig with a mixture of loathing, sadness, and betrayal.  Without a word, he spun around and hurriedly stalked off into the woodlands alone, and Zadnir, looking worried for the cross-bearer's safety, hopped after him.  Both of them disappeared into the shade of the tress.

                Pipkin pleaded to Bigwig, "Bigwig, please go after Justin!  Make him stop!  Say you're sorry!  I know you didn't mean all of that!"  Bigwig, though having the flames of immense wrath glow in his pupils, just muttered lowly, "Fine, let the fool do whatever he wants!  As far as I'm concerned, he can get himself killed, and I won't give a damn!"

                With that, he stomped off in the opposite direction, but from the corner of his eye, he saw the looks he was getting from the other rabbits.  Hazel, Holly, and Silver had looks of stern, exasperated, yet commiserating gazes.  Fiver, Dandelion, Blackberry, and Strawberry just gave him mixtures of conflict, pity, and worry.  Acorn, Speedwell, and Buckthorn didn't even look at Bigwig; they kept staring at the ground, the sky, the trees, anything that they could focus on to avert their sight away from Bigwig, in fear that the wrong glance could set him off again.  And that was something the three did not want.  Hawkbit, Campion, and Bluebell were staring angrily at the veteran, but unlike Bigwig, they wisely kept their tempers in control.  Pipkin, however, was the only one out of the fifteen who was crying silently, letting the tears run down his whiskers as he saw Bigwig tend to his sore nose alone, away from his friends.

                                                                                ***

                Justin, his hunger now forgotten, just sat on a fallen maple stump, shut his eyes, gritted his teeth, and clutched his forehead in one hand as he let the hot tears now flow out of his eyes.  He wanted, with all of his heart, to tell Bigwig that he was sorry, that he was just angry, that the punch was just a spur of the moment, but he couldn't.  Not after what Bigwig had just said.  Now, all the years of rejection, scorn, and hurt had rushed back to haunt him, and despite being surrounded by the Watership rabbits, the sobbing teenager felt more alone than he ever felt before.  He didn't even notice that the hlessi Zadnir had a gleam of triumph in his eyes as he slowly crept behind Justin.

                                                                                ***

                "Hazel-rah, me and Campion are going to go after Justin and Zadnir; they shouldn't be out, and even the efforts of one rabbit can't fight against the likes of Elil-rah if he shows up."  This came from Bluebell as he and Campion were standing in front of their leader.  Hazel nodded gingerly as Campion muttered to himself, feeling his anger stir up, "I swear, by Frith's blessings, if anything happens to Justin because of Bigwig..."

                Suddenly, Pipkin ran at full speed out of the foliage and bushes only to stop awkwardly in front of the group.

                "Hazel-rah!" he cried out, "I can't find Bigwig anywhere!!  I looked for him in the area he hopped off to, but I can't get his trail!  I searched everywhere!!"  Hazel sighed ruefully, feeling his frustration threatening to stretch out over his sense of reason.

                "I think that it's best that we leave him alone for the time being, Hlao-roo," he conceded to the little buck, "If Bigwig is hiding from us, that probably means that he wants to be by himself, but eventually, we will go find him together and try to -".

                "Hazel!" Campion interrupted, his eyes wide, "Something's wrong with Fiver!!"  The leader rabbit turned around to see his brother shaking and shivering, his eyes closed and his gasps for air were coming out in short, high-pitched squeals.  Silver and Blackberry were doing their best to calm the young rabbit down, but soon, Fiver's head jolted back up as the premonition of his second sight hit his mind and soul with a devastating vision.

                "They're here," he whispered, his voice not like his own and his eyes slightly glazed.  "A cat in rabbit's clothing, a friendship understood, and a dog shall carry the way."

                "What in Frith's name are you talking about, Fiver??" questioned Silver hoarsely but it was Campion who answered.

                "Fiver's right, Hazel!!  I can smell them!!  Cats!  They're somewhere close!!  Can't any of you smell it?!!"  All the rabbits lifted their noses in the air and sniffed.  Campion wasn't mistaken; the whole air was reeking of cats, and from the overpowering smell, it was a good number of them.

                "O embleer Frith!" yelled Speedwell angrily as he, Acorn, and Hawkbit got into defensive positions, "Where's Bigwig when you really need him?!!"

                "It doesn't matter now!" Acorn squealed as panic enveloped his body, "We'll have to fight without him!"

                "Campion, Bluebell, hurry, go find Zadnir and Justin!!  Bring them back here, and if you can't, defend both of them!  Try to help Justin use his powers to keep these cats at bay, or at least, find some way to help us fight!!" Strawberry yelled.  There was a series of cackling laughter, feminine but cruel, all around the trees up among the branches, which immediately sent dread into the rabbits and was abrasive enough to bring Fiver out of his apt trance.

                "Zadnir?  You're actually concerned about him?  How touching and foolish.  No wonder Elil-rah said it would be easy to trick you rabbits of El-ahrairah."  Without warning, dark figures jumped from the treetops, only to gracefully land on their silent paws as their tail twitched lazily back and forth in tantalization.  The cats were all female, all black, slender, and very trim and proper; not one hair on their bodies was out of place, and their were all dressed meticulously in black scarves or stoles made of rabbit fur (to the disgust and horror of some of the Watership soldiers) along with silver medallions bearing the letter "E".  However, strangely enough, the cats made no move to attack.  As Hazel, Dandelion and all the others got ready for offense, Blackberry noted that something wasn't right.  There were only ten cats, easily being outnumbered by their group of fourteen, and surprisingly enough, they were quite small, smaller than the full size of a normal rabbit.  They couldn't have outweighed even Pipkin by much, so why did Elil-rah send them to attack them when he could have sent bigger, more powerful animals?  And why weren't they going after Justin and actually losing the advantage of surprise by revealing themselves to the rabbits?

                Silver and Dandelion, deciding that there was no time to ponder, immediately rushed out together towards the group of cats, hoping to barrel them through.  Undaunted, the largest cat, and obviously the leader, stood up and started to sing in a haunting tone, and on cue, the other nine cats started singing too.  Immediately, the entire forest was resonating with their high-pitched notes and words, almost in a chanting attitude, and instantaneously, Silver and Dandelion stopped to a halt and covered their ears in excruciating agony.  The singing of the cats was sending echoes that were literally pounding into their heads, making them feel as if they were swelling like a frog in a pond of water.

                "It...it hurts!!" screamed Silver as the ringing was almost painful enough to make his skull feel like it was going to split.  "I feel like I'm being torn to pieces!"

                "I...I can't even see straight!  Make the singing stop!!" cried Dandelion.  They weren't the only ones.  Hazel and the other rabbits tried to cover their ears too to block out the sounds, but it was to no avail.  The haunting voices of music were burning all of their muscles and nerves.  Campion, Strawberry and Speedwell, trying to endure the throbbing in their heads, got up on their feet, and with determination, tried to make their way towards the cats, hoping to be able to attack them and lessen the force of the singing.  Sadly, the closer they got to the cats, the more painful the singing became for them, the sounds literally being strong enough to cut their fur and skin, making the blood flow.  When the three rabbits got at most ten feet away from the cats, the sounds became so unbearable, Speedwell, Strawberry and Campion just collapsed on the ground, almost rendered unconscious from the pain.  Soon, the torture of listening to the singing was so overwhelming, the other rabbits were crumpling in dizziness and unconsciousness.  Hazel croaked out with effort as his vision clouded over in merciful darkness, "Bigwig...where...are...you??"

                                                                                ***

                "Come on now, young cross-bearer, don't fret," Justin heard Zadnir whisper softly and soothingly behind him, trying to cheer him up, "You're just angry, but I'm sure this whole matter will be resolved.  Now, c'mon, buck up!"  Justin just shook his head as his mind replayed the angry events like a tape player.

                "He hates me, Bigwig hates me, and it just hurts so much that I have to endure all this again.  Damn it!  Why does he always have to give me a hard time?!"  Justin was so dejected that he didn't turn around to face the rabbit hlessi.  He didn't even notice that the burly rabbit was now smiling maliciously as his right forepaw magically transformed into a misshapen, overgrown paw of a cat, huge and pulsing with five razor-sharp claws, each the color of bright red blood.  Nor did he notice that Zadnir's voice was no longer light and chipper, but deep, baritone, and purring, like a feline.  Zadnir continued to advance on the teenager's unsuspecting back, ready to gouge him to death, all the meanwhile speaking softly.

                "Now, now, young Justin.  Let it all out.  Let me help you with your pain.  After all, you can trust me, I'm your friend."  As he was about to strike the lethal blow on the oblivious boy's neck, a deep growl emerged from the bushes as a huge, heavy form pounced out of the bushes.

                "You dare call yourself a friend to Justin, you flea-ridden, deceitful vagabond?!!"  Before Zadnir could even turn around, the figure head-butted him intensely and brutally in the chest, causing the hlessi to soar back ten feet away from the teenager as Justin, shocked and scandalized at seeing the gentle Zadnir being hurt, turned around to face the aggressor.  It was Bigwig.

                "Bigwig?!" Justin yelled out in enraged disbelief, "What the hell are you doing to Zadnir?!!  Haven't you hurt him enough?!"

                "I'm saving your ungrateful hide!" snapped back Bigwig heatedly, "Justin, Zadnir isn't who he appears to be!!  He was about to kill you, and if I didn't tackle him in time, you would have been hurt by his claws!!  I saw it all in the bushes when I followed the two of you!!  He's not a rabbit!  He's one of Elil-rah's soldiers!!"  With skepticism, Justin turned back to Zadnir only to see an ordinary buck rabbit with normal rabbit paws; while Bigwig and Justin were talking, Zadnir transformed his forepaw back to normal, hiding his secret attempts to assassinate the human.  Zadnir, seeing how he hadn't lost the boy's trust yet, pleaded with him.

                "Justin, I don't know what he's talking about!" he gasped, trying to exaggerate that Bigwig's attack had hurt him horrendously as he was struggling to get up.  "Believe me, I was trying to comfort you, not hurt you!  How can you even think that I would do such a thing?!  I care about you and for El-ahrairah's sake, I want to help you with your pain so that we can help everyone in this world!!"

                "You filthy liar!!" yelled Bigwig, "You're not a true rabbit, and you don't give a damn about any of the rabbits in this world!!  I swear, if we weren't in the land beyond life, I'd rip out your throat and kill you myself for trying to hurt Justin!!"

                "You're a fine one to talk, patronizing and bullying the cross-bearer around like that, as if you value him no more than some half-eaten moldy carrot, discarded and ignored by everyone!  Justin, please listen to me!  Can't you see that Bigwig is jealous that you're bonding with me and not with him?!  That's why he was so intent to keeping you solely by his side, to ensure that you don't have any other friendships with anyone else!  He's not being your friend, he's being selfish!!"

                "That's enough!  Justin, don't listen to Zadnir!  Come on, we have to get back to Hazel and the others before any other of Elil-rah's Owsla come by to attack us!"

                "Justin, Bigwig isn't a real friend!  Don't go with him!!  He'll just hurt you, treat you like a child, never listening to you or giving a care about how you think or feel!  Come with me and we'll go help El-ahrairah at his warren by ourselves, just the two of us!!  Don't you even remember what Bigwig said?!  He doesn't even want you as the cross-bearer!  A real friend wouldn't ever say that!"

                "Justin, please don't listen!"

                Zadnir then delivered the toughest ultimatum Justin had ever faced before in his life, "Justin, who do you believe?  Me or Bigwig??"  Justin just looked blankly at Zadnir, then at Bigwig, who was actually a bit fearful that Justin wouldn't trust him.  The teenager just stood there silently.  Zadnir was enjoyable, all the other Watership rabbits loved him and his hlessi life, not to mention he was incredible soft, polite, and heartening.  On the other hand, Bigwig was tough, unyielding, stubborn, irritable, bossy, temperamental, and basically...a jerk.  Justin then knew that there was only one obvious choice.

                "I believe in Bigwig."  He spoke softly, but with a strong voice, certain, confident and convinced.  Bigwig just stared at him, his eyes were registering gratitude, relief, and...unless Justin's eyes were fooling him, for the first time since he had met Bigwig, supportive, heartwarming compassion.  Zadnir then narrowed his eyes, but he laughed in the deep, grating voice again as his body began to magically reshape, bulge, and morph into another form.

                "Then so be it, you young fool!!  It doesn't matter what you would have done anyway!  No one can escape the clutches of Darzin, the ruler of all animals!!!"

                "Darzin?!" gasped out Bigwig in surprise, but then realization came to Justin in a flash.  The hlessi said his full name was Zadnir-rah, and the letters Z, A, D, N, I, and R, rearranged, spelled out D-A-R-Z-I-N.  It was an anagram.   Combine it with the Lapine suffix, "rah", meaning lord or leader, and it literally translated into "Lord Darzin" or "King Darzin", the cruel antagonist who tried twice to destroy El-ahrairah and his children.  But that wasn't all; in the book, "Watership Down", the stories of El-ahrairah said that Darzin was the king of all animals and their respective kingdoms, so if he was the king of all beasts, then that meant King Darzin was...

                "Oh my God," Justin breathed out hoarsely, "You're a lion."  As King Darzin had finished transforming, Bigwig and Justin could see that he was a powerful creature, his full height was almost half as large as the Ilips that the Watership soldiers had faced previously.  His eyes were brown, but his entire fur was pale yellow, which slightly set off the reddish, thick furry mane that enveloped his neck and shoulders.  His body was thick, strong, and was equipped with strapping limbs and paws, each bearing a gruesome set of blood-colored claws.  He growled in his bass, purring voice ringing out in the night, "You will never leave here alive, cross-bearer!!  And before you get any foolish ideas, Thlayli, your allies are all being disposed of as we speak!  My loyal cats are keeping them at bay, so as you both can easily see, there is no hope of having your comrades to help fight you!!  This will just be between you and I!!  And I can certainly say that I will enjoy seeing the look on your face when I rip the human apart!!"

                "And I'll certainly enjoy the look on your face when I claw your eyes out!" retaliated Bigwig as he unconsciously put himself between Justin and King Darzin.  He then spoke to Justin calmly, "Justin, in case I don't win this fight, I want you to be ready to run for your life and help Hazel and the others escape from Darzin's soldiers.  Use your power in any way that can work and leave this place with everyone else."  Before Justin could refuse, Bigwig then launched himself towards King Darzin.  Without even a look of effort, King Darzin aggressively batted the rabbit out of the way with his paw, slamming Bigwig into the trunk of a tree and stunning the Owsla veteran.

                "Bigwig!!" shouted Justin, but then a roar brought Justin to see the sight of King Darzin leaping at him.  Before he could even do anything, he was slammed into the ground hard, and the teenager could only watch in terror as King Darzin, with his paws painfully pinning his body to the floor, bared his teeth and started reaching for Justin's neck.

                "Oh no you don't!!!" yelled Bigwig, and to King Darzin's surprise, the rabbit, who was at most a quarter of the lion's size, smashed into the antagonist, freeing Justin from the deadly grip, and sank his buck teeth into Darzin's throat.  King Darzin roared in disbelief and pain as he rolled around in the dirt, trying to swat the rabbit off him as Bigwig horrendously sunk his teeth deeper and deeper into the lion's fur, unwilling to let go and drawing forth a steady flow of blood.  Justin, now liberated from King Darzin, saw that this was a good chance to escape, but like with Campion and Bluebell, the teenager wasn't willing to leave Bigwig behind.  Not after seeing that the rabbit was doing his very best to fight for Justin's life.  But, what could he do?  If he tried to time-freeze King Darzin, Bigwig and Justin would still have to deal with the cats that were attacking Hazel and the other Watership Down rabbits.  Then he miraculously remembered something Dandelion told him about the cross-bearer's powers when he was narrating the prophecy: "_The legend continued, saying that the cross-bearer would have limitless power and have the ability to do anything.  If he wanted to change into a rabbit, he could_."  Well, if he could change himself into a rabbit, it wouldn't help with the dire situation since not even Hazel and all the Watership Down rabbits put together could be a fair match against a hulking lion.  But...what if he didn't transform himself?  What if he transformed...Bigwig?

                Bigwig cried out in pain as King Darzin finally succeeded in cuffing the rabbit off him, and Bigwig painfully landed on his side, cuts and bruises littered his entire body.  But before the tenacious warrior could even get up, a paw pinned him down, crushing him against the soil and grass.  Bigwig thrashed and struggled in vain as King Darzin, thoroughly irked at the small annoyance, pressed down on the rabbit harder, trying to pound the buck into a bloody mess.  Bigwig squealed in pain again as he could feel his bones nearly cracking under the massive weight of the lion's body.  King Darzin purred in sickening delight as he whispered to his victim, "Once I'm done making you suffer, that pathetic human friend of yours is next."

                "I...won't...let...you...hurt...Justin!!" bellowed Bigwig, his heart still strong.  Then the miraculous occurred.  Bigwig started to glow in the ever so familiar light of the sun and the golden cross of the cross-bearer, making him luminescent and shining brightly underneath the shadowing paw of King Darzin.  Darzin stared at the rabbit in disbelief and surprise.  He looked wildly around, and to his fury, he saw the sight of Justin, on his knees and praying silently with the cross grasped in his hands in front of him.  And from his hands, the cross was glowing the same light that Bigwig was bathed in.  Darzin cursed himself for wasting time with Bigwig when he should have used the opportunity to kill the boy.  Bigwig couldn't comprehend what was going on, but then to his amazement, he heard Justin speaking to him inside his soul.

                Bigwig, please let me help you.  I'm not leaving you behind to fight him yourself.

                Bigwig, though for the life of him had no idea how, thought back in response, Justin, I can't win, he's too strong for me, and I'm afraid I can't protect you by myself.

                You're not by yourself.  We have each other and like I said before, I believe in you.

                You do realize that you're being foolish again, don't you, you young duffer?  By Frith, you're so stubborn!

                Bigwig, please, let me help.  We've been through too much to let it end like this.

                It won't end like this.  I won't let anything happen to you.  I won't give up.  You do trust me, right young one?  Even after all that happened earlier?

                Yeah, of course.  We'll fight him together, all right?

                All right, then let's give this embleer, fur-ridden cat a beating it won't soon forget, and as soon as Bigwig cogitated that thought, the light surrounding his body became so brilliant, King Darzin shut his eyes and turned away from his prey painfully, letting Bigwig free to transform.  To Justin's wonder, Bigwig grew and grew, the shimmering outline of the rabbit reaching the size of an Ilip, and the rabbit was modifying drastically into a completely different animal.  When the golden light subsided, to King Darzin's horrified dismay, in place of a small buck rabbit was now a colossal dog, the fearful enemy of all cats.  The dog was huge, more than twice the size of King Darzin himself, and as black as night with powerful jowls and slender, yet firm legs.  But as King Darzin took a closer look at the dog, his fear melted to infinite rage when he recognized that the dog still had the familiar eyes and telltale crop of hair on its head.  It was Bigwig, and now, he was more powerful than before.  Seeing that the tables had no turned, the lion panicked until his gaze fell on the teenager, and his anger heightened, making King Darzin rush at him.

                "I'm not finished yet!!" he roared as he launched himself at the cross-bearer again.  "Elil-rah's power is far greater than your light, you foolish boy!!"  But in an instant, King Darzin felt himself collide with something huge and heavy, crashing into the ground and being crushed by the unbearable weight of the dog.  The dog narrowed his eyes as he growled slowly in Bigwig's voice.

                "You will not touch him!"  In frantic desperation, Darzin tried to claw at Bigwig's face and throat, but fearlessly, the dog avoided the attacks and flung himself at King Darzin.  To Justin's horror, he saw the fleeting image of Bigwig having Darzin's neck inside his powerful jaws right before he heard the unmistakable sounds of breaking bone, like the sounds of rocks cracking.  Darzin, now with a fractured neck, was still alive, but was dreadfully wounded as his head flopped limply on his body like a rag doll and the lion was now coughing up considerable amounts of blood while his breathing came out in short gasps.  Yet Bigwig refused to finish there; in another instant, he had one of the lion's hind legs between his teeth, and Justin heard the sounds of breaking bone again as Bigwig chewed the leg to pieces.  Justin could see that Bigwig wasn't going to stop, and he cried out, "Bigwig, stop it!!  That's enough!!  STOP, PLEASE!!!"

                Bigwig looked at Justin in astonishment and the teenager continued, "Bigwig, please, King Darzin won't be able to hurt me now, especially not in this condition.  You've made your point, but please, stop before you hurt him any further!!"  Whoever seemed more dumbfounded at the request for mercy, King Darzin or Bigwig, Justin couldn't tell.

                "Justin, this eli wouldn't show you even the smallest bit of the same mercy you're giving him if you were the one being injured!" Bigwig barked out in incredulity, "He wouldn't give the slightest notion that he cared, and after killing you, this crack-brained slave-driver would have forgotten you as easily as Ni-Frith by the following day!!  Why are you showing mercy now, to him at a time like this?!"  Darzin didn't say anything, but his eyes shone towards Justin with a mixture of confusion, gratification, and hatred.  Despite the look, Justin just gazed at the dog straight in the eye.

                "Because I don't want to see anyone get hurt because of me, and whether it would be one of the rabbits of Watership Down or an enemy, I don't ever want to kill a living creature or see it suffer!  I could have used my power to harm the Ilips or Veil Guplea, but I didn't because they're just scared and corrupted, like Strawberry said, and I don't care how much they want to hurt me because it doesn't give me the right to show them the same bloodlust and ruthlessness!!  Please, Bigwig, stop this!  What's important now is that we save Hazel and the others from Darzin's cats!  Don't hurt him any further!  Please!"  For a second, Bigwig and Justin just concretely fixed their eyes on each other.  Then, in understanding, Bigwig leaned over to Darzin and whispered ferociously in his ear, "If you ever come within a smell's distance of Justin or any of my comrades, I will make you regret it!  And tell your dark master Elil-rah that he will never be able to lay a paw on the cross-bearer, not while I'm still alive!"

                With that, Bigwig slowly ambled off towards Justin, and the teenager could see the look of relief of Darzin's face while the lion's blood slowly pooled on the grass around his body.  With a broken neck and leg, there was definitely no argument that he was in unbearable suffering and that he didn't even have the vigor to stand up.  Justin then yelled to Bigwig, "C'mon, we have to help Hazel and the rest of the group from those cats!  I might still be able to have enough power left to heal them if they're seriously injured!!"

                Bigwig nodded, and he lowered his mighty head, allowing Justin to be able to climb on and securely seat himself on his friend's neck, between the ears.  It was so strange, riding on a gigantic dog instead of a rabbit, but there was no time to admire and ponder the differences.  As Bigwig and Justin bounded into the forest to save their friends, King Darzin heard Justin call over his shoulder, "King Darzin, don't worry!!  When me and Hazel and the rest of the rabbits get far enough away from you and your cats, I'll heal you with the power of my cross!!  I'll pray for you!!  I promise!!  Don't worry!!"

                As the sounds of Justin's voice echoed throughout the trees, King Darzin just looked at the bloodstained ground, muttering, "Pathetic weak fool, doesn't he realize that we will always be enemies?  What a duffer!  What a naive fool!  What a useless weakling!"  But after a few minutes, the lion whispered so softly that no animal, not even the ants, could hear him, "Thank you, cross-bearer."

                                                                                ***

                "GET AWAY FROM HAZEL-RAH, YOU DAMN, DIRTY CATS!!" roared Bigwig as he and Justin charged through the underbrush and into the group of cats gleefully enjoying the sight of Hazel, Fiver, and the other rabbits of El-ahrairah's Owsla unconscious on the ground.  The cats, upon seeing the sight of a colossal, black dog, ready to tear all of them to pieces, shrieked in bewilderment and alarm.  Some fled as fast as they could, thoroughly scared, while some cats tried to claw at Bigwig.  Yet with a few simple cuffs and barks, Bigwig quickly rendered them senseless.  The leader of the cat pack, seeing that the cross-bearer was riding on the dog, foolishly tried to leap up to the dog's back to attack Justin.  Enraged at the cat's audacity and stupidity, Bigwig heatedly grabbed the cat leader with his teeth, and with a powerful toss of his head, he flung the cat into a nearby birch tree, crashing the evil beast into unconsciousness.  Panting, Bigwig strained his ears to listen for anything other hidden surprises.

                "Is...Is that it??  Aren't there any more cats around here?" Justin asked worriedly, forcing himself to fight the urge to jump off Bigwig and see if Hazel was all right.  Bigwig smirked.

                "If there were, you think I wouldn't go chasing after them?  No, they're all gone.  In fact, I can still hear the embleer lot of them still running, and once they see what I've done to King Darzin, they'll think twice before attacking you in my presence.  Now quickly, Justin!  Can you help Hazel and the others?!  We don't have much time!"  Justin nodded gingerly and for a second time, he clasped the cross in his hands and began to pray.  Bigwig, now with an uncanny ability to hear things to a greater extent than he could as a rabbit, could hear Justin whisper, "Please, God, give me the power!  Help my friends!  Heal them, please!"

                Almost at once, Bigwig and Justin saw the cross shimmer to a faint glow of orange, and then they saw the wondrous sight of streams of sparkles of gold flying from the cross and encircling the rabbits on the ground.  It was as if the entire field was covered with golden fireflies.  To their anxiety, Bigwig and Justin just watched as the flashes of light enfolded the heads of each of the Watership rabbits, erasing the wounds and agony dealt from the cats' singing.  With a great flash, the streams of lights were gone, and as the sun first broke through the night sky, to their joy, Justin and Bigwig saw Hazel and the others regain consciousness shakily and completely disoriented.

                "By Frith, what happened??" groaned Speedwell as he tried to rise.

                "Ugh, I feel like I've been through three consecutive Wide Patrols from here to El-ahrariah's warren," mumbled Campion as he helped Holly rise from the ground.  Suddenly, Acorn started stamping a warning on the ground with his hind leg.

                "Everyone, watch out!!  It's a dog!!  It's a dog!!  Elil-rah sent a dog to attack us!!!"  Sure enough, when everyone turned around, their faces registered horror and fright as they gazed at the huge black dog towering over them.  Hazel could feel the sudden urge to run, as the rest of his comrades, but then upon a closer look at the dog, something raised his curiosity and lessened his concern.  The dog, instead of automatically attacking, was actually looking at them with an amused smile on its face, and unless he was mistaken, that crop of hair jutting out on the top of its head was so familiar...

                "BIGWIG??!!" queried out Hazel incredulously, "Is...Is that you??!"

                "BIGWIG??" chorused the rest of the Owsla as they too could scarcely believe what Hazel was proposing.  Yet the dog barked out in the ever so familiar voice of bullying, surly, rough Bigwig, "I was wondering when you were going to recognize me, Hazel.  Hope you didn't get too much of a scare."

                Hazel asked him, "Bigwig??  What in the name of El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit -?  Where's Justin?"

                "I'm right here!" called out the teenager as he stood up on Bigwig's neck to the full sight of everyone on the ground and waved to the astonished group.  Before anyone else could ask, Justin hastily spoke, "Hazel, we have to leave this place!  Now!!  King Darzin and his cats won't be scared of us forever, and we need all the time we have left to escape this place and go somewhere else more secluded!!"  Hazel, knowing the wisdom in those words, nodded and within a minute, Bigwig carried Justin and all the Watership rabbits out of the forest, running with twice the speed of any runner of El-ahrairah, and into the sunny pastures as the sun started to rise above the horizon.

                                                                                ***

                It was later that evening, and after all the rabbits had a long deserved rest, they were out at silflay upon the grassy fields, while Justin sat underneath a blossoming cherry tree next to a stream of clear, running water.  As Justin gazed silently at the sparkling water, he heard a noise behind him and turning around, he saw it was Bigwig, looking gruff and brash as ever.  Bigwig was now back to his normal rabbit form, and the dog metamorphosis had worn off several hours ago.  Justin sighed, knowing what was going to come next: another scolding.  However, to his mild surprise, Bigwig just squatted next to him and watched the stream.  After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Justin decided to break the ice.

                "I prayed earlier that King Darzin and the rest of cats would be healed after we fought them.  Do you...do you think it worked?"  Bigwig nodded.

                "It did.  Fiver had another of his visions, and he could see that King Darzin and his soldiers are all right and well.  He also said that they won't be attacking us anytime soon since they're now all scared of your powers as the cross-bearer."  He paused before continuing, "That was a very merciful thing to do Justin, showing kindness and heart to your enemies and choosing not to have it end by blood and violence.  Though I can easily say, by the Black Rabbit, I'd take a fight any day from a truce."

                Justin gave a small grunt of approval, but then Bigwig said something that shocked him.

                "I also want to say that I'm sorry, that I was wrong."  Justin just stared at him incredulously, and Bigwig, defensively, retorted, "But don't get use to me apologizing on a whim, you young duffer!  And if word gets out that I admitted this, I'm going wrestle you to the ground and head-butt you into this stream, you hear?"  Justin smiled, knowing Bigwig didn't mean that.

                Bigwig sighed as he continued, "I guess, I was afraid something would happen to you, and with so many elil hunting after you, I didn't want to risk the chance that you would get killed.  But, now I realize that I should have listened to you and to Hazel and the others.  You're a good lad, and only a true Owsla rabbit, er man, would have been able to help win against King Darzin.  I...I admit it, I was wrong in thinking that you couldn't defend yourself, or protect yourself.  And..."  He sighed.  "And I also wanted to let you know that I didn't mean what I said earlier about how I wished you weren't the cross-bearer because you always made stupid decisions.  After that scuff with King Darzin while he was still disguised as Zadnir, after I said all those things and treated you worse than any kitten I've ever trained, you still chose to side with me rather than Zadnir.  That...that meant a lot to me, young Justin.  After all, you must admit, if I was in your place, I would have done the exact opposite."

                Justin replied, "I guess I did it because I didn't know Zadnir that well, while you however, I've known from the stories since my childhood.  I know that despite your rough demeanor, you're a good friend and a loyal companion, so I didn't let my bad judgment get the better of me.  And besides, you're not the only one who gets angry and mean sometimes.  I'm sorry too.  I should have realized that you cared about me and only wanted to protect me from danger.  You could have abandoned me after I punched you in the nose, but you didn't.  You chose to follow us and check to make sure everything was all right, and if you didn't do that, I wouldn't even be here right now.  So, I owe you my life."

                "The favor has been easily returned.  You helped save me from danger when you transformed me into that dog to save you and Hazel-rah.  So that makes us even.  Except..."  At this last part, Bigwig had a playful gleam in his eye as he finished, "I still owe you for cuffing me in the nose.  I don't mind telling you, you young duffer, that my nose was jolly well sore afterwards."

                Conceding, Justin said, "All right, then...then cuff me on the head, and we'll call it even."

                Bigwig's eyes gleamed even brighter.  "Sounds fair."

                Justin shut his eyes as Bigwig raised his forepaw, ready to hit the teenager in retaliation.  One long second passed, then two, as Justin breathlessly waited for the pain to register on his skull.  But then to his surprise, he heard Bigwig chuckle as the rabbit placed his paw gently on his head and fatherly tussled Justin's hair a bit.  Justin opened his eyes to see that Bigwig was just teasing him.

                "Oh, come now young one!" he chortled, "You know I won't hurt you!"  Justin smiled again, but unfortunately, Bluebell jumped in the conversation.

                "Oh, please," Bluebell joked, "try telling that to me and every single kitten you've trained for the Owsla!  I can attest, Justin, that Bigwig has given us more bumps, bruises, and scars than all the injuries we've gotten from raiding expeditions put together.  It's such a pity, Justin, that you couldn't have Bigwig remain for a dog a little longer.  I mean, we were all so much better off!  Not only did he smell better and was a lot nicer, but he was only half as ugly, and the only thing that we could dislike was his slobbering -!"

                Hazel, Silver, and Holly raised their heads at the sounds of yelping and cursing, and to their amused exasperation, none of them were surprised to see Bluebell trying to protect himself from Bigwig, who had wrestled the poor Bluebell to the ground and started dealing him with angry cuffs.  Holly sighed as he rolled his eyes upward.

                "I'll go save Bluebell.  Silver, you better help me restrain Bigwig."  As the two left to the aid of the rabbit jester, Hazel smiled to Justin as the teenager walked up to the leader.

                "You'll best to be used to Bigwig's temper, Justin," Hazel chuckled, "We've gone through with this every single day, and we've grown to the point to ignore it.  Still, if you're uncomfortable, young one, you can always use your cross to make Bigwig pleasant and likable like Zadnir was."

                Justin pretended to look scandalized.  "I think I much rather prefer Bigwig."

/*

Next Chapter: ACORN in "Acorns, Acorns, Everywhere"

6-03-2003: I modified this chapter in honor of Lizella's friend (a reviewer whom I've had the pleasure of writing Bigwig for): (quote)

"Did anyone of you know Hyzenthlay Bunny? She was a dear e-mail friend of mine and I just before got a mail from her mother that she had died. I can not believe it! I just wanted to inform you, if some of you knew her and what a wonderful girl she was. And I have to give her the ranking as the biggest Bigwig Fan ever - even more than me. She loved WD, so I wanted to write about her here at a place for something that had a meaning to her! So she will know that she will not be forgotten even by people that did not know her (well)! Thanks for listening!" (endquote)

Lizella, I dedicate this chapter to your friend; I think I can almost picture her riding on Bigwig's back in the land beyond life where he's showing her the endless green pastures and meadows filled with flowers and honey and where she's listening to Dandelion tell stories and talking with El-ahrairah in his warren of light and love.  God bless!

*/


	12. Acorns, Acorns, Everywhere

/*

Author's note: Though all the rabbit characters are from "Watership Down", there are two things I thought I should mention for legal issues.  The names of two weasels, Sneezewort and Lousewort, are two names I borrowed from the Redwall series written by Brian Jacques, specifically the book titled, "The Long Patrol".  Anyway, for all Acorn fans, if you're like me, and we're saddened by Acorn's death in "Tales From Watership Down", then despair no more.  Enjoy the chapter of Acorn!

*/

CHAPTER 12 

                "Here, Justin, I found some more groundnuts while I was at silflay.  I thought you might be hungry again."  This came from the slender Acorn, but rather muffled, due to the fact that the rabbit was trying to convey his message with the nuts loaded in his mouth, carrying them like how a chipmunk carries its food.  Justin tried not to laugh at the sight of Acorn awkwardly trying to extract the nuts from his mouth and instead, helped the thoughtful rabbit get the stuck nuts out of his jaw.  As Justin shelled some of the groundnuts, he noticed that Acorn laid down on the grass next to him but made no move to start a conversation.  Justin at first thought he was lonely.

                "Something on your mind, Acorn?" he asked, popping a groundnut into his mouth, "Aren't you still hungry for silflay?"

                "No, I've had enough of grass, but I can easily say though that I wouldn't mind for some flayrah right now, especially some carrots and cabbage."

                Justin smirked.  "Is that supposed to be some kind of hint?  You know I can't summon stuff out of thin air unless if they were to be used to fight Elil-rah or defend you guys from getting hurt."  Acorn laughed and shook his head.

                "No, I didn't mean anything of the sort.  I just have these cravings from time to time, and I can easily tell you that I loved eating carrots and cowslips and all sorts of greenstuff while I was alive in the physical world.  They were literally enough to drive me out of all my senses and reason!"

                "From the sound of it, you probably had lots of fun going on raids at Nuthanger Farm for flayrah, not to mention had a really keen sense for finding cowslips back at Watership Down and your old warren."  Yet at this statement, Justin was surprised to see Acorns face fall slightly, becoming glum.

                "Acorn, did I...did I say something wrong?  If I did, I didn't mean any harm by it."  The skinny rabbit sighed as he closed his eyes on his memory.

                "No, it's not you, cross-bearer, and I know you didn't mean any insult to that.  It's just that despite knowing the story of the journey to Watership Down in your world, you never did know how much of a rough time it was for me over there.  Not to mention how sad I was at first when I stopped running and met the Black Rabbit to come to the land beyond life."

Justin then remembered.  In "Watership Down", Acorn, like the other rabbits, had a very miserable time at Sandleford warren because they were bucks who were too weak or small to make it into the Owsla.  Any rabbit not in the Owsla were given an extremely rough time, for the Owsla did everything they could to make their lives a living hell.  If any flayrah or cowslips were found, the Owsla would bully the other bucks away from it, and it wasn't much of a wonder that the Owsla got the best of everything: the best den in the warren, the prettiest does to mate with, the best grass, the fun and excitement of going to raids.  The rest of the non-Owsla rabbits, however, were usually left with nothing.  And it wasn't Acorn who went through this; all the rabbits, with the exception of Silver, Holly, Bigwig, Buckthorn, Campion and Strawberry, had been harassed by the Owsla at some point in their lives.  That was primarily the reason why so many bucks were willing to leave with Fiver and Hazel to Watership Down in the first place.  And that wasn't all; in "Tales from Watership Down", during an extremely cold, harsh winter, Acorn died of starvation and hunger, so he was the first of the band to come to the land beyond life.  That probably must have been very lonely and hard for him.

                Justin then spoke to Acorn, "Let me guess, there were times you remembered how difficult it was for you back at Sandleford, and how you were the very first to die and come here?"  Acorn nodded.

                "I can't tell you how sad I was to leave Watership Down.  It was something I risked everything for, my life, my well-being, my freedom, and as soon as we got settled there, after a few seasons, I had to pass away because there wasn't enough food to keep us alive during that winter.  And what made me ashamed was that I blamed Frith and El-ahrairah for doing this to me.  I fought and pleaded to let me go back to Watership Down because I didn't want to leave and be separated from all my friends, not to mention give up the very life I worked so hard to live, after so much torture I had to endure back at Sandleford.  It just wasn't fair!  I got mad at them, saying that if they truly cared for a rabbit like me, then they wouldn't have ever put me through all this and take it away so quickly."  He paused before continuing in a softer voice, "But I think what also bothered me was the fact that not a lot of rabbits cared a lot about me, so when I died, I probably never amounted much to them so it was probably better for the warren.  It was like I was just some sort of...of..."  He tried to find a suitable word.  "A filler rabbit.  You know, like a rabbit who's just there to make the number of the rabbit warren large but doesn't really amount much to anything."

                "Acorn, that isn't true," Justin whispered as he placed his hand gently on the rabbit's head and comfortingly stroked the spot between his ears, "Your friends missed you greatly when you died.  I remembered reading that in the stories of Watership Down after Efrafa's siege, Hazel and Bigwig especially felt your loss.  Everyone was very sad that you passed away because you're been through the thick and thin: the mission to retrieve does from Efrafa, the siege afterwards, not to mention the journey to Watership Down in the first place.  No one would ever forget what you've done.  And I'll admit, you didn't have as big of a role to play, not like Hazel's authority, Bigwig and Silver's strength, Fiver's visions, but you still had a role nonetheless.  No matter how small a role you have, none of the missions that took place in your life wouldn't have been the same, maybe never have been even fulfilled, if everyone didn't play their part.  And despite what you think, you were helpful too.  You and Pipkin were the best insect-catchers to help feed Kehaar, helping the rabbits convince him to go find does for the warren's survival.  You were also there to help defend the does if the Efrafans ever broke through the blocked tunnels during Woundwort's attack.  And you're forgetting that El-ahrairah asked you to be one of the few rabbits to come get me in the land beyond life and to protect me from danger.  That's far more important than any expedition any rabbit's ever been on."

                Justin then remembered his own occasional conflicts he's had with his beliefs and his life, and he continued.  "I...I also know what it feels to question, sometimes even blame someone for all the things that have happened to you in life.  I mean, I can easily tell you the number of times I've questioned my faith, thinking that God didn't love me or care much about me if me put me through every day with bullies and people who just put me down to make themselves feel better.  It wasn't even for survival; they did it because I was an easy target and because I never had the courage or the strength to fight back.  Heck, there were times I resented God because if he did love me, he wouldn't have put me through a miserable life with my dad or my parents' divorce.  The thing is though, none of us know why we go through suffering, and yeah, it sounds cliché, but sometimes life isn't fair for everyone.  That's the truth.  Yet, it gives us a chance to get stronger, to motivate us, I guess, to work harder at changing things in the world, so that it doesn't happen again.  Besides, Acorn, I can honestly say, even if you feel like a filler rabbit, I would rather prefer you over an Efrafan like Mallow or Vervain because you're thoughtful and kind and don't bully anyone.  So, in a way, you're more of a rabbit than they ever will be."  Acorn beamed at Justin for the remark, and Justin was relieved to see that he was cheering up.  Finishing his groundnuts, he got up.

                "I've got an idea!  Let's go find some cowslips together.  You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

                "Do you even know what a cowslip looks like?  And even if we do find one, will you be willing to eat it??" questioned Acorn with a slight, crafty smile on his face.

                "Er...no, not really," and this caused both Justin and Acorn to chuckle as they walked across the fields to join the other rabbits.

                                                                                ***

                "What a nice day!" breathed in Holly in extreme appreciation as the warm morning sun slowly gave comfortable heat over his broad back, "Makes you glad to be alive, eh young one?"

                Hawkbit just said a bit grumpily, his tone sarcastic and biting, "Glad?  _Glad_??  Oh yes, I'm so glad we're out as hlessi, sleeping out in the open and cold instead of nice, warm burrows back at the warren!  I'm so glad we're suffering from sore paws and muddy fur!  By the name of Frith, I'm so glad that we run into trouble at every chance the fates get to bring to us, always trying to risk our well-being for Justin's sake!  Cuts, bruises, thorns in my flesh!  Ilips, cats, Efrafans, King Darzin, rats!  It never ends!  This all had better be worth it, that's all I got to say!"

                "No, in a moment, you're going to be saying a lot more in pain when I bite you if you open your big mouth again, Hawkbit!  Now shut up, stop blaming Justin, and keep your tharn mind on running!"  This came from Bigwig, who was running side by side with Hawkbit and who was already starting to get annoyed by the ongoing complaints.  Justin, who was riding on Bigwig, pondered on what Hawkbit pointed out.  It was certainly a relief, no doubt about that.  It has been over a week since they had been attacked by King Darzin and his cats, and so far, there hadn't been any faces of danger that had come their way.  Not that the others were willing to keep their guard down.  Bigwig and Holly agreed that every time they set up a resting place to sleep at, they will always do a sentry guard of three or four rabbits each time while another group of rabbits were assigned to carry the cross-bearer away if dangerous enemies ever appeared.   The rest of the Watership soldiers would join with the sentry to fight and counterattack their adversaries.  That way, splitting the rabbits into two groups of defense and evasion would further increase the cross-bearer's chances of surviving.  And in the case that they would be surrounded again or become overwhelmed by an unstoppable eli, Hazel, Fiver and Blackberry gave Justin instructions and guidance on what to do with his cross.  So far, with the abilities to time freeze and stop enemies in their tracks, to temporarily blind enemies to prevent confrontation, to destroy any lances or weapons, and to morph Bigwig into a relentless, formidable dog (Bigwig actually requested that Justin keep this power in mind since he thoroughly enjoyed taking on Darzin and those cats), Hazel and the others felt assured that they could handle anything that came their way.

                Soon, the Watership Owsla came across a dense patch of woods and bushes as the sun began to set in the west, the fading sunlight faintly shining among the birch and spindle trees.  Holly, Silver, and Strawberry decided that it would be the best time to rest for a little while before traveling again late at night.  The darkness would certainly help provide more cover for the band as they made more headway towards the mountains.  Hazel and Bigwig unanimously agreed, and soon, the rabbits were napping, grazing, or resting on the cool grass and flowers.  As Acorn stopped to pass hraka, a movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention.  He whirled around, but whatever it was, it was gone.  Not even a rustle from the bushes or a snap of a dry twig; it literally disappeared.  Justin, noticing the alertness of Acorn, asked the rabbit warily, "Acorn, what's wrong?"

                "I...I'm not sure, but I thought I saw something.  In the thicket over there."  Justin looked at the direction Acorn was facing, but the illumination from the sunset showed that there was no creature to be seen anywhere among the bushes and grass.

                "Can you smell anything?"

                "No, I can't, and I didn't hear anything either.  All I saw was some sort of shadow or flicker from the edge of my sight, but when I turned around, it was gone."  He sighed with relief, but suspiciously as well.  "Let's forget it, shall we Justin?  I probably just imagined it."

                Justin just continued to stare at the spot warily.  "Since when do _you_ have an overactive imagination?"  Acorn thought about that for a moment, and in a matter of minutes, he and Justin were telling Bigwig, Holly, Fiver, and Hazel about what happened.  Bluebell, Buckthorn, Bigwig and Holly, being extremely skeptical, scanned all around the area carefully, sniffing the vegetation for scents and searching for any telltale signs that an enemy had recently been hiding, yet they all found nothing.  Hazel and Blackberry pestered Fiver about any feelings of impeding danger, but the visionary buck had none.  Word of Acorn's jumpiness reached the ears of all the bucks, and this poked Hawkbit into scornfully teasing the poor rabbit.

                "Oh look, Acorn, my nose is twitching!" he mocked, "Do you think danger is close by??  Oh look, Acorn, a leaf is falling from the trees!  It's Elil-rah, so run for your life!"  Acorn looked extremely embarrassed and hurt, and Justin, feeling for Acorn, just sat next to him and stroked his head, silently telling the rabbit that it was better to be safe than sorry.  Meanwhile, Silver, Holly, Campion and Hazel talked about Acorn's alarm.

                "We can't take any chances, Hazel," Campion urged, "If Acorn thought he saw something, then we must take it seriously!  We've already had several encounters with Elil-rah's Owsla, and I wouldn't be surprised if more of them are coming!  I don't want to risk Justin's life."

                "Nor do any of us, Campion," Hazel agreed, "but keep in mind, we've been running for a long while, and here is as safe as any to rest and sleep for a while before traveling again fu Inle.  Besides, here in these woods, we have extra cover from the trees and bushes, so it'll be safer to rest now rather than leaving and going to sleep somewhere with less cover.  If we tried to run now, we'll only get more exhausted in the process, and that could be dangerous for us if Elil-rah's messengers attack.  We wouldn't be strong enough to defend and fight back, and I don't want to have Justin carry the entire responsibility of battling with his cross-bearer powers; it'll exhaust him as well, not to mention that I only want to have him use his powers as a last resort, not when we find it convenient."

                "Well, Fiver hasn't had any of his visions yet, so we can afford to wait for a bit," commented Silver thoughtfully, "but I'd feel a whole lot better if we started guard duty now.  I'll take over the watch tonight, and the lot of you can sleep."  Holly however objected to this.

                "You're going to need more reinforcements if you want to keep the young cross-bearer safe."

                "And I can think of the perfect 'volunteers' to assist you," broke in Hazel as he and Campion grinned knowingly at each other and glanced wily at Hawkbit, who was still making fun Acorn for his paranoia.

                                                                                ***

                "Why didn't I keep my big mouth shut?!" groaned out Hawkbit rhetorically and indignantly as he, Speedwell, Acorn, and Silver ambled around the grass and trees, encircling Hazel, Bigwig, and the rest of the Watership rabbits who were now sound asleep and lying on the cool grass.  Hawkbit literally had to be cuffed to stop him from joining the tantalizing warm bodies huddled close to each other, appearing nothing more than a bundle of furs.  As Silver and Acorn patrolled among the birch trees, Speedwell had a slight banter in his voice as he chuckled.

                "It's never done you any favors before, Hawkbit."  Hawkbit shot a withering glare at his companion.

                "I already hate Hazel-rah for making me do sentry duty tonight.  Please do not make me hate you too."  Acorn and Silver came back from exploring every single dark shadow and corner in the woods, and satisfied that they found nothing, they decided to remain close to the group of sleeping rabbits.  Acorn then saw Justin stiffly rise from the group of sleeping rabbits and slowly, as to not accidentally awaken Pipkin and Dandelion by stepping on them, walk towards them.

                "Justin, what in Frith's name are you doing?" asked Silver incredulously as Speedwell and Hawkbit came back to see what the fuss was all about.  "Is something wrong?  You should be resting, not be on guard duty with us.  You need all the strength you can get when we journey again in case we need your powers."  Justin shook his head.

                "Nothing's wrong, it's just that I couldn't sleep and besides, I was worried about you guys, especially since you can't get any sleep and have to spend the entire night protecting us.  If you guys want, I thought one of you could go take my place and get some rest since I'm not sleepy at all.  Plus, I could just keep watch too cause there's nothing else to do here."  Hawkbit instantly became jovial at this statement.

                "If you all excuse me, I'm going to sleep like a slug now!  Enjoy patrolling!" but before the rabbit could instantly dive towards the mass of sleeping bodies, Silver, perturbed, grabbed Hawkbit by the collar of his gold and green tunic and vest, stopping the rabbit by the scruff of his neck.

                "Get back here!" muttered Silver, plainly irked, "Well, Justin, no point in disagreeing with you, since you're probably going to argue with me if I tell you to get back to sleep.  Acorn, you stay with the young one and keep him company while Hawkbit, Speedwell and I keep wandering around to spot any elil.  And Justin, I don't want you to wander off at all; stay close to Acorn and the group.  If any of you see any enemies, Acorn I want you to raise an alarm and wake up the others, then stall and attack the enemy while Justin, I want you to stop time and freeze them.  That'll give us leeway for escape."

Justin and Acorn agreed while Hawkbit, unsurprisingly, sputtered, "What?!  That's not fair!  Why does Acorn get to get out of sentry duty?!"

"Because I said so!  And besides, a good, long night of guard duty will do wonders for that sarcastic, bad-tempered, complaining big mouth of yours!" tweaked Silver patronizingly as he cuffed Hawkbit between the ears.  Speedwell chortled silently while Hawkbit conceded in grumbling curses, which Justin and Acorn could only hear fragments of "Me and my big mouth" or "I now officially hate guard duty even more".  As Silver, Speedwell, and a cantankerous Hawkbit left to wander in the woods, Acorn turned to Justin.

"As long as we're together again, and seeing that I can't silflay or leave you alone, how about a game of bobstones to pass the time?  You might be able to fall asleep again after playing a few games, and then I can go continue my sentry.  So how about it?"

"Bobstones??"  Then Justin remembered; it was the game rabbits played with each other many times, sort of like a guessing game.  Though he was extremely vague on the details, in the book "Watership Down", bobstones is played by having a rabbit hide sticks or stones underneath his paws, and the other player tries to guess a common characteristic about them (such as dark, long, smooth, etc.) or a certain number.  However, the number of stones the rabbit his under his paw could only be up to four since anything greater than the number four, all rabbits simply described as "hrair" or "many".  Justin, who never got to see what the game looked like, happily agreed.

As it turned out, all Justin had to do was gather a certain number of stones while Acorn had his back turned to him and cover the stones with his hands, hiding them from Acorn's sight.  Once it was safe for Acorn to guess, Acorn has only one try to surmise the number or related characteristic about the stones.  After the guess, Justin must then lift his hands and uncover his bounty, showing Acorn whether he guessed right or wrong.  If he guessed wrong, Justin then would have to turn around and wait for Acorn to gather his stones, and then it would be Justin's turn to guess.  This would bounce back and forth until one of them guessed correctly.  However, the charade was a lot harder than it appeared to be, and Justin learned that the hard way when he lost to Acorn.  Twelve times in a row.

"Bobstone guess," Justin said to Acorn, causing the rabbit to turn around and look at the teenager's palms, which were flat on the grass and dirt.  Acorn gazed at Justin's hands for a moment before he smiled mischievously.

"Bobstone guess is...four."  Justin groaned good-naturedly as he lifted his palms to show the four medium-sized rocks underneath his hands.  Acorn chuckled to himself.

"Chin up, young one!  It just takes practice!  Besides, you should see Hawkbit when he loses at bobstones; he'll get worked up, then abandon everything and storm out of the warren, even in the pouring rain, until he cools off!  There was even one time when after losing, he accused Bigwig of cheating, and the poor chap had to go run out while Bigwig chased him all around the beech hangar, cuffing and biting his rear!"

Justin choked with laughter.  "Hahahahaha!  I would have paid money to see that!"  He sighed in satisfaction before saying absentmindedly, "I know it's just a game, but I wish I was a rabbit like you Acorn, so that maybe I'd finally win a game or two."

Upon uttering these words, Justin's cross suddenly burst into golden sunlight, and Acorn, surprised at the unexpectedness of it, yelped in shock while the brightness swallowed up Justin's body.  Speechless, the teenager could only stare in puzzlement for several seconds before the light faded away, and to Acorn's complete disbelief, he saw that Justin had now transformed into an exact replica of him!  The same light brown fur with dark brown eyes, the slender body, it was a complete mirror likeness of the rabbit himself!  Justin, completely oblivious to his transformation, shook his head, trying to erase the slight dizziness he felt while the cross was glowing.  He couldn't explain it, but he felt...weird.  Upon seeing Acorn gaping at him in utter amazement, confused, Justin asked innocently, "What?  What's wrong??"

Justin's mind then froze when he heard the words leave his mouth.  Instead of hearing his own familiar voice, he sounded exactly like...like...Acorn.  But that's not possible, he thought frantically, but in his panic, he looked down and saw that instead of hands, he now had two rabbit forepaws.  Justin, even now in more shock at seeing that he probably did something really unwise, absent-mindedly placed his hands (paws) on his head to discover that he now had long rabbit ears and furry cheeks complete with a sensitive accessory of whiskers.  Justin looked down on his neck, and to his dismay, he saw that the golden crystal cross was no longer around his neck.  He had lost his cross.

"Acorn, please tell me I didn't...somehow...turn into a rabbit!!"  It was a wonder Justin's horrified screeching didn't wake up the sleeping Watership rabbits close-by.

"Then, does that mean you want me to lie?" asked Acorn awkwardly, still in shock at seeing his splitting image.  Horrified, Justin nervously scuffled around in the dirt, gawking at his furry body, all the meanwhile jabbering, "Oh geez, oh geez, how the heck did this happen?!  Oh man, I'm in trouble now!  Could things possibly get any worse right now?!"

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF FRITH AND INLE?!" bellowed out Silver's voice, and both Acorn and Justin turned around to see Silver, Speedwell, and Hawkbit staring at the two rabbits in bewilderment.  Earlier, they saw the sudden flash of light from Justin's cross, and worried that Justin's was somehow using his powers to fight an unknown eli, immediately rushed over.  Instead, they just found the sight of two identical Acorns staring nervously and sheepishly at them.  Acorn muttered to Justin, "Well, things have now gotten worse."

After some frantic explaining, Silver, Speedwell, and Hawkbit, who, to Justin and Acorn's annoyance, seemed he was enjoying the predicament the two got themselves into, quietly discussed the situation, hoping they could get it settled before Hazel and Bigwig woke up.  Knowing how those two would react to this mess, Justin and Acorn were desperate to find a solution.

"I'm telling you, I don't know how this happened!" yelled Justin in frustration for the umpteenth time, "All I remember was that I said I wished that I was a rabbit like Acorn so I could win at bobstones, and the next thing I know, I'm a rabbit!!"

"Why would you even _want_ to be like Acorn?" simpered Hawkbit, and as Speedwell angrily cuffed Hawkbit on the head, wearily, Silver suggested an idea.

"Justin, remember, you're the cross-bearer.  You can do anything with your powers as long as they were meant for good and for fighting evil, so apparently, if your cross allowed you to do this -."

"But I didn't want it!  I was just joking when I said that; I didn't think my powers would take this seriously!  And now, I can't find my cross!!" Justin impatiently interrupted, his nerves already frayed.

"I know, I know, you repeated that," Silver said a bit heatedly at the interruption, "but as I was saying, the solution is simple.  Just make a wish to change back into a human boy, and then everything will be all right.  Just try it now, even though you don't have your cross.  You still might have the power."  Justin, taking a deep breath, closed his eyes, and prayed silently to change back to normal.  A minute passed, then two, but still nothing happened.  Justin was now getting quite discouraged.

"I don't understand, it worked before, and I wasn't even concentrating on becoming a rabbit!  This is just great!  Now I'm going to be stuck as a rabbit like this forever!!  And I won't be able to use my powers when Elil-rah comes to attack us!!" Justin moaned dejectedly.

Speedwell tried to cheer Justin up, saying, "It's not that bad.  I'm sure we'll think up of something, and for now, you'll find that being a rabbit isn't so bad."

"But did he have to turn into Acorn?!" groaned Hawkbit in exaggeration, "Having one useless rabbit who jumps at every single shadow is bad enough!"  Acorn and Silver both cuffed Hawkbit on the head this time, but Justin then asked, "But what about Hazel and the others?"

"I'm afraid we'll have to tell them.  This entire situation could endanger all of us and risk El-ahrairah's health, so it's urgent that they know so that they can somehow think up of a way to fix this.  No matter what, Hazel, Blackberry, and Fiver have always pulled through with scrapes and sticky situations.  Besides, even if we don't tell them, they'll find out sooner or later.  I mean, by Frith, I'm surprised that after all this commotion, they're all sleeping soundly."  Justin groaned at the thought of Bigwig and Hazel scolding him for being so unintentionally foolish.  Hawkbit, however, seemed to be pleased at the thought.

"So, where should I stand to get a good view of Bigwig chewing your head off again, young one?" he laughed at the teenager, and before Silver, Speedwell, and Acorn could all give him a well-deserved cuff for the third time, the complaining rabbit hopped out of their reach.

"Get back here!" growled Speedwell.

"By the comical field, you three never like it when I express my opinions!  It's not as if I don't care -" but what Hawkbit was going to say was lost when three dark, sleek figures emerged from the bushes and tackled him, pinning him to the ground.  In a split second, Silver and Speedwell were tackled by another group of mysterious figures and pinned them down too.  Silver, realizing he was trapped, tried to squeal an alarm, hoping to wake up Hazel and Bigwig and the rest of the team, but before he could cry out, a thick paw gripped his snout and mouth shut, and Silver felt a piercing fire in his throat.  He screamed, despite having the noise muffled underneath the paw, and he could only writhe in agony as the figure sank its teeth deeper and deeper into his windpipe, silencing his voice and stifling the air in his lungs.  As Silver felt the blood flow down his fur and smother the voice in his throat, he could faintly hear the muffled yells of Speedwell and Hawkbit and guessed that they too, were being silenced to prevent them from warning their comrades.

Acorn and Justin looked at the sight in horror as the black figures attacked Silver, Hawkbit, and Speedwell, but before any of them could do anything, paws came up from behind them and grabbed them by the necks and torsos, covering their faces and gagging them from screaming.  Despite their efforts to break loose, the assailants were too strong, and Acorn and Justin then felt themselves being hurriedly whisked away from help.

                                                                ***

"Let go of me!!" Justin tried to yell underneath the thick, furry paws that held him in a fierce bear hug, but the brawny attackers held him firmly as the rabbit could now feel the wind rush by his ears and furry body.  Acorn, however, was trying everything he could do by scratching and clawing his way out of the grip.  Though he succeeded in injuring the huge animal with a few deep cuts, the dark figure kept running without even showing the slightest indication that he felt the injuries.  Whatever the creatures were, they were incredibly strong.  In a few minutes, Justin and Acorn could feel themselves slowly coming to a halt, and before they could struggle again, the messengers of Elil-rah roughly dropped both rabbits on the dirt and grass.  Dizzy and quite shaken, both of them looked up to see that they were out of the woods and into a nearly barren plot of land, filled with dried, brown weeds and dust.  But then they noticed that they were not alone; the entire area was filled with weasels.

All the weasels were dressed with black and silver chain armor, which glistened underneath the light of the torches several weasels were carrying.  Yet even underneath the metal, Justin could see that they were all powerfully built, brawny, and hefty, possibly even more than Bigwig, for all of them were taller than any man Justin knew.  The weasels all varied in size and shape and color, but they all had a formidable, bloodthirsty, ruthlessness look in their eyes as they all craftily smiled down at their two prisoners, licking their chops as if they were going to kill and eat them.  Acorn wasn't going to put that possibility past them, especially considering the fact that he spotted some of them still had the blood of Silver, Hawkbit, and Speedwell on their chins  What was most unnatural about the weasels though was the fact that their claws and their teeth were all encased in metal, the razor-sharp edges and bright luster making both Justin and Acorn shiver at the imagination of how painful it would be if the weasels decided to use them.  All of a sudden, there was a shriek of rage as a huge, stalwart, black weasel with eyes as red as Elil-rah's stepped in front of them and snarled at the weasels who kidnapped Acorn and Justin.

"You fools!!" howled the weasel, "I asked you bumbling, moronic imbeciles to abduct the cross-bearer, not some useless rabbits!  Do they even look like men?!  By the dark beast, I'll have your teeth and tails for your reckless errors, and if I don't punish the likes of you, then Elil-rah definitely will!!"  All the weasels quivered at the statement, and it was then that Justin realized that not one of the weasels in the mass had an unmarked body.  Every one of them, including the furious speaker, was littered with ugly gashes and horrific scars, and it wasn't difficult to guess that Elil-rah must have used corporal torture on them before to get them to obey his every whim.  A slow-witted, white weasel behind Acorn trembled as he spoke bravely, but slowly, to his leader, "But...but Volgnamass, we haven't failed!!  The rabbit is cross-bearer, the human boy we spied traveling with the Owsla of Watership Down, and we saw him use his power to transform a rabbit before our very eyes!  We haven't – URK!"

What the white weasel was about to say was horrifically cut short as the black weasel leader (Volgnamass) swiftly raked his claws through the white animal's front, slitting his throat with the sharp edges of the metal claws in one swipe.  As the white creature sunk in pain, coughing up crimson blood and saliva, and weakly cupping his throat to lessen the pain as he tried to desperately get air, Justin couldn't help but feel sorry for the creature.  Since he couldn't die, he would have to endure the pain of his injury for several days, maybe even weeks, before he could feel better again.  Volgnamass snarled his impatience as he leered at the injured weasel.

"Oh really?" he sneered at his cowering accomplices, "Then would any of you care to explain why you brought back two rabbits from the group instead of the cross-bearer himself?  Why you had to bring a revered soldier of the Owsla of El-ahrairah along with him?"  None of the weasels answered back; they were too frightened of Volgnamass.  Acorn, on the other hand, was staring at Volgnamass with a mixture of shock and anger.  He was surprised that a weasel and a messenger of Elil-rah would even consider him to be a formidable opponent, but he also knew that Justin's life was depending on him, so he cannot fail this battle.

Another weasel, considerable smaller than Volgnamass and had the fur of light brown, timidly spoke, his entire fur and body shaking in apprehension, "Volgnamass-rah, we...we brought two rabbits because the cross-bearer transformed...transformed into an exact copy of one of his rabbit mates!  And...And since we couldn't see or smell the two apart, we...we figured we'd bring both of them here so that you could at least deal with both of them.  We know one of them is the...the cross-bearer, but...but we don't know which one!"  It was then that Justin realized that his transformation blunder had saved his life; if he didn't accidentally transform into a clone of Acorn, then the weasels would have no problem in picking him out of the group, and he'd be dead by now.  Silently, Justin prayed his gratitude to God and Jesus, while Volgnamass's face became hard and cold.  With a quick flick of his arm, he had the brown weasel by the throat, and breathlessly, everyone watched while Volgnamass lifted the soldier five inches off the ground.  The poor brute was now squeaking in fright and dread.

"Please, Volgnamass, please have mercy!!"

"Now why should I bother on a insignificant fool like you?" Volgnamass asked softly, sickeningly, "After all, even if I don't harm you, you don't matter much to me anyway.  I have over five score weasels here at my command and you and Lousewort wouldn't slow us down at all if I simply disposed of you two.  After all, I've had it up to my fur with your sniveling, embleer, incompetence!  You, Sneezewort, and your friend Lousewort are finished with this mission!  As soon as I cripple the both of you, I'll finish where you failed and kill the cross-bearer myself after I easily pick him out between those two rabbits!"  At this, he started squeezing Sneezewort's neck, strangling him slowly and painfully while his metal claws sunk into his flesh and drew blood.  The brown weasel gurgled and squealed softly as the pain enveloped him.  The injured white weasel (Lousewort) was on the ground, begging Volgnamass to spare his friend and to not hurt him, but his weak pleas fell on deaf ears as it seemed that neither Volgnamass or the other weasels gave even a damn about them.  Suddenly, a voice rang out, but it didn't come from any of the weasels.

"Stop it!!  Leave them alone!!  You're hurting them!!"  Taken aback, Volgnamass finished snapping Sneezewort's neck with a quick squeeze, and turned around to see Justin, still disguised as Acorn, standing on his hind legs and staring defiantly up at Volgnamass in the eyes.  The weasel smiled in triumph as the comprehension dawned on him.  Justin, trying to hide the shaking in his heart, stood firm.

"Well, well, well," hummed Volgnamass aloud as he slowly advanced towards the brown rabbit, "Now why would a rabbit, who is destined by the great and powerful Frith to despise all elil, actually stand up and defend two weasels?  Could it be he has a sudden change of heart, here in the land beyond life, even though he knows our powerful master Elil-rah has corrupted all elil in this land?  Or could it be that this particular rabbit has a merciful and compassionate soul, like how the pacifist boy was when he avoided bloodshed while battling with the Ilips or when he spared King Darzin when he lost the battle to the Watership soldier, Bigwig?  Which means, this caring rabbit...IS THE CROSS-BEARER!"  Justin's eyes widened at the outburst, and Volgnamass's eyes gleamed viciously as he guessed the truth.  Christ, Justin was in immediate danger now.  As Volgnamass and the other weasels began to proceed towards Justin, Acorn's voice rang out suddenly.

"LEAVE ACORN ALONE, YOU COWARDS!!  IF YOU DON'T, I'LL...I'LL USE MY POWERS ON YOU AND TIME-FREEZE THE LOT OF YOU!!!"  Volgnamass's face registered shock as he and the other weasels turned sharply to Acorn, who was on all four of his paws and ready to go down fighting against the army.  Justin was completely floored until it hit him; Acorn was pretending to be Justin, so that the weasels would think _he_ was the cross-bearer.

"Your powers?!" Volgnamass growled in outrage.  Acorn continued the charade.

"You heard me, you pack of bullies!!  Leave my rabbit friend Acorn alone, or else I'll use my cross to stop time and freeze the whole lot of you permanently!  Or maybe I'll use my cross to set the rest of you on fire, like I did with Veil Guplea in the forest of illusions!"  Volgnamass's eyes narrowed in anger as he cursed himself for previously guessing wrong.

"Only the cross-bearer would know these things!" he scowled deeply, "Then that means you are the human!"

Acorn braced himself, ready to claw and bite any weasel that dared to come close, hoping he could buy Justin some time to miraculously escape.  "That's right, you dim-witted, slow, stupid, couldn't-find-his-tail puffball!  And unless you're eager for some injuries, I'd advise you to keep your distance!  Not unless you want to see what else I can do with my cross!!"  Volgnamass suddenly barked out, "Quickly, get him you fools!  He can't fight against all of us!  Ignore that other rabbit!  Just hold the cross-bearer down!  I'll kill the boy myself!!"

At this, the other weasels, save for the injured Sneezewort and Lousewort, charged at Acorn, neglecting Justin completely.  Justin looked back; he could see the woods were not far off, and it was only a considerable run before he could find the other Watership rabbits again, but...what about poor Acorn?  And what about Sneezewort and Lousewort for that matter?  Knowing it was foolish, he hurriedly ran over to the fallen weasels as he heard Acorn cuffing and scratching at several weasels in the face, causing them to cry out in pain.  Justin knelt down to Lousewort, while both of the elil stared at him in surprise.

"Are you two all right?" he asked worriedly, "If you can walk, you can try running away from here and escaping to the forest before Volgnamass notices you're gone!"  The white Lousewort shook his head gingerly as he coughed up more blood.

"You're a good one, mate," he choked out tenderly, "but don't waste your sympathy on the likes of us!  We made the decision to follow Elil-rah, so you shouldn't even care.  Listen to me, rabbit, go back to the woods and get the rest of your Watership friends over here to help the cross-bearer!  Get an army of rabbits to save your human friend!"  Justin, however, shook his head in grief.

"Look, it doesn't matter now, whether you're elil or not, you're still creatures that don't deserve to be hurt by anyone, especially not by the likes of Volgnamass.  And I hate to tell you this, but we don't have an army of rabbits, at least not one large enough to fight all those weasels!"  Then Sneezewort, dumbly, asked hoarsely, "Why can't the cross-bearer create an army then?  Doesn't he have the power to do so?"

Justin just stared at Sneezewort for the simplicity of the suggestion.  But he didn't have his cross, so there was no way he could summon the power to do so, but...how did he even lose it in the first place?  Could it be possible he hadn't dropped and lost it as he thought?  Could it possible the cross wasn't missing but...hidden underneath the rabbit disguise?!  Like his human form?!  It was worth a try.

Volgnamass beamed in macabre delight as the other weasels, after an extremely difficult tussle on Acorn's part, succeeded in pinning the rabbit down; however, it took four weasels to prevent him from struggling.  Acorn's breath came out in short gasps and pants as the black weasel inched close to his face, leering, "So this is the dangerous cross-bearer?!  HAH!  Couldn't even use your powers to save yourself, and all you could do was resort to kicking, running, and cuffing, just like any other weak rabb-"  It then hit him.  Why didn't the boy use his power against the army of his weasels?  He could have, but he was prepared for that because he and Elil-rah planned out that the vast amount of soldiers would have been too much for the young one to time-freeze them , not to mention weasels weren't scared by simple flashes of light like Vervain and Mallow were.  Yet this one didn't even try it, though Volgnamass knew he could have.  In fact, this one fought like he really _was_ a rabbit to begin with, but then that meant...

The brilliant, infamous glow of orange sunlight behind Volgnamass confirmed his suspicion, and ignoring Acorn, he turned around in fury to see the other Acorn look-alike sitting on his haunches, with closed eyes, and praying silently.  Yet what was most astonishing was that the rabbit wasn't even wearing the cross; the light was simply coming from the area where his heart should have been, but even so, that meant that, to Volgnamass's chagrin, that he made a mistake, and the first rabbit was in fact, the teenage cross-bearer.

"LOUSEWORT!  SNEEZEWORT!  WHAT ARE YOU TWO IMBECILES DOING?!  DON'T JUST SIT THERE LIKE A PACK OF USELESS, THARN DOLTS!!  KILL THAT RABBIT!!  KILL HIM!!!"  Yet the two weasels gave no sign that they were listening, and now instead, were staring at Justin in revered awe.  Incensed and enraged, Volgnamass made his way over towards Justin, but before he could, he felt a sharp pain in his left side as an object collided with him and caused the towering weasel to stumble.  Infuriated, he turned to see it was...Acorn?!  But that's impossible, the weasel leader thought in irritation, unless my useless weasel comrades let him go by accident!  Volgnamass turned to his soldiers, and to his amazement, the weasels still had Acorn pinned down to the ground.  He turned to face the Acorn in front of him, but it was clearly no illusion; he was a real and life-like as any other creature in the land beyond life.  Volgnamass raised his claws to gouge the impudent rabbit, but then another mysterious rabbit head-butted him in the back.  Now hopping mad, Volgnamass turned to find to his surprise, it was Acorn again.  Now there were two Acorns attacking him.  Speechless, the weasel screamed, "What in the name of the dark beast is going on here?!!"

Then he saw the most incredible sight.  All around the weasel army, rabbits, which looked and smelled exactly like Acorn, were appearing out of thin air, only to emerge full of grit and fighting determination.  Justin was using his powers to create an army of Acorns, and from the looks of it, their numbers were much, much greater than Volgnamass's army of fifty.  With a battle cry, all the Acorns charged at Volgnamass and his army, overpowering them like a brown, furry tidal wave.  The real Acorn, sensing the weasels loosening their grip on him due to the shock of seeing the rabbit army charge at them, kicked out sharply, catching two weasels in the soft spot of their stomachs, forcing them to let him go.  Acorn then dashed out, narrowly avoiding the metal claws and the futile attempts to grab him again.  Volgnamass could only watch helplessly as six Acorns were cuffing him hard and pinning him down with their powerful hind legs.  Everywhere, the weasels fought back, but there were too many rabbits, and for every weasel, there were seven, maybe eight, Acorns to attack them.  Justin opened his eyes and stopped invoking his power as he saw Acorn, the original Acorn, run up to him, looking extremely relieved and worried for Justin.  Justin, despite his shaking, asked smugly, "Still think you're a useless filler rabbit?"

Acorn laughed, letting his heart open to the warmth of Justin's love and friendship.  "Think up of some flayrah for me to eat, and I'll consider changing my mind."

"Acorn!!  Where in the name of the Black Rabbit is Justin?!!"  Both of them turned around to see Hazel, Bigwig, Dandelion, Campion, Bluebell, Strawberry, Holly, Buckthorn, and Blackberry running towards them.  They had seen the telltale golden radiance of Justin's powers, and using that as a beacon, they were able to make headway out of the woods and follow the trail to where the battle was taking place.  However, all the Watership soldiers just stopped at stared at the wondrous sight.  All around, they could see rabbits, looking exactly like Acorn, fighting and battling against the weasels, who looked they were in a tight spot.  Already, half of the weasels, including Volgnamass, were on the ground, bleeding and rendered unconscious from the many blows they received from the huge force.  Justin, seeing their stunned disbelief, asked hurriedly, "Where's Silver?!  And Hawkbit and Speedwell?!  Are they all right?!"

Blackberry answered in an awed tone, as if he wasn't sure what to believe next, "They're injured, and the weasels hurt them so badly that they couldn't speak.  Fiver and Pipkin are watching over them right now back at the woods.  If it weren't for us being able to detect the stench of their blood, we would have arrived here a lot later.  Oh, Acorn, we were so worried for you and Justin!  But...where is Justin?!  Fiver told us to tell him to heal two weasels named Lousewort and Sneezewort.  For the life of me, I have no idea why, but he said that Justin would understand and that it will help us in the future."  Yet Justin and Acorn took off towards the two injured soldiers before Blackberry could even finish the sentence.  As Justin came us to the two weasels, he could see the questioning fear both of them had in their eyes, that they were fearful that Justin was going to hurt them  Smiling sincerely, Justin closed his eyes again, and the weasels just dumbly looked at the slender brown rabbit praying softly for their sakes.  In a minute, the light from the rabbit's heart flashed again, and miraculously, the two weasels felt their injuries fade away as they were healed.  Shakily, they stood up in wonder and stared down at the two rabbits who just looked at them back with not even the least bit of alarm or caution.  They only saw compassion and hope.  Bigwig, Campion and Holly were about to rush towards Lousewort and Sneezewort, but Acorn just turned around and held up a paw.

"It's all right, they won't hurt us," he said softly with confidence and faith.  Lousewort then spoke in awed urgency.

"Quickly, cross-bearer!  You and your mates best be leaving here, as far away as you can get from Volgnamass!  Even though he's injured and won't be able to chase you, he will try to come back once he's healed after four, maybe five days!  You and your Watership band can get a lot of ground covered in that amount of time!"

"What about you and Sneezewort?" asked Justin worriedly.

"Don't worry about us, lad!" chipped in Sneezewort, "We're through with Volgnamass and his cruelty from him and his army!  We're leaving him and going to escape on our own south towards another set of woods!  Since you're heading east, we'll have to part ways!  Besides, your mates will probably be more comfortable if we didn't escape with you."  Justin nodded, and as he and Acorn ran off to join their friends, they could hear the weasels call out a final farewell.

"Best of luck to you, cross-bearer!  You are a good one!  Thank you!"

"You're a true comrade, young one!  Keep running, and if we can ever repay you for what you did for us, we'll do it!  Thank you!!"

Acorn turned to see Justin had tears brimming in his eyes.  "I must say, Justin, this is a first, seeing the mighty and powerful cross-bearer crying over elil!"  Justin smiled as they rejoined with Hazel and the others and made their way back to the woods.

"I'm just gonna miss them.  They remind me so much of you, Acorn, with being mistreated and scorned at because they're not considered important or smart enough in their Owsla, but when the time came, they decided to change it for the better good.  It's like you leaving Sandleford to start a new life at Watership Down.  Do you think we'll ever see them again?"  Acorn turned to see Sneezewort and Lousewort running away from the battle and disappearing in the distance.

"I'm sure we will."

                                                                ***

"Do you two have any idea how worried we were when we found you gone, kidnapped while poor Silver, Hawkbit, and Speedwell were lying, bleeding on the grass?!!" yelled Bigwig at a meek Acorn and Justin (still in his rabbit form).  Silver, Hawkbit, and Speedwell, now fully healed once Justin returned, were watching quietly along with the rest of the Watership Down rabbits as Bigwig and Hazel were scolding them.  Hawkbit, after being healed, remarked he would have liked to see Bigwig and Hazel scold the entire army of Acorns they left behind in the battle with the weasels, but because of his pleasure from seeing Justin and Acorn being told off, Silver and Speedwell threatened the tetchy rabbit that Justin would have to heal him again if he opened his foul mouth.  Bigwig raged on, but everyone could see that he was thankful that Acorn and Justin escaped with their lives.  Hazel pointed out that Acorn should be commended for his quick thinking and his eagerness to pretend he was the cross-bearer in front of Volgnamass, just so that Justin had enough time to invoke his power.  Still, a proper admonishment was in order.

"All right, now that that is out of the way, which one of you is Justin?  Come on, young one!  You're not making things any better by hiding from us!  Change back to your human form," Bigwig ordered gruffly.  Even he couldn't tell which one of the rabbits was the real Acorn and which one was Justin.

"It depends, is Justin going to be punished if he changes back?" Justin asked quietly, hoping that using the third person would keep Bigwig from guessing that it was him.

"Yes."

"Then how about Justin remains a rabbit for a little longer until you cool down?"  Bigwig then smiled shrewdly at this statement.

"All right, then both of you will be punished.  That's right!  Both Acorn and Justin!  And I hope Justin realizes that when we travel, he's going to know what it feels like to run until your breath comes short and your sides are drenched with sweat, not to mention that the rocks and pebbles and thorns that cut and bruise your paws while we're running!"  Knowing Bigwig got him, Acorn sighed and looked at Justin, silently telling him to try to turn back.  Justin, knowing Acorn was right, wished again for the ability to change back to his original, human form.  In an instant, the cross appeared around the rabbit's neck, and flashed, changing Justin back into a teenage boy.  But, surprisingly, Justin wasn't through.  He whispered an additional prayer, and in a twinkling of an eye, to the joy of all the rabbits, there, in a neat pile, was a heap of fresh carrots, celery, cabbage, and kale, enough to feed all the rabbits for several days.  Bigwig, trying to keep his stern composure, said hurriedly, "Well, I suppose that Justin and Acorn have probably learned their lessons, but Frith forbid if you two ever get your fat tail in danger aga-!  Oh, for the sake of El-ahrairah, let's just feast on some flayrah!"

As the ecstatic rabbits champed and chewed on the dewy, clean vegetables, Acorn, his mouth full of cabbage and carrot, whispered impishly to Justin, "You certainly know how to make a rabbit turn the other cheek, young one!"

Justin chuckled as he bit into a celery stalk, "Well, if you're going to get punished because of me, I thought I might as well make up for it."

"By Frith, you certainly have.  Hey, I've been meaning to tell you, Justin.  Remember how we talked earlier, about how we don't know why we have to go through pain and suffering and unpleasantness, despite how we're loved and cared for?"  Justin nodded, and Acorn continued.  "I now truly see that, young one.  I can now say I understand what you meant.  I mean, if you didn't accidentally change into the same likeness as me, you're would've been easily captured and killed by Volgnamass and his weasel pack.  Not only that, you wouldn't have been able to help Sneezewort and Lousewort abandon Elil-rah's evil, and to start new lives somewhere else.  So, I guess it all worked out in the end, didn't it young one? Especially since we're now up to our ears in delicious flayrah, enough to feed an army of rabbits!!"  Justin smiled, feeling relaxation and peace wash over him after being with good friends and good food.  Unfortunately, Hawkbit spoiled the moment.

"If you think we're going to waste good flayrah on that army of Acorn rabbits that are probably still fighting the weasels, you've got another thought coming to your empty, tharn mind!  I mean, it's just a waste to even let _you_ eat a couple of carrots!  Frith knows how much you need it though!  The fatheaded, dim-witted Acorn, actually using his head and showing bravery during battle, like a true warrior?!  Not bloody likely!  More like he was thinking with his stomach, picturing how fast he could get the cross-bearer back to safety, just so he could fill his lazy, empty head with carrots and the – OWWCHH!"  He leapt up in pain, and annoyed, he found that Acorn, in a very sneaky manner, leaned behind Hawkbit and bit him hard on the tail in retaliation for the insults.  Enraged, Hawkbit, awkwardly picked up a small, ripe cabbage and growled menacingly, "By the name of Frith, Acorn, you're going to get it this time!"

With a grunt of exertion, Hawkbit flung the ripe cabbage at Acorn, who immediately ducked, and as the vegetable whizzed across, it unfortunately exploded in a pulpy mess on the side of Bigwig's face.  In a minute, all the rabbits and Justin abandoned their meal and just watched in insane laughter and howling as they saw the sight of Bigwig heatedly chasing Hawkbit and Acorn, saying threats and curses that aren't appropriate to be written as he tried to cuff the two pranksters.

/*

Next: HAWKBIT in "Hawkbit's Big Mouth"

*/


	13. Hawkbit's Big Mouth

/*

Author's note: To all those who waited patiently for my next chapter, I'm so sorry.  So many things came up: 1.) midterms (blasted tests!  Still, I hope I did all right!) 2.) writer's block (curse you Gods of fan fiction!!) and 3.) Hawkbit is an extremely difficult character to write about!  I read the book inside out, but it was hard to get an exact feeling of his personality before I could dedicate this chapter to him.  Heck, I even had to watch the TV series to get some sort of idea about him, but I'm finally finished.  Enjoy!

*/

CHAPTER 13 

            "C'mon Hawkbit, cheer up!  Bigwig didn't hurt you _that_ badly, and we weren't guffawing at you!  We were guffawing with -"

                "Oh, stuff it in your craw, you empty-headed, simpering weedhopper!!"

                Hawkbit wasn't exactly a morning rabbit, and despite feasting on flayrah, he was extremely grumpy and difficult as daybreak appeared while the rabbits of Watership Down took Justin eastward.  It wasn't hard for everyone to see that he was crabby because he didn't get to rest much since he was on guard duty the previous night.  Even the carrots and kale didn't raise his sprits much due to the fact that Hawkbit was still smarting from bruises he received from Bigwig since the cabbage incident, adding injury to the insult.  Yet what was mostly burning him up was the memory of everyone laughing at him.  He hated being embarrassed like that, and this made him extremely silent and sulky to every rabbit that tried to talk to him.  Acorn, who was carrying Justin on his back, tried to apologize to Hawkbit for biting him and invoking the food fight, but Hawkbit just gave him the cold shoulder and glared at him with an icy look.  Acorn, sensing hostility, stayed back, but Justin just looked at the blackish-gray rabbit with concern.

                It was close to ni-Frith, and the rabbits stopped at a nearby pond to silflay while Bigwig, Holly, Buckthorn, and Hazel tried to get their bearings.  Justin could see that further east, the land was less lush and green and instead started to emerge into a barren, sandy terrain, full of dry crabgrass, cockleburs, and totally devoid of any trees.  Strawberry, noticing Justin's questioning look on his face, told him quietly, "It looks bare, doesn't it young Justin?"

                The teenager nodded.  "Does this mean we're getting closer to the mountains?"

                "Yes, for you see, the mountains completely lack any water close by, and the air is so hot and dry that it dries up any vegetation that grows nearby.  The only things that can survive in such harsh soil are the weeds and the inedible wild plants.  That's why we should try to eat as much food as we can before heading towards the high rocks.  I'd daresay that we could reach it in a matter of two, three days.  Luckily, once we're at the mountains, we'll be safer for not many of Elil-rah's soldiers are mountain dwellers, so it will give us an advantage."

                "Since when are rabbits good at climbing?" Justin asked innocently as he and Strawberry walked away from the pond and towards Hazel, who gathered everyone around for a quick conference.  Strawberry smiled astutely.  "There are many things about the blessings Frith gave to all rabbits that not all men know about, young one."

                Hazel spoke to his band while Bigwig and Holly stood side by side with him.  "Everyone, now listen carefully.  We're entering the regions of land closest to the mountain ranges that separate us from the land where El-ahrairah's warren resides, so though we still have an incredibly far distance to travel, we'll soon reach the midpoint of this journey.  Still, remember, we're not out of danger yet.  Elil-rah is constantly sending his Owsla and messengers to kill Justin, and for us to constantly be out in the open like this, we can't endanger our friend.  Now, since food is quite scarce, we're going to have to conserve our strength and eat as much as we can here before entering the desert wilderness.  Once we get there, we'll go slowly rather than running to prevent heat exhaustion.  Now, Strawberry, you, Blackberry, and Acorn stay with Justin while you silflay and don't let him out of your sight!  Hawkbit, you, Pipkin and Buckthorn are going to scout around and keep watch.  Everyone else, get some rest!"  This, however, did not suit up well with Hawkbit as the rest of the rabbits wandered off.

                "For Frith's sake, Hazel-rah!" he yelled in petulant irritation, "I just got my throat chewed out by bloodthirsty weasels, had to deal with Bigwig cuffing me all throughout the woods, and traveled without a night's rest to this place!  This isn't fair!  By the Black Rabbit, let some other rabbit take over guard duty and let me catch me breath!!"

                Hazel, looking extremely sorry, said, "I'm sorry Hawkbit, but Bigwig and Holly chose you and Pipkin to help Buckthorn with the patrol.  Please, it's just for today, and it's to protect Justin and make sure nothing happens to him.  I promise, Hawkbit, next time, we'll let you catch your breath and relax a bit."

                Bigwig was less understanding and gentle as he moved threateningly towards Hawkbit.  "C'mon, you lout!  Up and at them!  Buckthorn needs you right now, so get moving!"

                "And what if I say no?"  Hawkbit's voice became incredibly cold as he spoke with concrete disobedience.  Bigwig and Holly's eyes narrowed at the challenge, and Justin and the other rabbits, though they tried to ignore the argument, couldn't help but feel a sense of an impending storm coming.  Justin remembered that in "Watership Down", when they were escaping Sandleford and crossing over a heather, Hawkbit tried to disobey and challenge Bigwig and Hazel's authority, and this led to Bigwig biting him in the throat.  He just hoped that the Owsla veterans would be able to restrain themselves this time.  Unfortunately, Bigwig's temper and Hawkbit's cynical personality might prove to be a disastrous combination.   Bigwig and Hawkbit just glared daggers at each other, growling.  Holly, who was not eager to have serious fights start during such a crucial time, asked sharply, "Hawkbit, if there's something bothering you, then it's better if you go out and say it for Frith's sake."

                Hawkbit then exploded, "_Is something bothering me_??!!  As if a rabbit like yourself would care, Holly, so it's none of your business!!  But embleer fur and paw, I'm sick and tired of having everyone within hearing distance to tell me to shut up, cuff me, boss me around, and throw orders at me without giving a damn about myself or what I think!!  So, let me tell you what I'm going to do: I'm going to get a well-deserved rest and leave the guard duty to someone else!  So you can take your task and stuff it in your tharn ear, Thlayli, because I'm not doing it!  By Frith, you're always trying to make me suffer because you think I'm below everyone else, so I've had it!"  Hawkbit turned around to hop off, but with amazing speed, Bigwig blocked Hawkbit's path and gave him the evil eye menacingly.

                "You're not going anywhere, you irresponsible, lazy, fat-bellied sloth!  How dare you act like this during our important mission to save El-ahrairah's life?!"

                "Maybe if you didn't always give me such a hard time, with the nitpicking, the ordering, and the cuffing, I wouldn't have to act like this!"

                "Maybe if _you_ weren't such a mule-headed rabbit," growled Bigwig, silently telling every fiber in his body to resist the urge to beat the living daylights our of Hawkbit, "we'd think differently about you and your place in this mission, but even Frith knows that that will be as likely as you sprouting wings and flying away!  And need I remind you, you dung-smelling, foul-mouthed furball, that when El-ahrairah summoned all of us to go on the expedition to find Justin, he assigned Hazel-rah, Holly, and me as the leader and commanders of this Owsla because he trusted in our leadership abilities."

                "What 'leadership abilities'??  The ability to throw orders to other rabbits to do the dirty work that you yourself are afraid to do?!  The ability to lose you temper and rant and rave like a witch rabbit?!  I suppose that just because you think you were Owsla veterans and captains back at Sandleford and Watership Down, that must automatically mean you know a hrair more knowledge than the rest of us put together!"

                "At least it's more that what a simpleton like you would know!" snarled Bigwig, as Hazel, fearful that Bigwig wouldn't be able to control himself any longer, gently placed a restraining paw on his shoulder.  "You wouldn't have gotten this far without us, and Justin wouldn't still be alive by now.  I know that much."

                "Oh yes," grumbled Hawkbit, his tone sarcastic and biting, "After all, who's to say you made a mess of things, especially with the Efrafans, the Ilips, and Veil?  Oh, and let's not forget who nearly drove Justin into the paws of King Darzin while he selfishly left the rest of us behind to be ambushed by cats!  By the fur of El-ahrairah, we all know how much he'd approve of you if he could see how close it had been for us!"  By now, the other rabbits forgotten about silflay and were just staring uneasily at the quarrel.  Bigwig had completely lost his self-control, and he was about to wrathfully lunge himself towards Hawkbit, but due to a merciful intervention of Holly leaping on top of Bigwig and pinning the heavy veteran as best as he could, Hawkbit was spared from a very painful thrashing.  Breaking up the argument by putting himself between the quarreling rabbits, Hazel spoke in a clear yet stern voice to Hawkbit.

                "Hawkbit, go put some distance between yourself and Bigwig, cool that temper and mouth of yours, and when you're finished, come back and take sentry duty with Buckthorn and Pipkin."

                Hawkbit's voice now had a twinge of hurt mixed in with the frosty anger.  "Hazel, this isn't fair!!  You're not listening to -!"

                "That's enough!"

"But I'm telling you -!!"

Now Hazel's voice grew more severe.  "No, _I'm_ telling _you_!!  Hawkbit...Go.  Now.  That's an order. There's been enough frustration and arguments for this journey, and right now, you haven't made things any easier for us or Justin."  Hawkbit, realizing the danger in uttering another word, with a final upset glare, turned abruptly and ran off, away from the Watership band, from Hazel, from his friends.  Hazel closed his eyes and silently cursed himself for not handling the situation more delicately, but by Frith, Hawkbit just got on everyone's nerves, like he always did.  Murmurs of confusion and puzzlement filled the field moments after Hawkbit dashed off, and Hazel saw Justin whisper quietly to Strawberry, Campion and Acorn before he took off and followed Hawkbit, alone.  Seeing this, Bigwig and Holly, concerned, got up to go after the teenager, but Campion stopped them.  "It's all right, Strawberry, Bluebell, and I will watch them from a distance, but Hazel, I think it's best that Hawkbit doesn't do guard duty today.  I think he's going through some hard issues right now, and Justin convinced Acorn to take over his position while he tries to talk with him alone."

                Hazel nodded in reluctance, but he still felt uneasy.  Concerned, Hazel replied glumly, "Somehow, I'm still not relieved.  Ooh, that Hawkbit!  There are times when I feel like I want to placate and strangle him at the same time!  He's worse than any spoiled kitten I've ever seen in my lifetime, and considering I've lived longer than the rest of you, that's saying something!"

                Campion chuckled, but he commented additionally, "But you know that you and the rest of us all feel that we'd never be the same without him.  Granted, that rabbit could aggravate the leaves off the beech trees in the spring or talk the ears off any rabbit, yet you know he's loyal and brave when he needs to be."  He added, seeing the look of worry Hazel had for both the cross-bearer and his Watership soldier, "Hazel, it wasn't you or Bigwig.  Hawkbit just needed to vent out after what's been going on recently, with Elil-rah coming after us because of Justin and with his brutal attack by the weasels last night.  The stress is getting to all of us, truthfully, and I think he's just hurting and needs to deal with what he's struggling with inside.  If he needs help, we'll be there for him, like we always have been to every rabbit that's here with us."

                "But how in Frith's name can we help him?!" grunted Hazel in frustrated dissatisfaction, "Hawkbit is always grumbling, bellyaching, and never lets any of us know how he feels nor what goes on in that head of his!  If he wasn't so obstinate, crude, and volatile, we'd be able to help him if he there was anything wrong, but every time we do, he keeps to himself and drives us away.  By the Black Rabbit, why can't he just tell us?!"

                "It's not always easy to tell people when you're in need of help," Campion put it simply as they walked for silflay, "You and Bigwig should know that better than any of us, so you should be able to understand what Hawkbit is going through right now.  C'mon, old chap, stop worrying!  Let Justin talk to him; it wouldn't do any harm."

                "And exactly how would it do much help?  Hawkbit's not exactly responsive, if you haven't noticed for the past hrair seasons of being with us."  Campion simply shrugged.

                "There's a reason Justin was chosen to be the cross-bearer, Hazel.  Just learn to trust him."

                Hawkbit just sullenly sat at the edge of the field, feeling the wind rustle his dark fur while staring at the grass and dandelions in a mixture of frustration, hurt, and brooding.  It wasn't fair, he thought to himself over and over again as he bit his lip in tearful frustration, it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair.  Why is it that his friends, his trusted allies from Watership Down, always had to be so impatient and hard on him?  Granted, yes, he was pessimistic, a bit of a complainer, and impatient, but by the Black Rabbit, that was a part of who he is, and he thought by now, even in the land beyond life, his friends would have grown to accept, heck, maybe even appreciate it, like Bluebell's bad humor or Bigwig's gruffness or Pipkin's naive eagerness.  Yet it wasn't going to happen.  No matter what Hawkbit said or did, he felt that deep in his heart, he wouldn't be taken seriously due to the fact that his big mouth was always going to rub others the wrong way.  It wasn't that he didn't care about his friends, it was just...not even he knew why he always had the troublesome habit of speaking what was on his mind.  And that was the problem; no one respected the way Hawkbit viewed matters.  And it hurt him.  Deeply.  After all, it was like that in the physical world, so why on Frith's name should he have thought that things would be different once he was in El-ahrairah's Owsla?  He flashed back to when the weasels injured him, Speedwell, and Silver while kidnapping Acorn and Justin, and to when the rest of the rabbits did nothing but laugh at him while Bigwig was unmercifully beating him for throwing the cabbage.  He sighed acrimoniously as he inwardly shuddered at the memory of the metal teeth gnawing on his windpipe, filling his throat and mouth with suffocating blood.  No one knew how much pain and hurt he felt, and as far as he could see, no one cared.  After all, he was nothing more than a big, pitiful joke who riled up everyone's patience.  By Frith, even Acorn, a rabbit Hawkbit thought that even _he_ had more status than, had more of the band's concern and sympathy than him now, especially after his bravery against Volgnamass and his weasel horde confrontation.  Hawkbit then noticed that Justin was just in the process of sitting down next to him; he was so deep in his own, dark thoughts that he never detected the boy approaching.  Trying to mask his hurt and sullenness, Hawkbit put on a crabby front of denial.

                "By Frith, you meddlesome pest, don't you know when to leave a rabbit alone for a while?!  I'm busy!"  Justin didn't even glance back at Hawkbit as he stared at the cloudless blue sky.  Hawkbit, realizing that the teenager wasn't going to be driven off easily, tried changing tactics.

                "Look, young one, I _don't_ appreciate the concern, I _don't_ want to speak to anyone right now, and I _don't_ want to lose time talking with you instead of eating some meager mouthfuls of grass before Bigwig bites my tail again for not joining Buckthorn and Pipkin for guard duty.  So, unless if you have a hard time hearing things, I'll make this loud and clear so that even you can understand.  _Go away_."  The teenager didn't budge, and Hawkbit was starting to get more incensed.  By Frith, couldn't this kid take a hint?!

                "You know what, young one?!" he growled angrily, "I don't have time for this!  If you want to try to talk yourself hoarse, trying to cheer me up, you might as well be chattering to the trees because I don't want to chat to anyone right now!  So goodbye!!"  As he got up to leave, Justin's voice stopped him in his tracks.

                "I talked with Acorn and Campion," Justin said softly as he looked down on the grass, "Acorn's going to take over your job of being a lookout for today, just so that you could get some rest, and Campion is going to calm down Bigwig and Hazel so that they don't stay angry at you.  So, there's no need for you to leave, and you can rest now if you want.  You don't have to do guard duty today."  This stunned Hawkbit, surprised that Justin and his friends went out of their way to help him.  Feeling a bit ashamed for his rudeness, Hawkbit, red in the face, wasn't sure how he should apologize when Justin got his attention again.  Glancing back at the subtle cough the boy gave, Hawkbit turned and saw that Justin had in his hand two large carrots left over from the flayrah feast he summoned the previous night, and now, the cross-bearer held them out towards the rabbit as a gift.  Wide-eyed, Hawkbit gaped at Justin, and nervously, Justin stammered, "I...I thought you might want this, especially since you were too busy last night to get your fill of the flayrah I summoned with my cross.  If...If you don't want to eat it, I...I guess -"

                "No...no, it's not that, Justin.  I'm just...surprised, that's all.  After all, I thought you hated me."  As Hawkbit gently, gratefully, took the delicious carrots from the teenager's hand, Justin looked at the rabbit in puzzlement.

                "What makes you say that?  I mean, if anything, I thought you were mad at me for laughing at you while Bigwig was beating the living daylights out of you for the cabbage mess that happened."  Justin's voice got softer and more compassionate and sincere.  "And speaking of which, I'm really sorry I did laugh at you.  It was wrong, and I, out of all people, should have remembered how embarrassing and humiliating it is to have people laugh and tease you.  I'm sorry.  But...what made you think I hated you?"

                "You might as well," Hawkbit choked, his hurt welling up in his heart again as he ravenously devoured the carrots, "None of them like me very much, especially since they all think I have a big mouth and do nothing but say the wrong thing at the worst possible time.  Besides, you should remember that I'm not as nice and pleasant as all the other rabbits back there, and you've gotten pretty chummy with everyone else."  Except me, he thought that last part, but there was no way Hawkbit was going to admit that openly.

                "Hawkbit, you know that's not true.  You'll always be a good friend to Hazel, Bigwig, Fiver, and all the other rabbits.  It's just that..."  He paused, and Hawkbit, getting defensive, looked at him.

                "No, keep going young one," he ordered frankly, "Don't bother sparing my feelings.  It's just that what??"

                "Well, maybe if you weren't always so abrupt and gloomy and constantly looking on the negative side of things, maybe you wouldn't rub the others the wrong way."  Hawkbit growled at Justin, and this made the teenager sheepishly and awkwardly shuffle slightly away from the touchy rabbit.  Hawkbit ruefully sighed; now the cross-bearer was going to get on his case.  But what Justin said next surprised him.

                "But...that _doesn't_ mean I would have you any other way."  Hawkbit turned his head and gaped at Justin for the comment.  He couldn't believe what he had just heard.  Justin continued.

                "Hawkbit, it's not always bad to be sincere and honest.  It's what sets you apart from everyone else, makes you original.  A real friend would always want to tell a person the truth, even if it does hurt, and not just what the person wants to hear.  Even though, yeah, it may make some people angry and unhappy, but if you do it because you want them to be safe and not to spite or torture them, then you're helping them from getting into trouble in the future.  Plus, despite it all, I remember all the times you defended me from elil and protected me to the best you could, so I know that deep down, you care about me and everyone else very much.  I mean, I can truthfully say that I find your outlook on things refreshing.  It makes me laugh, and it also makes you so much like Bluebell."

                Hawkbit, warming up, scoffed mockingly, "Please, I rather be called a dung beetle or an embleer hraka."  Justin sniggered at the mock indignation, and Hawkbit continued, "By the Great Marsh, young Justin, you are more annoying and persistent than any other rabbit that I know of, and that's saying something!"

                "Well, I did learn it all from you," shot back Justin humorously.

                "Hey, what's _that_ supposed to mean?!" growled Hawkbit jokily as he got up, and started making obvious mock advancements, hinting to the young teenager that if he didn't watch out, he may find himself in a messy tussle.

                Justin smiled at the rabbit who was slowly becoming more and more affectionate, knowing Hawkbit wouldn't truly hurt him.  "Just remember, Hawkbit, even though it doesn't seem like it, we can find our greatest strengths in our weaknesses.  I know, it sounds incredibly stupid, but...well God said the meek shall inherit the earth, so maybe it's possible to be strong, even though you feel cowardly or useless.  I mean, who knows, maybe someday, your big mouth will save us from a lot of trouble."

                Hawkbit gave Justin a withering, but cynically teasing look.  "This coming from young Justin, a human boy who doubts himself every single moment since he's been here??  This coming from the young duffer who doesn't even know why he's the infamous 'cross-bearer', except to give us more grief, danger, trouble, annoyance and Frith knows how many white hairs on our hides??"

                "Hey!  I don't cause you guys that much trouble!"  Hawkbit stared at him mischievously, causing Justin to humorously rephrase his comment.  "Well, if you don't count the weasels, or the Efrafans, or the Ilips, or Veil Guplea, or King Darzin and his cats, then you'll see I'm no trouble at all!"

                "Oh yes, and Elil-rah will come prancing up to us, declaring announcements of peace to all animals and giving us wreaths of daisies to wear on our empty heads!" Hawkbit said sardonically.  Justin then gave a concerned look over Hawkbit's shoulder.

                "Uh-oh, I think Bigwig's coming over here.  And he looks like he's ready to rip your ears off."

                "WHAT?!!"  Hawkbit spun around quickly, but to his astonishment, there was no one coming towards them.  Realizing he was duped, Hawkbit glared wily at the teenager who was now smiling at his little joke.

                "Fooled you," Justin teased wittingly.

                "Hey, that was a dirty trick to pull, you little -" and Hawkbit lost the rest of what he was going to say as he playfully tackled the teenager in merriment.  As the two affably and light-heartedly brawled in the grass, Hawkbit felt his bad mood and anguish slowly dissipate into the warm, sunny air.  As much as he hated to admit it, he could tolerate being around Justin, especially since it made his rages with the others more bearable.  Unfortunately, that later came crashing down as the Watership Down Owsla got ready to travel towards the mountains.

                "Hawkbit, you're carrying Justin this time," growled Bigwig overbearingly as he glared at the rabbit from the corner of his eye.

                "WHAT?!!" shouted Hawkbit, "Are you out of what is left of your tharn mind?!!  WHY?!"

                "Because I said so!  Now, if you want me to show you some more reasons, I'll let my paws do the convincing!  You're already on my dangerous side, you ill-mannered, foul-mouthed disgrace to a gamekeeper's gibbet, so don't push your luck, not unless if you want me to cuff the fur and tail off that embleer hide of yours!!"  It wasn't difficult to see that Bigwig was still angry at the events of Hawkbit's disobedience, not to mention still tiffed from the cabbage incident, so even though he wasn't able to give the rabbit another beating, Bigwig was doing the next best thing and making him bear the responsibility to carrying Justin to get back at Hawkbit.  As Hawkbit wasn't as solid and strong as most of the rabbits, not to mention that Justin was only shorter than him by an inch or two, Hawkbit was going to have an extremely difficult time carrying the teenager across a hot, deserted plain.  Hawkbit knew this, and he also knew Bigwig knew this, but he wasn't foolish enough to argue.  Justin, realizing that Hawkbit was going to suffer and feeling sorry for the rabbit, said to Bigwig automatically, "It's okay, Bigwig, I don't mind walking.  Really, I don't.  Plus, since all the rabbits are going to travel slowly when we cross the desert, I might as well lighten the load and travel on foot with you guys.  I'm not helpless, and I could use the chance to stretch out my legs again."

                Bigwig, and Holly for that matter, didn't agree with Justin's reasoning.  "Justin, if one of Elil-rah's soldiers attacks us, the rabbit who's carrying you would be able to take you away from danger faster than you could ever possibly run on your own two feet," Holly gently chided the boy, "Not to mention the fact that you need to conserve your own strength to fight and use the powers of your cross if we need it.  If you become too exhausted or don't have enough vigor left to harness your powers of the cross-bearer, you'll endanger yourself and the rest of us."

                "But Hawkbit can't -"

                "No, I can," Hawkbit interrupted Justin as he tried to make his voice sound steadfast and assertive, "Holly's right, Justin, I don't want to endanger you or risk your safety.  I'll carry you."  Justin and Holly were temporarily speechless; it actually sounded like Hawkbit was concerned and being unselfish.

                "My, my, I thought the day would never come when Hawkbit finally minds his fellow Owsla captains," smirked Bigwig as he jeered at the rabbit viciously, "What's next, we find the Hole in the Sky again?"

                "How about trying to first find your brain underneath all that pig-headedness and molting fur-cap of yours, 'Meester Pigvig'?" Hawkbit retorted back insultingly, calling Bigwig by the embarrassing name Kehaar called him when he was brought in and taken cared for at Watership Down.  In a few minutes, the Watership rabbits traveled into the bare, sandy land towards the mountains, with a seething Bigwig being unsuccessfully calmed down by Holly and Silver leading in the front, and trailing at the back were Dandelion, Blackberry, Campion, and Hawkbit, nursing a very sore nose due to a brutal cuff from Bigwig and laboriously carrying a relatively heavy Justin at the same time.

                At first, the journey went easily enough, if it wasn't for the blistering, dry hot winds blowing into their faces and the sands magnifying the heat of the sun ten-fold.  After a while in the heat, instead of hopping slowly, the rabbits were now actually walking, paw by paw, towards the mountains that were wavering under the scorching temperature.  Hawkbit was having an extremely grueling time; it was difficult enough without having a heavy Justin riding on his back, but he was already starting to trail behind the others.  He was literally panting, and his legs were quivering, threatening to buckle.  Justin, now feeling more concerned and guilty for making matters worse for the poor rabbit, quietly slid off and started walking alongside Hawkbit on the sandy ground.  Before Strawberry and Dandelion could object, Justin broke in, whispering, "Could you two please keep Bigwig occupied somehow so that he doesn't notice that I'm not riding on Hawkbit anymore?  Please?  I promise this will only be until when it gets cooler and easier for Hawkbit to get back his strength to carry me again.  If there's any danger, I'll ride on Campion, and he, Blackberry, and Hawkbit will take me away as far from danger as they can.  Will you?  Please?  I know it's asking for a lot, but it's to help out Hawkbit.  I don't want Bigwig to yell at him again."

                Dandelion and Strawberry, knowing that they didn't want to make Hawkbit suffer nor have Justin be unhappy, grudgingly agreed, even though they knew that Bigwig was probably going to have their ears and tails if he found out what they were doing.  As they ran ahead, Hawkbit sheepishly, but gratefully, gave Justin a weak smile.  Justin smiled back.  As the rabbits were now pacing gradually through, Justin asked Blackberry, "Don't you guys think maybe it wasn't such a good idea to travel during this time of day?  We're all getting tired from journeying under this heat, not to mention it might lead to more trouble if we collapse from heatstroke or heat exhaustion."

                Blackberry shook his head.  "No, for if we traveled the desert plains at night, it would be easier for Elil-rah and the Efrafans to attack us, but since we're here during the day, when the lands are almost unbearable due to the sun, the dark Owsla won't attempt to attack us at this time, so it'll be safer for us to make headway towards the mountains.  We discussed it during silflay, and Hazel agreed that it was probably the best idea."

                "Best idea, my fat tail!" griped Hawkbit as a harsh zephyr blew some hot sand into his furry face, "If I had strength right now, I'd cuff you for thinking up of such a bright idea, you black-eared duffer!"

                "Are you ever going to stop your bellyaching?!" a defensive and bothered Blackberry asked Hawkbit accusingly.  Hawkbit just kept a stubborn silence as further and further, they traveled through the desert land and the dry vegetation.  The winds were getting stronger and stronger, now making noticeable discomfort as grains of rock and dirt started to pellet them in the faces frequently.  Justin had to shield his vision with one hand to prevent sand from hitting his eyes.  As they walked farther and farther, the winds got more vicious.  Soon, the Watership band was having difficulty even walking straight as the harsh, dusty winds were strong enough to make them falter and stumble every third or fourth step, and the mountains in the distance started to blur even further amongst the swirling dirt and howling wind.

                "_This_ is the best way to journey?!!" cried a sarcastic and caustic Hawkbit, "Blackberry, I take back what I said earlier!!  If I can even _see_ you right now, I'd cuff you for thinking up of this bright idea!!"

                "Oh, do shut up!" growled Blackberry, but then, he stopped in the middle of walking and sniffed the air.  Something caught his nose's attention.  After three breaths, Blackberry squealed, the urgency and warning in his voice high enough to be heard over the howling of the hurricane and making every head in the group turn towards Blackberry, Campion, and Hawkbit...who was no longer carrying Justin, leaving him defenseless.  Hazel, Bigwig and Silver were outraged.

                "Hawkbit!" yelled Silver in incensed surprise, "What in the name of El-ahrairah are you doing?!  Why isn't Justin -?!"  But he didn't the chance to finish his questioning for Blackberry interrupted in fright and insistence.

                "Campion!!  Get Justin out of here!!  I smell a homba, a fox!!  And it's nearby!!"  Everyone's blood turned to frost when they heard these words; if a fox, one of the most vicious eli to ever slay rabbits was here, then it wasn't hard to guess who sent him and what his business with the Watership Owsla were.  Justin immediately got on Campion's back, and within a flash, they, Hawkbit, and Blackberry raced off in the opposite direction, away from the mountains.  Yet they took no more than several gallops when a violent sand typhoon rushed in, opposing the three rabbits and blowing them off their paws, causing Justin to fall off Campion's back.  The teenager flew back and rolled to a stop several feet away, face-first into the sand.  As he grimly and painfully propped his upper body up with his elbows, Justin tried to gain footing in the unstable sand and get up.  Yet to his horror, he couldn't.  He was stuck!  Justin tried harder, forcing his legs to help push himself off the ground, but it was impossible for unbelievably, a column of wind was encircling all around him, generating such a high pressure, the air on top of the human teenager was pushing down on him harder and harder, almost crippling him as he lay paralyzed in the dirt.

                "Justin, hurry, get up!!" squealed Acorn, "Hurry, we have to get you away from here!!"

                "I...I CAN'T!!  I'M STUCK!!  I CAN'T EVEN MOVE!!!"  As Justin tried harder at fighting the weight the tornado was inflicting on him, Hawkbit, the rabbit closest to Justin, immediately rushed over to the teenager without a hesitation of his own safety.  Recklessly, Hawkbit tore through the barriers of sand and wind enveloping his human friend, and struggling against the pressure immediately pushing down on him, he inched his way over to Justin, hoping he could carry the cross-bearer, or at least drag him out of the wind that was trapping him.  Unfortunately, he wasn't strong enough to fight the sandstorm, and his legs were threatening to buckle again as the downward force was slowly immobilizing the rabbit as well.

                "Hawkbit!!" yelled Campion in a combination of anger and vexation, "You duffer, now you're trapped with Justin as well!!"

                "You were trying to rescue me?!" Justin asked incredulously over the roar of the wind as he slowly glanced over his shoulder at the sight on Hawkbit sinking to the ground.

                "Hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time!!" argued Hawkbit defensively.  Fighting the urge to affront Hawkbit for his temporary thoughtlessness, Hazel, Campion, Blackberry, and Bigwig ran over to the column of wind, hoping they could reach the two in time while the other rabbits were on their guard and looking around wildly amongst the fog of sand and rock as they tried to spot any indication that a fox was nearby.

                "Blackberry, we can't even see anything in this wind!!" yelled Bluebell as he tried to shield his eyes from the annoying specks of dirt, "Are you sure you even smelled a fox?!!"

                "No, he's right!  I smell it too, and the smells getting stronger over here!" screeched Pipkin from the opposite end of Bluebell.

                "No, the smell's stronger over here!!  The homba is coming over in this direction," Silver declared as he and Holly prepared themselves to fight like wild animals the instant the fox showed its face.

                "That's impossible, we smell it coming from here!!" insisted Acorn, and Dandelion exclaimed in disbelief, "It's as if the homba is coming in from all around us!!"

                "Frith-rah, could there be more than one?!  An entire army, perhaps?!!" cried Strawberry as he tried to sniff the overpowering stench of the fox, hoping it could reveal the enemy's position a bit more accurately.

                "No, if the there was more than one eli, then the embleer odor would be more unbearable than this!!  Everyone, just be ready to fight and attack while Hazel and the others try to get Hawkbit and Justin out of here!!  We must buy them some time to escape!" commanded Holly as he braced his powerful hind legs to gain the momentum necessary to head-butt the fox straight into the chest.  Meanwhile, Hazel, Bigwig, Blackberry, and Campion weren't faring much better.  Knowing that if they entered the eye of the cyclone, they would be trapped as well, Blackberry hit on the idea that they should try to dig at the sand around Hawkbit and Justin, weakening it enough so the two could slowly inch out.  They hurriedly clawed the sand away from the pair as best as they could, gritting their teeth in pain as the downward spiral of wind was nearly crushing their paws.

                "Justin, hang on!!  We'll get you and Hawkbit out of there!!  Just don't panic!" yelled Campion as he tried to dig away at the sand that was slowly piling up around the two due to their stormy prison.

                "Hawkbit, why weren't you carrying Justin?!" scolded Hazel bluntly as he clabbered away at the rising dirt, "And Justin, what in Frith's name would ever posses you do such a foolish act as to not ride with one the rabbits?!"

                Justin broke in awkwardly, "Uh...temporary insanity on my part??!"

                Bigwig was cursing at the Owsla soldier as he furiously dug at the ground.  "Hawkbit, when I get my paws on you, I will personally -"

                "This is not the time for idle threats, Bigwig!" Hazel lectured impatiently.

                "Well, I should have never left the responsibility of protecting the cross-bearer with the likes of him!!"

                "Can't you ever make up your tharn mind?!" snapped an irate Hawkbit, partly angry at Bigwig's condescending remarks and partly angry because he felt guilty about getting Justin into this predicament in the first place.  "First you tell me to do guard duty, then you tell me you want me to carry and protect Justin, and now you tell me you didn't want me to carry him in the first place!!  By Frith, I wonder what El-ahrairah would say if he could see you now!"

                "He'd tell me to drag you out in the open and give you that well-deserved cuffing you've been begging for since we started this journey!!" barked Bigwig, noticeably digging faster and more furiously at the dirt, his paws itching to wrap themselves around Hawkbit's neck.

                Bluebell heard a disembodied howling of a wolf from above him, and as he glanced suspiciously up, his heart nearly leapt out of his throat.  There, amongst the dark swirling background of the dust cloud, was a gargantuan hurricane, but what made it the most terrifying was that the hurricane was in the shape of a wolf's head.  It was a perfect life representation, the same pointed nose and narrow face, the gaping mouth full of sharp, tapered teeth, the pointed ears and tufts of fur at the cheekbones, except it was eerily composed of moving wind, pebbles, grime, and sand.  The most disturbing thing was that the hurricane's eyes were just big, black gaping holes of darkness, as if they were pools of the murkiest shadows.  Bluebell stamped a danger signal with his hind leg hard upon on the ground, and pointed with a forepaw at the sky towards the ghostly phantom.  "Look!!"

                Everyone, including Hazel, Bigwig, Campion, Blackberry, Justin and Hawkbit, just gazed upwards to see the towering, foreboding spirit.  Yet before they could do anything, the windstorm opened its mouth wider and bayed in an unnerving, monotone howl, the notes literally chilling enough to send shivers down their spines.  Almost immediately, the wind picked up with a terrific force.  Unexpectedly, all the rabbits, to their horrified and surprised dismay, were lifted off their paws, and the airstreams enclosed them into another tornado, lifting them higher and higher above the ground and farther away from Justin who was still trapped on the ground.  Justin looked in dismayed consternation as his saw his friends were being carried off, away from him, but then he noticed the opaque cloud of dust was settling down, clearing the air and view of the desert to reveal a fox, a real, physical one, was leering a vulpine smile at the teenager.  Justin, knowing that the cyclone was still encompassing him, trapping him so he couldn't move, could only just stare, trembling inside his gut, as the fox advanced closer and closer.  Upon a second glance, the cross-bearer saw that the fox, though walking on all fours like a normal animal, was wearing a simple, brown cape and matching brown vest, easily contrasting his orange and white fur with black foot paws.  Around his neck was a bronze medallion, but instead of the letter "E" as Justin saw most of Elil-rah's soldiers wore, this piece of jewelry had a picture of a snarling, bloodthirsty wolf with red eyes branded onto the dull metal.  But the fox apparently was no weakling; he was as huge as Volgnamass, the weasel leader who attacked him and Acorn earlier, and he certainly looked as if he could outmatch a tiger.  The fox chuckled superiorly at the human boy staring at him in quivering anxiety.  As he spoke, his voice was silky and refined, like a nobleman of high stature.

                "Well, well, what's the matter, young one??  Can't you talk, or, as the humans say so, 'fox got your tongue'?"  He snickered inwardly at the private joke, and Justin could now feel the shaking move up to his lungs, making his breath shake and whimper.  The fox continued, "Oh, and if you think you're powerful rabbit friends from Watership Down will rescue you like they always have, you're extremely hopeful, yet foolish.  The Wolfen Gale I'm controlling will keep the rabbits, and you for that matter, trapped in the tornados for as long as I please!"

                "Wolfen Gale?!!  How about 'The Flea-bitten Furball' or 'The Whimpering Windbag'?!!  Leave Justin alone, you embleer homba if you know what's good for you!!"  The fox turned his head sharply in surprise to see that Justin wasn't trapped alone in the cyclone prison.  Hawkbit, with the best effort he could muster, was standing up uneasily against the pressure of the wind pushing down on his furry body and glaring at the fox with a murderous look in his eye.  Because he was trapped, the Wolfen Gale didn't sweep him away like the other Watership rabbits, and the fox realized he made a slight miscalculation.  With an unfazed glance, the fox said nonchalantly, "Wolfen Gale, I command you, get rid of this pest.  I need him out of the way if I am to succeed in killing the human boy."

                In an instant, the head of the wolf-hurricane appeared again in the sky, and to the surprise of Justin and Hawkbit, a current of sandy wind in the shape of a clawed, wolf's paw came rushing out, and with incredible force, stuck Hawkbit in the middle of his chest, stunning the poor rabbit as he flew back by twenty feet.  Justin watched in extreme distress for Hawkbit as his rabbit friend was now flung out of the wind column painfully by the typhoon.  Hazel and the other rabbits, though ensnared in the wind prison of sand and dirt, were able to watch the battle unfold, but helplessly.

                "Hawkbit, no!!  The duffer, he's going to get Justin killed!!" cried out Campion as he kept rolling around nauseatingly around the wind like a helpless bird with broken wings.   Now he knew how leaves felt when they were caught in the updrafts of autumn.

                "We have to get down there somehow and help Hawkbit protect Justin!" yelled out Blackberry.

                "Easier said than done, old chap!!" grunted Buckthorn laboriously as he painfully collided into Silver and Fiver as the wind tossed him around in the air like a helpless bumblebee, "We don't have the strength to fight against the updraft!  It's too strong!!  We can't run on thin air, and unlike Kehaar, none of us has wings, so we can't fly out of this windstorm!  We're trapped, and Hawkbit's going to have to fight this one himself!!"

                "C'mon, bucko!  Don't let us down!  Justin is depending on you!" whispered Holly encouragingly, hoping Frith and El-ahrairah would listen to his prayer and help the lone Owsla warrior.  Meanwhile, Justin wasn't faring too much better as the fox was now magically inside the whirlwind prison with him, not showing any indication that the downward spiral of air and sand were affecting the fox.  Obviously, the homba was protected against the Wolfen Gale's destructive forces with Elil-rah's powers.  Before Justin could react, the fox brutally grabbed Justin around the throat with both of his forepaws and slammed the human teenager onto the ground on his back.  As the painful explosions of colors and stars blinded Justin's vision, Justin could now barely breathe as the fox kept one paw around Justin's throat, slowly strangling him in a gripping hold.  For a four-legged animal, the fox could fight and defend himself as well as any human.  The fox leaned closer to the boy's face, and Justin could see his reflection in the murderous eyes of the homba.

                "How pathetic!" the fox mocked to the teenager as his paw squeezed Justin's neck tighter and tighter, "This is what Elil-rah was afraid of?!  A small weakling such as yourself would never have the chance to survive against a fight against me, Blood Whitetail, the most traitorous of all foxes, much less Elil-rah!  Looks like the infamous legends of the cross-bearer are naught."  With a flick of his other paw, Blood Whitetail magically summoned a knife out of the dusty air.  It was a simple weapon carved out of sandstone and gravel, yet it looked just as lethal and dangerous as any metal weapon.  The fox's smile grew even wider as he brought the blade of the knife to Justin's neck, the rough point hovering above Justin by an inch.  The teenager tried to struggle, but the wind was forcing his body to remain paralyzed, ignoring the panicked orders from his brain to fight and flight.  With the fox's paw cutting off his airway, Justin couldn't even scream out a prayer to invoke his powers.  Blood snickered at the feeble attempts.

                "My name is the last you'll ever hear, young Justin.  Remember it: I am Blood Whitetail!"

                "The only thing that's going to bloody around here is you!!" yelled a familiar crabby voice, and Blood turned to see the sight of a blackish-gray furry head whizzing at him in incredible velocity before he felt the painful result of Hawkbit head-butting him into the face.  The fox and rabbit flew out of the cyclone column, and in the confusion, the fox dropped the knife.  Justin, now free from the grip of the fox, could breathe, and he uneasily rolled over on his side to watch the combat.  Hawkbit, though injured from the winds of the Wolfen Gale, stood his ground, with his bruised sides heaving, as he watched Blood get up to glare at the rabbit soldier in homicidal anger.  Hawkbit's attack was quite effective, seeing that Blood's entire nose and one side of his white face was smeared in crimson red.  The fox snarled in provocation, "You meddlesome, little parasite!!  How dare you strike my beautiful face?!!"

                "If that's you're idea of beautiful, I hate to think what your idea of ugliness is!  You've practically got the face a mother could only love, and trust me, I use that term very, _very_ loosely!"  Blood screeched, his voice now jumping an octave higher as it lost all restraint and refinement, "WOLFEN GALE!!  HURT THAT RABBIT!!  SMASH HIM AGAINST THE ROCKS!!  TEAR HIS FLESH!!  HE'S CAUSED ME ENOUGH AGGRAVATION!!"

                Hawkbit looked at the hurricane in shock and dread as he saw the sandstorm was now on the ground, swirling and howling wrathfully as it was reshaping itself into the body of a wolf.  Though it was incredibly blurred and hazy, the sand, rock, dust, and air impressively and realistically displayed the true terrifying shape of the Wolfen Gale.  It had the exact physical form and structure of a wolf, except that it was almost as big as a house, and all around its body, currents and wisps of wind and fog draped around its fur and legs like robes of silk.  Its paws were quick, nimble, and because of their ethereal composition, the wolf was able to stand on the ground without leaving the slightest traces of smell, sound, or footprints, making it the ultimate, silent assassin.  Despite the wailing of the windstorms surrounding the wolf, Hawkbit could see the Wolfen Gale was growling in a sinister way, and the rabbit couldn't help but feel every bit of courage and valor was threatening to be swallowed by the eternal blackness of the creature's eyes.

                Can't let him intimidate me, Hawkbit thought strategically, but felt like an ant facing to do battle with a lion, I have to do this by myself, and I won't let Justin die, not after what I've been through and not after the kindness and friendship he's shown to me.  He flashed back to when Justin first met the rabbits of Watership Down, when he journeyed and fought with them through the hard trials, when he opened his heart and closeness to Hawkbit earlier.  _Hawkbit, you know that's not true.  You'll always be a good friend to Hazel, Bigwig, Fiver, and all the other rabbits...Hawkbit, it's not always bad to be sincere and honest...A real friend would always want to tell a person the truth, even if it does hurt, and not just what the person wants to hear...Just remember, Hawkbit, even though it doesn't seem like it, we can find our greatest strengths in our weaknesses...maybe someday, your big mouth will save us from a lot of trouble_.  Hawkbit muttered to himself as the Wolfen Gale started to glide towards the rabbit, "By Frith, Justin, you'd better be right, or else you'll be the one to forfeit...with your life!"

                "What's the matter, Whitetail?!  Can't fight your battles yourself?!  Need to rely on your puny magic that Elil-rah gave you, you scrap-scraping, narrow-minded, festering vulpine rot?!" Hawkbit taunted the homba bravely.

                "ENOUGH!!" yelled Blood, his anger erupting and distorting the otherwise calm composure he had earlier.  With a flick of his paw, the Wolfen Gale howled, his gaping mouth letting loose a fierce draft of sandy air towards the rabbit, sending the rabbit flying in a heap.  However, the second the Wolfen Gale attacked Hawkbit, Justin could feel the wind surrounding him lessening, and to his joyful excitement, he could move slightly more.  Though nauseatingly woozy, Hawkbit unsteadily rose from the ground, blood slowly dripping from the deep cuts and scrapes on his fur and saw that Justin was able to budge slightly from his paralyzed position.  They both exchanged a look and cunningly guessed the truth immediately.  Blood Whitetail was obviously controlling the Wolfen Gale somehow, but his emotions of anger, frustration, and fury were clouding his control and self-will.  The more Blood got out of control, the less he was able to control his power over the Wolfen Gale form, the cyclone around Justin, and the tornado trapping the others in their mid-air prison.  Knowing they found the key, Hawkbit bravely continued as he turned to the fox.

                "Ha!  That's the best you got?!  No wonder Elil-rah keeps failing at his attempts to kill Justin!  He can't even make a wretched, embleer homba like you as powerful as the cross-bearer!"

                "You...impudent..." but Blood was so furious at Hawkbit's audacious insults that he couldn't even finish the sentence, and on cue from his rage, the Wolfen Gale then flung a paw towards Hawkbit, sending immediately a tidal wave of sand to bury the rabbit alive.  As Justin could feel the pressure on his body weaken even further, Hawkbit nimbly leapt out of the path of the incoming sand, only to have it precariously crash by a hair's width.  As Hawkbit was fighting for himself and Justin's life, Blood Whitetail bragged heatedly, "One lone soldier from El-ahrairah's Owsla won't be enough to protect the human, you fool!!  The cross-bearer will never – OOF!!!"

                As the fox was too busy boldly stating his overconfident views, Hawkbit took the opportunity to head-butt and tackle the big, furry windbag directly into the gut, followed immediately with bracing his hind legs on the stunned fox's stomach.  With a powerful leap, Hawkbit left several rows of jagged, bleeding cuts on the fox's stomach as he carefully hopped out of the way.  The minute the wounds were inflicted, Justin observed that the Wolfen Gale was wincing and slightly moaning in pain as it curdled its stomach in a bent position, trying to ease some unseen throbbing as if it too was scratched in the chest like Blood Whitetail was.  With a realization, Justin figured out that not only did Blood Whitetail needed absolute control to focus commanding the wind demon, but the two were also in sync with each other; if one got hurt, the other would feel the exact same results too.  Hawkbit paid no attention as he continued to hurl antagonizing slurs, praying it could buy Justin some time to figure out what to do to turn the tides in their favor.  "'The cross-bearer will never leave here alive'...yes, yes, we've heard that all before, you prissy excuse for a homba!!  By Frith, if I had a carrot for every time some embleer, brainless eli such as yourself said that, I'd be the most well-fed rabbit in all of the land beyond life!!"

                "I've had just about enough of your cheek, you presumptuous rabbit scum!!  WOLFEN GALE, ANNIHILATE THE CROSS-BEARER AND THAT ANNOYING FOUL-MOUTHED RABBIT!!  KILL THEM BOTH!!  NOW!!"  With a flash of vengeance, the Wolfen Gale's body immediately turned into an intense, churning, cylindrical current of wind, and it rushed across the hills of sand and barren crusty soil to come directly at Hawkbit with a deafening roar.  Before Hawkbit could even react, he was painfully flung back, and he swore he could have felt his ribs fracture to the crushing blow the demon spirit inflicted on him as he sailed across and came skidding to a stop, his fur and skin was beginning to burn and chafe from the skidding tension of the ground.  Hawkbit bit back the urge to whimper as he tried to get up.  Unfortunately, the Wolfen Gale struck him again, this time from behind, sending Hawkbit to crash face first into the hot sand again, feeling the grains of dust and dirt cling painfully to the bleeding lesions on his face.  In a matter of seconds, the Wolfen Gale pummeled, scratched, and threw Hawkbit over five times as the tenacious rabbit did his best to endure the pain and hang on.  Yet if the battle went on much longer, Hawkbit wouldn't be able to give Justin a chance.  As he collapsed on the ground from the last blow of the Wolfen Gale's typhoon, his body too weak and battered to move, Hawkbit's last thoughts were to Justin as he saw Blood Whitetail move towards the teenager again.  The fox snickered at the sight of the rabbit lying senseless on the ground; Justin's heart nearly stopped in dread and grief.

                "Ha!  You see now, you wretched, pathetic child of El-ahrairah?!!  No one will ever be able to stop and withstand the Wolfen Gale, not even the powerful cross-bearer!!  Wolfen Gale, that furry pest won't bother us anymore!  Leave him to bleed on the ground while he can watch me assassinate his friend here!!"  Blood picked up the knife again with his forepaw as he smiled craftily at the helpless teenager still trapped in the column of wind.  In the tornado that was trapping the rabbits in midair, Justin could hear the threats from the rabbits of Watership Down as they powerlessly watched the battle and Justin struggling to escape from his incarceration.

                "Don't you dare touch him!!" yelled Speedwell angrily.

                "You embleer coward!!  At least other hombas are brave enough to fight their own battles, you despicable wretch!!" growled Bluebell.

                "Don't!!  Please, don't kill Justin!!!" screamed Pipkin.

                Yet their screams fell on deaf ears as Blood was about to stab Justin, who, despite having the pressure of the hurricane ease slightly due to Hawkbit's battle with Blood and the Wolfen Gale, was still not strong enough to extract himself out.  Then, suddenly, Blood just dropped the knife, the weapon silently landing on the sand, as he roared in pain and fury and clutched his eyes with his paws.  At first, Justin was confused, but then became even more bewildered as he saw gashes appear, running vertically across Blood's white face.  As the homba staggered back, cursing as the blood trickled across the burning lines the wounds left across his eyes, Justin looked at the Wolfen Gale, and to his joy, he saw an injured but not beaten Hawkbit, on the back of the Wolfen Gale form, cursing in aggravation and anger as he raked his claws across the Wolfen Gale's eyes.  Because of the wind phantom being in synchronization with Blood Whitetail, Hawkbit's attack also successfully blinded Blood.

                "HAWKBIT!!" cried out Justin in joyous relief.

                "For Frith's sake, Justin, I'm not bloody deaf, you know!!" snapped Hawkbit as he kept dealing cuffs and scratches on the specter as the Wolfen Gale furiously tried to buck the annoyance off, "I can hear you perfectly, you loud duffer!!!  By the fur and paw, why do I always have to save your fat, furry hide?!!"  As he was complaining, Hawkbit was puzzled into momentary silence as he felt his foot strike something hard and alien around the Wolfen Gale's neck.  He saw that it was a bronze medallion, the same one that Blood Whitetail was wearing.  But why would a phantom, a ghostly wind spirit, need a medallion in the first place?  Then it hit Hawkbit.

                "JUSTIN!!  THE MEDALLION!!  THE WOLFEN GALE'S HAS ONE TOO, THE SAME KIND THAT BLOOD WHITETAIL HAS!!  IT'S HOW THE HOMBA'S TAKEN CONTROL OVER THE MONSTER!!  QUICK, GET THE MEDALLION OFF OF BLOOD, AND HE CAN'T CONTROL IT ANYMORE!!  STEAL THE MEDALLION OFF OF HIM!!!"  Blood withdrew his paws from his eyes in jolting alarm, reveling the ragged optical tissue and fluid that was leaking out and mingling with the crimson blood drying on his cheeks, as he now realized the rabbit guessed the truth.

                "No!" Blood shrieked as he desperately, despite the pain, tried to grab the knife from the sand before he lost his chance to kill Justin, but Justin was quicker.

                "Medallion!!" he cried, holding out his hand, despite feeling his lungs struggle with the command as the wind was pushing down on his frail body.  Miraculously, like the stick Justin summoned to himself earlier on his first night with the rabbits, his cross flashed in golden light, and the bronze wolf jewelry around Blood's neck disappeared in a twinkle of sunlight before reappearing in Justin's hand.  Instantaneously, the tornado possessing the other rabbits of Watership Down prisoner started to fade and dissipate, slowly and gently placing Hazel, Bigwig, Campion and the others back on solid ground.  The Wolfen Gale, with no one to subdue it, went completely mad, and in frenzy, it bucked Hawkbit off of its back, violently slamming him to the ground, as it shot up to the sky.  Uncontrolled, the demon madly spread out its wrath all over the desert, invoking ferocious storms and tornadoes instantaneously, only now, without Blood's voice of reason, the powers and forces were almost strong enough to rip the land.  Heck, these newer storms made the old sandstorm that attacked them in the beginning seem like a gentle breeze.

Blood staggered in rage as he cried out, "No, Wolfen Gale!!  Cease this at once!!  I command you!!"  Yet without the magic jewel Elil-rah gave him to control the element of wind, his words had no effect on the Wolfen Gale as it continued swirling and howling like a wild beast, summoning the sandstorms, typhoons, and hurricanes to blow harder and harder on the desert.  Wrathfully, Blood turned to Justin and menacingly advanced on the teenager.  Blood had completely lost all restraint and dignity as his silky voice now had a murderous, enraged edge to it.

"You!!" he snarled accusingly as he prepared to pounce on Justin, still holding his precious medallion, "Give me that medallion, you fool, or else I'll -!"

"You'll do nothing to Justin, you cowardly, sniveling excuse for an eli!!" Bigwig yelled in anger as he, Campion, Acorn, Bluebell, Holly, and Silver tackled Blood together, almost crushing the enemy under their combined weight.  As the fox bit and fought, Bigwig yelled to Justin, "Justin, hurry, go to the others!!  They're with Hawkbit!!  Help them think up of some way to stop the Wolfen Gale while the rest of us chaps deal with this blooming idiot!!"  Justin nodded and tore off towards Hawkbit and the rest of the rabbits while Bigwig and his battle comrades wrestled with Blood.  Hazel and Strawberry were licking the dried off blood off Hawkbit's body, trying to care for their friend as best as they could, as the rabbit laid there, almost wavering to unconsciousness from the exhaustion and injury.  However, when seeing Justin come up to him, Hawkbit slowly and unsteadily rose from the ground with a weak grin.

"After all this is over, I expect several carrots for saving your dependent, useless tail."

"Really, Hawkbit!" scolded Dandelion and Strawberry in unison, but Justin was just ecstatic for his friend.

"I will, I promise, but I'm just really glad that you're OK!" cried Justin as he embraced the cantankerous rabbit around the neck in a fierce hug.  Hawkbit was less joyous.

"Ow!  By Frith, be careful of my neck, you duffer!!  I've got plenty of wounds from battling the Wolfen Gale for you, so watch it!!"

"Hawkbit!  He's trying to say 'thank you', you unfeeling, bellyaching, selfish cocklebur!!" yelled Speedwell as he cuffed Hawkbit lightly on the head, "So be nice!!"

"It's all right, Speedwell," Justin smiled as he defended his friend, "I know Hawkbit's trying to say 'you're welcome'...in his own way of course."  Hawkbit smirked even wider at Justin's eternal naïveté.

"As much as I hate to break up the sentimental and emotional moment," Hazel butted in a bit impatiently, urgency and fear hinting in his voice, "We still have to deal with the Wolfen Gale!!  It's going to destroy the land we're standing on and all of us with it!!  Justin, quickly, can't you use your powers on the Wolfen Gale?!!"

"I'll try to time-freeze it!!" nodded Justin in agreement as he grasped his cross necklace in one hand.

"TIME, PLEASE STOP!!!"  His cross immediately blazed in gold, this time being so powerful, it illuminated the sky and the desert, making the sunlight penetrating the thickest sandstorms with the radiance of orange and yellow.  Yet, to Justin's horror, the Wolfen Gale only became more enraged at the sudden illumination of light, and it became more vengeful, invoking the sandstorms and gusts to blow brutally harder.  The time-freeze had no effect on the wind apparition.

"It didn't work!!" cried Pipkin, "O Frith and Inle!!  Now, what do we do?!!  Justin's powers never failed us before!!"

"There has to be a weakness somewhere!!" Blackberry stammered, refusing to give up hope as his mind frantically leafed through any other possible solutions before the fury of the Wolfen Gale's storms drove them into destruction, "We can't stop now!  Justin, maybe there's another way we can defeat him, if not directly, than perhaps tactfully!!"

"Huh?!  But how?!!  Time freeze is the only thing I can think of that can be strong enough to stop the Wolfen Gale!!"

"The medallion, young one...the medallion is the key."  Everyone turned around to see Fiver, standing rigid and slightly trembling, but his voice held a certain, quiet, yet intense authority as his second sight was taking control of his body.  Fiver continued, "The medallion is the only thing that can stop the Wolfen Gale for no physical attacks of the mind and paw can destroy an element that has long existed since time began.  Yet, beware, young cross-bearer, the medallion can only be used by an animal, a beast created by Frith, and the Wolfen Gale is only trained to obey the voice of its master, the homba, Blood Whitetail."

Fiver's body then relaxed a bit, and the glazed look in his eyes washed over as he stopped shivering, coming out of his apt trance only to confusingly see everyone staring at him curiously.  Justin, however, looked at the medallion with the image of the wolf imbedded into the bronze metal.  Blackberry, after hearing the enigmatic divination, slowly repeated the words that Fiver spoke.

"The medallion is the only thing that can control the Wolfen Gale, only a beast of Frith can use it, and the Wolfen Gale will only obey and acknowledge the voice of the homba, Blood."

"Oh, is that all?!" Hawkbit asked sarcastically, "And even if one of us rabbits did use the medallion, how are we going to be able to imitate that embleer messenger's voice?!  It's not as if the homba will be willing to control the Wolfen Gale if we asked him nicely!!"

"Hawkbit, for Frith's sake, shut up!  I'm trying to think!!" Blackberry snapped impatiently.

"Well, we must think faster, Blackberry, before we all get blown away from the Wolfen Gale's fury!!" yelled Dandelion over the din of the roaring winds that started to blow away the sands of the land and started crumbling the harsh, dry soil from the terrain.  Dandelion was right; if they didn't resolve this soon, they would all be in considerable danger.  Meanwhile, in the background, Blood Whitetail was screaming loud enough to be heard over the sandstorms and hurricanes, trying vainly to get the wind demon to obey him.

"Wolfen Gale, I command you!!" he screeched uselessly as he slashed at Bluebell and Holly with his sandstone knife at the same time, "Listen to me!!  Destroy the rabbits and the cross-bearer!!  Kill them all!!  Kill them all!!  I command you!!  In the name of Elil-rah, listen to me!!!"

"I don't think Blood Whitetail thoroughly grasps the concept that all those to enter in the land beyond life can't die," stated Strawberry in a monotone voice, as he watched the pathetic attempts of the enemy.  Hawkbit, however, was less graceful, mocking Blood Whitetail's voice, "Wolfen Gale, destroy this!  Wolfen Gale, destroy that!  Kill him!  Kill the cross-bearer!  Kill everyone!  By Frith, and you rabbits think _I_ have a big mouth!"

Justin then gasped in a sudden burst of genius as his mind suddenly proposed a solution to the mess.  "Hawkbit, in a minute, we're gonna need _your_ big mouth!!!" he cried out as he took off his cross necklace from his neck.  The other rabbits, however, upon hearing this, had the most perplexed, comical expressions on their faces.

"He lost me.  Am I missing something?" Blackberry asked Hazel, bewildered.

"More likely the young one's finally lost his mind," commented Speedwell.

"This is certainly a first," chuckled Buckthorn, "Hawkbit's bellyaching and sarcasm actually will come through for us??"

"Oh shut up, Buckthorn!!" snapped Hawkbit.

In the meantime, Bigwig, Campion, Acorn, Silver, Holly, and Bluebell weren't faring much better against Blood Whitetail.  Despite his silky voice and meticulous demeanor, he was surprisingly a nimble and treacherous fighter as he slashed and cut at the rabbits who were tackling and cuffing him.  Campion squealed in pain as Blood's knife hacked against the flash on his shoulder, and Blood viciously kicked Acorn in the stomach, cruelly sending him flying against Silver, stunning both of them.  Bigwig, Bluebell and Holly quickly took the opportunity to tackle Blood on his back, but with a grunt, he flung all three of the heavy rabbits off his back.  With a sneer, Blood bragged, "You see, you pathetic fools?!!  Nothing can stop me, and as soon as I'm finished with you, I'll kill the cross-bearer myself, even without the -!!"

"WOLFEN GALE!!" rang out Blood Whitetail's voice, echoing strongly and clearly throughout the land, "STOP THIS DESTRUCTION AT ONCE!!  I COMMAND YOU TO STOP!!  NOW!!!"  Immediately, the Wolfen Gale, after hearing the voice of its master, halted the destructive winds and storms it inflicted on the desert land, making them vanish into thin air, as it patiently awaited its master's next instructions.  Yet there was one thing wrong; the voice did not come from the homba at all.  Blood, stunned, just gazed at the monster in confused wrath.  "What in the name of Elil-rah...?!"

"It worked, Justin!!  Keep it up!!" yelled Pipkin, and at the sound, Blood turned to the other group of rabbits that were gathered with the cross-bearer several meters away.  To his immense vehemence and murderous disbelief, he saw that the order came from the wounded Hawkbit, the rabbit he fought solely against when he trapped the other rabbits in the cyclone.  At first, he was confused how such a feat was even possible, but then, as his vision turned red with anger, he saw the cross-bearer was kneeling next to him, eyes closed and praying silently.  Around Hawkbit's neck was the bronze medallion, the one Justin stole from him, and the only thing that could force the Wolfen Gale to obey his every command and whim.  And in the human's hand was the cross of light, shining in its ever beautiful glow of gold, and Justin was pressing the cross against Hawkbit's throat, using the powers of the cross-bearer to change and alter Hawkbit's voice to sound exactly like Blood Whitetail, except this time, his voice was magnified a hundred fold and the Wolfen Gale was now only obeying Hawkbit.

"You...!!" snarled Blood as his visions of red were so enraged, he literally went completely mad with ire as, with a growl, he charged directly at the rabbits and Justin.  Hawkbit, however, wasn't through yet, and with the all the strength he could muster, he declared in Blood Whitetail's voice, "WOLFEN GALE, THIS IS MY LAST AND FINAL COMMAND YOU MUST EVER TAKE FROM ME!!  AFTER THIS, YOU WILL NEVER OBEY ANY ORDER TO DESTROY OR ATTACK ANY OTHER CREATURE IN THIS WORLD!!  NEVER AGAIN!!  NOW, TAKE THAT HOMBA IMPOSTER AND ENSNARE HIM!!  TAKE HIM AND YOURSELF TO THE FARTHEST ENDS OF THE LAND BEYOND LIFE, FAR AWAY FROM ANY ANIMAL, SO THAT YOU CAN NEVER DO ANY HARM TO ANY CREATURE EVER AGAIN!!  NOW GO!!  TAKE THAT HOMBA, LEAVE, AND NEVER COME BACK!!!"

"NO!!!" screamed Blood, but without the medallion, the Wolfen Gale paid the fox no heed as it quickly trapped him in the same cyclone that previously held Justin imprisoned and roughly lifted the evil fox into the air.  The fox was finally getting a taste of his own medicine.  As the screaming and ranting fox shouted curses and threats, the Wolfen Gale absorbed the evil messenger of Elil-rah into a sphere made of harsh sand and hot air, and with a final howl, the Wolfen Gale, taking the fox with it, speed across the desert towards the horizons of the east, disappearing forever in the distance.  With the aggressors gone, the sky cleared incredibly, letting the afternoon sun shine warmly on the now peaceful desert as the relieved rabbits reunited once again.  With a groan, Hawkbit slowly sank to the ground again, and Justin, worried, held Hawkbit tightly to prevent him from crashing to the ground.

"Hawkbit??" Justin asked worriedly, taking the medallion off the rabbit's neck.  Hawkbit still managed a weak smile as his wounds started to bleed again from the effort of controlling the Wolfen Gale demon.

"I'll be all right, Justin," he said reassuringly, "I just need a little rest."

Justin smiled, though his eyes were starting to water with relief, as he hugged the rabbit close to his body.  "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, what I said before was true.  You and your big mouth saved the day this time."

"Thanks...I think," he grumbled sarcastically as the rest of the rabbits chuckled affectionately for their friend.

                                                                ***

"Wow Hawkbit, you were really brave to go against that huge Wolfen Gale!!  That was so impressive!!" declared Pipkin in an astounded voice.  They were all fully healed, thanks to Justin's cross, and now, Hazel and the other Watership rabbits resumed their journey towards the mountains.  Now that the sun was already setting, the desert wasteland became much, much cooler, but what made the traveling easier was the fact that the Wolfen Gale blew away all the annoying hills of sand, making the terrain less irritating and overbearing for walking.

"I have to admit, Hawkbit, you handled yourself quite well against the Wolfen Gale!  I mean, by Frith, not even Bigwig would have been able to last that long against such a creature!!" chimed in Dandelion.

Blackberry also praised Hawkbit.  "And I don't think even I would have hit upon the idea to command the Wolfen Gale to go to the farthest regions of the land beyond life, so that it'll never bother us again!  Quite brilliant, really, to even come up with an idea while I was still leafing through my head, trying to come up with a plan to save us!!"

"T'wasn't much, really, you old buckos!!" laughed Hawkbit, obviously enjoying the admiration and attention of his friends, "I mean, I did it all for Justin, and I was willing to do anything for my friend, dealing with demon spirits, battling and fighting foxes!  By Frith, it's all in a day's work!  Not hard for any courageous rabbit, right chaps?!!"  As Hawkbit carried on, Bigwig, walking along with Justin and Campion and Hazel, rolled his eyes as he groaned aggravatingly.

"By the Black Rabbit of Inle, I can't take much more of that furry windbag!!" he griped, "I mean it, Hazel-rah, if I have to hear Hawkbit rub this in my face one more time on how he was an important rabbit in this mission, how he single-handedly saved Justin, and how I should apologize for thinking he wasn't a brave and resourceful enough rabbit to handle anything, I'm going to chew his ears off and rip out his whiskers!!!"  Justin laughed softly.

"Oh, come on, Bigwig, let Hawkbit enjoy the spotlight for a little while longer.  I mean, he really deserves it, and I know that you agree with him too, that he really is tough and daring when them time comes."  Bigwig just snorted; he wasn't at all convinced, but he conceded in Justin's reasoning.

"What about the medallion, young one?  You still have it after you healed all of us," commented Hazel thoughtfully as he glanced at the bronze medallion in the boy's hand.  Justin, however, knew exactly what to do with it.

"I just want this thing to be destroyed, to crumple into dust like I had done before with the Efrafans' lances.  I don't want this, and I don't any other animal to use this to fight and injure other animals, otherwise, it'll cause more pain and torment for El-ahrairah and every other creature in this world.  And that's something I really don't want."  As Justin said this, his crystal cross flashed only once, and the bronze medallion disintegrated into dust, and Justin let the traces of the evil weapon sift away from his fingers and onto the sand.  Hazel and Campion nodded approvingly at the simplicity and sincerity of Justin's act, and as the band of sixteen walked closer and closer to the mountains, the grains of the bronze Wolfen Gale medallion blew softly in the desert, abandoned and immediately forgotten in the obscure dirt and soil.

/*

Author's note: Again, I'm so sorry, but with tests coming up, the next chapter won't be until for two weeks!  Still, I did write enough for a little preview (still susceptible to editing, mind you!), so here's an introduction to the next chapter.  It's SILVER in "Every Cloud has a "Silver" Lining".

                "How could you abandon the carrots while we were running away from that dog, Silver?!" screamed Scabious at him, enraged that Silver lost the flayrah bounty for the Threarah.

                "I'm sorry, it was an accident!  I couldn't help it!" Silver apologized, but the other rabbits weren't very considerate and understanding.

                "By the light of Frith, I knew it was a mistake to let you come with us!!" complained Nightshade.

                "You're always getting in the way, having trouble getting through tight scrapes because of your huge size, being easily spotted by elil by more than a hrair distance because of your silver fur, always attracting attention!!" put in Pimpernel.

                "By the Black Rabbit, wait until I tell the rest of the chaps back at Sandleford!!  You'll be lucky not to get laughed out of the warren, you fat, irresponsible idiot!!" shot Toadflax, "After all everyone knows the reason you're even in the Owsla in the first place is because you're the Threarah's nephew, so you don't even deserve to be a true honorary Owsla soldier!!"

                "I'm sorry!!  It wasn't my fault!!  It was an accident!!  Please, I'm sorry!!"  Yet, it didn't do much good for his angry, Owsla comrades.  True to Toadflax's word, everyone in the warren was talking, whispering, mocking, and laughing behind Silver's back on how he was always a blunder, how he was too overweight to even be considered handsome enough to find a mate, and how if they were the Threarah, they'd be humiliated to have Silver for a relative.  The Threarah wasn't much more sympathetic; he scolded, fiercely admonished, and even cuffed Silver several times, reminding him how he put his reputation as Chief Rabbit on the line for him, his worthless nephew.  To ease his misery, Silver siflayed outside, alone since no one wanted to be near him, mournfully eating every single blade of grass he could reach, stuffing his mouth with food, hoping that the slight joy of eating could erase the tears and feelings of embarrassments he had for being a disappointment to everyone, including his own family.

                "Silver!  Silver, old chap!!  Wake up!"  Silver promptly woke up from his slumber, and secret nightmare, only to find Bluebell standing over him, concerned but smiling compassionately at his long-time friend.  Silver, hastily brushing the tears threatening to leak out, making it appear that he was rubbing his eyes because he was tired, got up, croaking, "Oh, it's you, Bluebell.  What's wrong?"

                Nothing's wrong, Silver.  It's your turn to do the night guard, and my shift has just about ended, so I just wanted to wake you and let you know."

                Silver shakily smiled.  "I will, I appreciate it, old chap.  You get some rest."  Bluebell nodded, but as he laid down on the warm grass next to a sleeping Strawberry and Hazel, he turned around and was a bit confused at what he saw.  Silver, before joining Dandelion and Fiver for the night patrol, was doing his best not to whimper as he grabbed considerable amounts of grass, wolfing the plants down.  If he didn't know any better, Bluebell would have sworn Silver was in some kind of sad anguish.

Hope you enjoyed this preview and this chapter about Hawkbit!  Please REVIEW!! =)

*/


	14. Every Cloud has A Silver Lining

/* Author's note: I know, I know, I'm a week late!  Please forgive me!  Tests, papers, and more tests1  What else could go wrong?  Oh, wait, some writer's block!  Sigh! =(  Anyway, I finally got this chapter written and posted, so I hope you all enjoy it.  Oh, I thought I should mention this: any paragraphs you see written in italics represent flashbacks or memories being remembered in this chapter.  Anyway, enjoy this chapter!  We LOVE Silver! (and no, I'm not talking about the metal! ^_^ ).

CHAPTER 14 

                _"How could you abandon the carrots while we were running away from that dog, Silver?!" screamed Scabious at him, enraged that Silver lost the flayrah bounty for the Threarah._

_                "I'm sorry, it was an accident!  I couldn't help it!" Silver apologized, but the other rabbits weren't very considerate and understanding._

_                "By the light of Frith, I knew it was a mistake to let you come with us!!" complained Nightshade._

_                "You're always getting in the way, having trouble getting through tight scrapes because of your huge size, being easily spotted by elil by more than a hrair distance because of your silver fur, always attracting attention!!" put in Pimpernel._

_                "What's the matter, Silver?!  Nothing to say in your defense, you clumsy, huge oaf?!  By the Black Rabbit, how in the name of Frith did such a mild, inadequate, overweight rabbit such as yourself ever become an Owsla soldier?!!" sneered Nightshade, seeing Silver's eyes water in shame and offense._

_                "By the Black Rabbit, wait until I tell the rest of the chaps back at Sandleford!!  You'll be lucky not to get laughed out of the warren, you fat, irresponsible idiot!!" shot Toadflax, "After all everyone knows that the reason you are even in the Owsla in the first place is because you're the Threarah's nephew, so you don't even deserve to be a true honorary Owsla soldier!!"_

_                "I'm sorry!!  It wasn't my fault!!  It was an accident!!  Please, I'm sorry!!"  Yet, it didn't do much good for his angry, Owsla comrades.  True to Toadflax's word, everyone in the warren was talking, whispering, mocking, and laughing behind Silver's back on how he was always a blunder, how he was too overweight to even be considered handsome enough to find a mate, and how if they were the Threarah, they'd be humiliated to have Silver for a relative.  The Threarah wasn't much more sympathetic; he scolded, fiercely admonished, and even cuffed Silver several times, reminding him how he put his reputation as Chief Rabbit on the line for him, his worthless nephew.  To ease his misery, Silver siflayed outside, alone since no one wanted to be near him, mournfully eating every single blade of grass he could reach, stuffing his mouth with food, hoping that the slight euphoria of eating could erase the tears and feelings of embarrassments he had for being a disappointment to everyone, including his own family._

                "Silver!  Silver, old chap!!  Wake up!"  Silver promptly woke up from his slumber, and secret nightmare, only to find Bluebell standing over him, concerned but smiling compassionately at his long-time friend.  Silver, hastily brushing the tears threatening to leak out, making it appear that he was rubbing his eyes because he was tired, got up, croaking, "Oh, it's you, Bluebell.  What's wrong?"

                "Nothing's wrong, Silver.  It's your turn to do the night guard, and my shift has just about ended, so I just wanted to wake you and let you know."

                Silver shakily smiled.  "I will, I appreciate it, old chap.  You get some rest."  Bluebell nodded, but as he laid down on the warm grass next to a sleeping Strawberry and Hazel, he turned around and was a bit confused at what he saw.  Silver, before joining Dandelion and Fiver for the night patrol, was doing his best not to whimper as he grabbed considerable amounts of grass, wolfing the plants down.  If he didn't know any better, Bluebell would have sworn Silver was in some kind of sad anguish.

                                                                                ***

                The other rabbits looked at the towering rocks and terrain; after a day and a half, they had finally reached the mountains that were disconnecting them from the meadows that safely housed the warren of El-ahrairah.  In as less as an hour, they would probably arrive at the base of the foothills by foot and paw, ready for the tenacious climb.  It was a breathless sight.  High rocks and jagged tops, brown and red from dirt and sun, shot towards the light blue sky, some so high that they were nearly touching the white clouds that were gliding lazily.  There were distinct areas of the mountains, however, that were green and lush, covered thickly with groves of trees and bushes, providing ample cover, and, to Justin's relief, there were many paths through the mountains that weren't too steep, making it easier for them to travel.  Still, the mountains were incredibly intimidating and elevated, and the soaring rocks made the significant impression that it would take many days before they could even reach the summit of the mountain range.  Blackberry and Strawberry told everyone that the journey downwards would be much easier than the climb upwards, but that did little to lessen the overwhelming sight of the gigantic rocks.

                "Isn't there any easier way to get back to El-ahrairah?!!" groaned Hawkbit as he stared at the red and brown mountains so hard against the sun, it was starting to make his eyes hurt.  "By the fur and paw, traveling once through those irritating mountains was good enough for me, and I still remember the cuts and scrapes I had to endure from running through those sharp rocks!!  For Frith's sake, I'm still agonizing from memories of the exhaustion from climbing that tharn terrain!!  Hazel-rah, why is it we must always do things the hard way?!!"

                "To make you suffer?" chimed in Bluebell teasingly in a singsong repartee.

                "Oh shut up, Bluebell!" growled Hawkbit through his gritted teeth.

                Blackberry rolled his wearily.  "To make sure that it will be harder for Elil-rah and his minions to follow and track us down, especially since it is easier for us rabbits to climb the terrain, not to mention even if they do manage to follow us, they'll have a jolly hard time trying to catch up while we're running."  He paused, and then had a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he teasingly added, "But of course, making you endure this ordeal all over again, Hawkbit, is certainly a side benefit, if not entertaining."

                "I'll give you 'entertainment', you black-earred duffer," grumbled Hawkbit portentously as the rest of the rabbits chuckled, agreeing with Blackberry's sentiment completely.  Pipkin, however, pleaded with Hazel, "Hazel-rah, can we rest here, just for a while??  We haven't had much to eat during the journey across the desert, and look, there are several patches of nice grass and clover nearby!  There's even a nice pond of water to rest by!  Can't we, please, Hazel-rah?  I'm famished!"

                "Thinking with your stomach again, eh, Pipkin?" smirked Bigwig as he playfully and gently cuffed the small rabbit on the head.

                Holly took Pipkin's request into consideration.  "He's right, Hazel.  We all could do with a rest and some silflay, and running to the point of exhaustion won't help us keep Justin safe.  Besides, the young one looks like he could use a rest more than anyone of us since he's not a rabbit, and he's is certainly not used to such of a drastic environment in the land beyond life."  Hazel looked to see Holly was telling the truth; Justin hadn't had any water for over a day, and he especially appeared haggard and sallow.  Even though Bigwig, Campion and Hawkbit insisted that he ride on them while traveling through the desert, Justin just smiled and refused, saying that he was all right and the walk wasn't going to kill him.  Yet apparently, the journey was far more than what the teenager was used to, and if he didn't rest soon, he may collapse from fatigue.  Or worse.  Despite this, Hazel also didn't like the alternative.  The problem was that resting here, in the oasis while still being a considerable, yet short run towards the cover of the mountains, left them completely out in the open.  It was only one day since the attack from Blood Whitetail and the Wolfen Gale, but it also left Hazel tremendously edgy.  After all, who knows what other horrors or elil the dark beast, Woundwort, or Prince Rainbow would send out towards them, ever determined and resolute in their attempts to prevent the cross-bearer from completing his mission.  It was a bad fix, but Hazel had to concede that Holly was right.  He turned to Fiver who was still staring at the mountains and sky with a glassy expression on his face.

                "Do you sense anything, Fiver?"  The small rabbit shivered, though he had no idea why.

                "There's certainly something oppressive, Hazel," Fiver spoke guardedly, "but it's not anything definitely threatening, like the rat, Veil Guplea, or the cats and King Darzin."  Hazel, however, understood his brother too well to not guess when Fiver was withholding something in secret.  He moved closer to his smaller sibling and whispered softly, as not to alarm Holly and Bigwig who were close by.

                "But you do sense something about this place?"  Fiver looked into his brother's strong and questioning eyes, and knowing better than to lie, he sighed and nodded.

                "Yes, and the strange thing is, all I can see are feathers, raining down from the sky.  That's all I can make out, and I'm sorry to tell you this, Hazel, but it doesn't indicate whether or not Justin and the rest of us will be facing immediate danger from Elil-rah.  I'm sorry, Hazel, but that is all my visions tell me, and I know that is not what you want to hear, especially now."  That was certainly true, but there was no point to try and change things.  And whichever choice they took would involve risks either way, but Hazel could concede that Holly and Pipkin's choice of rest would be the safest.  As the other rabbits joyfully and eagerly took Justin to rest and relax next to the pond and cool, soft areas of clover and grass, Hazel, in secret agreement with Holly and Bigwig, stood by as lookouts for any incoming threats.

                "Silver, will you please stop eating away all the clover in this field?!  Leave some for the rest of us, for Frith's sake!" growled Hawkbit as Silver, who mumbled a muffled contrition as he was busily stuffing his face with the fresh greenstuffs.

                "Be gracious, Hawkbit.  There's enough for everyone to silflay," Dandelion gently admonished as he lost no time in filling his own mouth with grass, chewing hungrily.

                "Well, I don't see why the big chap needs to wolf down every single blade of grass in sight!  He practically eats enough to feed three rabbits but it never seems to do much good for himself or any of us!  It's a wonder that he should need it, especially since he's as big as a cow and probably just as heavy.  It would do the world of good for old Silver if he could start taking his mind off food for once in his tharn mind and keep his attention focused on protecting the cross-bearer, like any responsible Owsla soldier!"  At these harsh, yet unintentional words, Silver's eyes just went dull as he just stood there on all fours without glancing at Hawkbit, pausing, stunned and lost in his thoughts.  He flashed back to when they were all back at Sandleford warren, and he was in his first week in the Owsla:

                _"C'mon, you buckos!" ordered Captain Holly, their present Owsla leader and captain, "We're all going to go on a raiding expedition to bring back the Chief's lettuce!!  Pine Needles, Ash, Butterbur, Silver, all you four, come with me!"  The Owsla captain heard soft groans coming from the troops, and his red eyes narrowed menacingly as he got up to Butterbur's face and barked, "Is there something you find wrong with my orders, young one?!!  Come on, speak up!!"_

_                "Must we take Silver?!" Butterbur asked defiantly, "He only get the whole lot of us in trouble!"_

_                "He's jolly well right, Holly!" chipped in Ash as he glared at the seemingly introverted Silver, who didn't, couldn't, say anything in his defense. "Silver's just a beginner, and he probably doesn't know anything about expeditions and the like!  Can't we bring Toadflax or Nose-in-the-Air?!"  Holly growled as he scratched Butterbur in the ear._

_                "No complaints, you insolent, questioning beetle!!  Now be silent and start running!!"  The five started making their way towards the farmhouse west of the warren.  Though the trip was only a short run, it was extremely difficult for the heavy, bulky Silver, especially considering his weight and immense size was not due to endurance and strength like Bigwig.  Still, the pale-furred rabbit kept at it without any complaint, eager to prove his usefulness and significance in the Sandleford Owsla.  The travel went smoothly enough...until they finally reached the rickety, wooden fence that was separating them from the garden of baby pea vines, lettuces, and cabbages, still waiting a month or two to mature under the nights of sun and rain.  Holly and another rabbits scratched a hole underneath the wooden barrier easily enough, but when it came to Silver's turn, who was last in line, he found the hole wasn't large enough to let him pass through, and he ended up getting stuck halfway._

_                Amidst the laughing and jeering from Butterbur, Ash, and Pine Needles, and the cursing from Captain Holly, they finally managed to extract the large and hugely embarrassed rabbit out of the run.  Unfortunately, Silver pulled too hard on the board that was pressing against his enormous back, and it painfully and excruciatingly left several splinters gouged into his flesh, causing Silver to squeal out in agony.  This was loud enough to wake up the sleeping dog that was guarding the farmer's garden, and in an instant, the front porch lights went on and the farmer, alerted by the dog's angry and furious barking tirade, appeared with a shotgun ready.  The five were lucky to get out unscathed, but all the rabbits, including Holly, were furious at Silver._

_                "By the fur and paw of the Black Rabbit of Inle!!" screamed Holly at him in front of the entire snickering Owsla liege when they got back to the Sandleford warren, sending Silver to new depths of humiliation, "You are the most useless Owsla soldier I've ever trained!!  Never in my entire life have I ever dealt with such a bumbling, fat oaf!!"  It went on like that for some time, and it wasn't much of a surprise to everyone at the warren to see Silver, crying uncontrollably as he went to silflay on a patch of burnet, gobbling down as much as he could, hoping it could erase his hatred and burning loathing of himself but at the same time increasing his corpulence and heaviness.  Instead of the wonderful first impression he was hoping so much for, he instead now had to deal with the crushing blow of cruel reality._

Everyone just worriedly looked at Silver who didn't even show any indication that he was cognizant; he just stared off into space with a glazed look in his eyes, his mouth slack and his ears flopping limply.  It wasn't Hawkbit's unmitigated rudeness that primarily staggered him, but the other rabbits didn't know this, and they became incredibly irate at Hawkbit's candor.

                "Oh wonderful, Hawkbit!" growled Buckthorn as he crossly cuffed him repeatedly on the head, "Must you always open that cantankerous trap you yours every day?!  For the sake of the Black Rabbit, Silver didn't need to hear that!"

                "OW!  Stop that!  Must I be cuffed and beaten for every time I tell the truth?  Ow, ow, stop it!!"

                "Just because it's true doesn't mean you have to say it!!"  Buckthorn then gasped as he just realized what he had accidentally slipped out, and he softly cursed to himself in regret, wishing he took his own advice and kept _his_ mouth shut.  Judging from the way Silver just suddenly and sorrowfully fixed his eyes on Buckthorn, it was pretty clear that he heard what Buckthorn said, and from the hurt look on his gentle face, it caused more damage than he expected.  A lot more.  Without a word, Silver quietly turned around to hop off towards the pond.

                Buckthorn tried to make up for his temporary thoughtlessness by apology.  "Silver, wait!!  I didn't mean to...It...It just slipped out!  Silver, please, I didn't mean it!  I'm sorry!"  But Silver showed no indication that he heard for he kept hopping slowly away from them.  Buckthorn could now feel the guilt in his stomach causing a sense of frosty loss spreading in his mind and nerves.  He didn't mean to hurt his friend.  The other rabbits just silently stared at their giant, yet tranquil companion edging himself further and further away from them, putting some space and distance between them.  Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be a healthy boundary, for Silver of Buckthorn.  Hawkbit, rubbing his head to smooth out the aching bumps he had recently developed from everyone cuffing him, scoffed loftily, "It appears I'm not the _only_ one who has the big mouth around here, right Buckthorn??"

                "Hawkbit, if you don't keep that trap of yours quiet, I'll certainly be more than willing to show you how hard the ground is with your head!!" snarled Buckthorn as he turned his head violently to face Hawkbit, his paws ready to give a very painful beating.  As Hawkbit harrumphed crossly in silence, he then momentarily turned towards the direction that Silver took, wishing for once, he had the ability to turn back time or stop it, like Justin.  Justin, who was washing his face with the cold, clear water from the pond of the oasis while Campion and Acorn were nearby, lazily resting on the soft, supple grass, heard soft scrabbling noises of gobbling and champing and turned around to see Silver literally binging on the grass and clover.  The funny thing was, even though he was devouring everything, Silver appeared to be absolutely disgusted with himself, as if every fragment of vegetation left nothing but a bitter taste in his mouth.  And pitifully enough, it looked like Silver was crying.  Justin decided to ask, hoping that maybe he could help him like he did before with the previous rabbits.

                "Hey, Silver.  You okay?" he asked softly.

                "I'm fine," choked out Silver hastily between mouthfuls, but Justin knew he wasn't telling the truth.

                "Silver, I just wanted -" Justin began, but Silver cut him off harshly, which was a surprising and drastic change from the usual gentle, understanding, and courageous demeanor of the gentle giant.  His eyes were now a harsh red as he barked, venting his frustration and stinging on Justin.

                "I said 'I'm fine', young one, so embleer Frith, stop pestering me!"  The look of rage, of annoyance, of troubled thoughts, it was all so familiar to Justin as the demeanor on Silver's face made the teenager flash back:

                _"What the hell is the matter with you?!!" yelled Justin's father, his face turning a slight crimson color as his balding head and skin underneath his blond mustache was starting to turn red from anger.  "You expect me to give you sympathy for being such a fat, clumsy, idiot?!!"_

_                "Dad, please, I didn't mean to -," but the pain on his cheek from the slap his father gave him silenced Justin from trying to defend himself._

_                "Dear God, what the hell am I supposed to do with you?!" Justin's father continued to rage on, "You think I'm ever happy with the likes of you for a son?!  Ever since your mother left, you became more and more of a burden!!  Every time, I hope and wished for a son I could be proud of like other fathers, one who did such great and noble things of recognition, of praise, of status, like being the smartest in the school, someone who was destined for leadership, someone athletic and going to a prestigious Ivy League school on a sports scholarship, or damn it, someone I could be proud of!!  Instead, I'm stuck with a bumbling, fat idiot who I never wish was my son!!  Listen to me, boy, for this will be something you'll always hear for the rest of your life: no matter how hard you try or how much you convince yourself otherwise, you'll always be a disappointment to me and everyone else!!  You're never good enough, never smart enough, never striving to be best, but always satisfied to be mediocre and a dreamer, like every other fool out there!!  For that's what you are, nothing but a useless, whiny, weak, fool who will always be pushed around and stepped on!!"_

_                As Justin's father left the house to get back to his night shift at work, Justin was left alone in the house, and despite the rivulets of tears falling down his bruised face, the then twelve-year old managed to shuffle towards the kitchen, lost and dazed like a zombie, to wolf down a half-open box of old cookies, hoping that the food will bring some slight comfort.  Yet to him, there was nothing more pathetic than a chubby twelve-year old adolescent, crying and eating in a fetal position on a chair in a dark, silent kitchen._

Justin, not wanting to push his friend, kept silent, but Silver's heart pained greatly when he saw Justin flinching from the outburst, like he expected to be hit for questioning him.  Silver, who would never hurt a living thing unless it was for self-defense or to protect those he cared about, felt his self-loathing increase even more when he saw the look of hurt of the teenager's face, mirroring his own back at Sandleford.  Justin just stared at the ground, biting his lip, and Silver, extremely mortified for being so callous when Justin was just trying to help, sighed in shame.

                "Justin, don't do that, please," Silver whispered jadedly, his voice only a notch or two away from pleading, "You know I would never hurt you like your father.  Please, for Frith's sake, don't wince like that."  Justin didn't answer him, and now, he was acting exactly the same way Silver was being towards Buckthorn: distant, withdrawn, and resentfully miserable.  It was heartbreaking.

                "Young one, please, don't do that.  I wasn't -," but what Silver was about to say was lost under the stamping of Bigwig as he frantically sent a warning in the dirt with his thumping hind leg.  The sounds of the alarm echoed powerfully in the stillness of the air.

                "Hawk!  Hawk!"

                "Wha -??  Silver, what's going on??!" Justin cried out as he snapped back to attention while the rabbits were scurrying out of their temporary respite to get out of the open as fast as they could.

                "Silver, Justin, watch out!!  Above you!!!" hollered Buckthorn urgently from a distance, and Justin looked up automatically to see the fleeting image of an enormous brown hawk diving straight towards him from the blue sky.  As the bird got closer and closer, Justin could see that the animal was as big as a living room, with a sharp yellow beak, inked black at the very tip, and powerful, scaly, yellow talons powerful enough to claw, rip, and crush Justin's body in a matter of seconds.  Before Justin could try to grab his cross and time freeze the field, allowing the rabbits the tactic for escape, Silver lunged and tackled Justin out of the predator's way.  Knowing that the bird would kill Justin in its path faster than the young one could even pray his powers to be invoked, Silver pinned Justin underneath his massive body, shielding the cross-bearer as the hawk flew past, screaming a shrill, hunter's cry.  There was a sudden flick of the hawk's feet.

                "Aaaagggghhh!!" shrieked Silver in pain as the hawk rose up in the air again, and as Justin was hurriedly brought up to his feet by Buckthorn and Campion, Justin looked in horror as he saw Silver's back now had six, deep, parallel slashes across his black tunic, exposing his flesh and showing six complementary gashes running sideways across his back, the blood starting to trickle and stain his beautiful pale fur.  Instead of Justin, Silver took the full intensity of the attack of the bird predator head-on.  Campion hurriedly ordered Justin to climb on him, but Justin was temporarily stunned at the sight of Silver getting hurt, the haunting vision of the blood refusing to leave his eyesight.

                "Justin, hurry!!" yelled Campion urgently.

                "But Silver's hurt...!" Justin protested.

                "Justin, for Frith's sake, he can't die, but you can!!  If you don't ride on me so that we can carry you away from danger, you're going to endanger all of us!!  Hurry, get on!!"  A bit disinclined but knowing Campion was right, Justin quickly obliged as he scurried on the broad back, and as Silver watched this, the pale rabbit was pained again at seeing Justin depend on someone else over him.  As the hawk went circled back to try another air strike, Campion and Justin, along with Buckthorn, Silver and the rest of the rabbits, tore off towards the mountains, hoping that the cover of the mountains would be enough to protect them.  Buckthorn noticed Silver was wincing from the gashes along his back while he was running.

                "Silver, you're hurt!" cried Buckthorn, "You can't possibly travel in THAT condition!"

                "Frith in a barn, Buckthorn, just shut up and run!  Hurry!!  Don't worry about me!!  Just concentrate on getting Justin and the others away from here!!"

                "Silver, old chap, please, don't be stubborn!  You're not doing yourself or any of us any good if you push -!!"  Silver had enough, reaching his breaking point, and now, his demeanor suddenly grew darker, acidic, and more furious, and needing the proverbial scapegoat, Silver roared angrily at Buckthorn.

                "Buckthorn, just shut up!  I've had about enough of this when I was alive in Sandleford back in our pasts, and I don't need anymore from you!!  And it's not as if _you_ are actually concerned about me, since after all, every rabbit with half a mind agrees with you and Hawkbit that there's no use for a rabbit who's slow, fat, and only got in the Owsla because I needed the Threarah and other rabbits to help me out!!"  Now Silver's hostility, his grief, his resentment from all his anguish was exposed, and Buckthorn was stunned, but it quickly melted into anger.  He and Silver had been friends since they started journeying to Watership Down to escape their doomed warren, and the audacity of Silver thinking the absolute worse about him, the mistrust and the dark caginess, set Buckthorn's ears to perk up furiously straight like steel rods.  Granted, what Buckthorn said earlier should have never been said, but that was inadvertent and unintentional, but Silver, a rabbit everyone knew to be tender and considerate, was acting completely and deliberately callous to Buckthorn.  In Buckthorn's view, there was no need to be THAT bitter and offended, especially since they're comrades.  Or at least they _were_, it seemed.

                "Embleer Frith, Silver, you're just as thick-furred as Hawkbit!!  What in the name of the Black Rabbit is even with you?!  I said I was sorry, that I didn't mean what I said earlier!!" growled Buckthorn as they tried to both focus their minds on running during the quarrel.

                "And _that's_ supposed to change how I feel?!!"

                "Yes, but now on a second thought, I probably should have taken back that apology since you are completely being difficult and perverse!!  You don't have to be such a mulish, intolerable, old buck!!  You should have known me better than to think that I'm like every other rabbit who's made fun of you!"  For some reason, this enraged Silver even further.

                "Well let me tell _you_ something, Buckthorn...!!!" snarled Silver, but Dandelion cut them both off irately while panting hard due to their sprinting.

                "For the sake of El-ahrairah, will you two please stop arguing?!!  We have more things to worry about!  That hawk's not alone!!  He's brought an entire flock of birds to help him kill Justin!  Look!!"  Sure enough, as Dandelion pointed out, the hawk that attacked him was now joined with two-score other hawks, all ranging in size and colors of red, white, brown, gold, and black.  Each of them was armed with sharp talons and beaks, and their precise eyes stared down at the band of sixteen running for Justin's life on the ground.  The hawk that attacked Silver and Justin earlier, probably the leader since he was the largest, screeched a shrill command to his other rapacious feathered subjects.  "Skeeeah!!  There is cross-bearer, dear hawk friends!!  There, riding on red rabbit back!!  Crimcraw, Kittakel, come with and help Scry-rah ambush and capture human!!  The rest of flock, go scattering other rabbits and sure they no defend the human boy!!  Pick rabbits up and from sky drop them!!  If no injure them, certainly delay them rabbits from help cross-bearer man!  Now my hawk brethren, kill boy!  ATTACK!!"

                "WE OBEY SCRY-RAH!!  WE SCATTERING!!" chorused the loyal birds in broken English as they all immediately started diving towards El-ahrairah's Owsla and their teenage friend.

                "We're in trouble!  They're starting to attack, Hazel!!" warned Holly and he, Hazel and Bigwig led the rabbits in the front while they ran as fast as they could towards the mountains.

                "Everyone, keep running!  They may not be able to attack us once we're within the cliffs and mountains!!" yelled Hazel as loud as he could so that all the rabbits could hear the plan over the roaring of the winds rushing by and the crying and shrieking racket of the birds.  As they raced, Justin, laying low on Campion's back and keeping a firm grip on the rabbit's fur, asked Speedwell, who was running next to them, "Speedwell, I don't think we can fight evenly against the hawks while they're trying to attack us from the air!  What do you guys do whenever a hawk attacks?!!"

                "We go underground, down the burrows and runs we've dug for our warren!!"  Justin gave him a blank, dismayed look.

                "What if we _don't_ have any holes or run to go down to?!!"

                "Then we go under cover of some trees or grass so that the hawk can't see us and we wait until it goes away!!"  Justin glanced at the deserted wasteland and the foothills that were leading an elevated path towards the mountain range.  There were a few scarce shrubs, plants, and patches of grass and weed, but nothing large enough that could hide a large group like this and certainly not thick enough for them to ward off the hawks from aerial surprise attacks.

                "What if we _don't_ have any cover?!!"  Speedwell gave it a moment's thought, and then admitted sheepishly, "Uh...well...since, we've never had _that_ kind of problem before...I don't know."

                "In other words, Justin, we're all doomed, and you're going to die," declared Hawkbit flatly and lugubriously.

                "Hawkbit, shut up!!" all the other rabbits yelled at him, but then to Justin's horror, as he glanced over his shoulder, a black hawk, as well-built as Bigwig, was starting its descent at Campion and Justin, its claws and talons outstretched and ready to sweep Justin off.  And to make it even worse, the hawk was flying and gliding faster than Campion could run.

                "Campion, quick, go left!!" Justin yelled shrilly, his quick mind already formulating a plan to avoid the hawk attacks while they were all still out of reach from the cover of the mountains.  Campion, however, looked at Justin with a quizzical, baffled stare, stumbling on the diction of human English.

                "What -??  What in Frith's name is 'left'?!"  Justin bit back the urge to groan in aggravation as the hawk got nearer and nearer.

                "THAT way!!" Justin yelled, indicating the direction with his left hand, "Hurry, hop to the left before the hawk has a chance to attack us!  NOW!!"  Campion, trusting Justin's judgment, moved to the port side with a powerful leap of his back legs at the last second the hawk dove.  In a split instant, the hawk realized his talons struck hard, powdery dirt, missing Campion and Justin by several feet, and it had no choice but to ascend back into the air with a few powerful flaps of its wings before Dandelion and Buckthorn had a chance to tackle it.  Campion and Justin's hearts refused to slow down from their rapid beatings as they both saw the hawk take back to the sky with an angry scream.  Dandelion shakily smiled at the two of them as they finally reached the base of the high, rocky cliffs.  "Well done, Justin, you clever fellow!  That'll keep that one from attacking you in such a hurry!"

                By now, the band of sixteen travelers were at the foot of mountains, and surprisingly, they were at a high, brownish-red wall of rock and sandstone, with jutting outcrops and peaks of boulders, petrified dirt and sand overhead, shading all of them from the sun.  The good part was that with a wall of rock and sandstone at their backs and shielding them from the top, the hawks wouldn't be able to dive at them from behind or above, meaning that the only chance the hawks had at ambush was directly in front of the rabbits' sights.  The bad part was the rocky wall had no direct path into the mountains where they could climb to for further cover from aerial strikes, and if they moved away from the mountain wall, they would be vulnerable to all four sides for attack.  Knowing this, Bigwig and Holly knew that being at risk from attacks only in front and from the left and right sides of them were better than being at risk for ambushes from behind as well.  Silver was panting hard and wincing as his bloody gashes were now dirty with pebbles and dust from the sprint.  Blackberry then turned to Justin.

                "Justin, we're in a bad fix right now, and we can't expose ourselves out into the open without having those embleer hawks trying to drag you away from us!  I think it's time for you to use your cross-bearer powers, young one!  Now, a horde of rabbits won't be enough to stop hawks since no rabbit can withstand the sky attacks of elil, and transforming Bigwig into a dog doesn't give him the vigor to take on all of these hawks at once, the best thing I can think of is for you to time-freeze the hawks so that we can all find a way to safely escape and reach the cover in the mountains before -"

                "SKEEEAAAHHHH!!!" broke in the ringing, ear-shattering hunter cry of the hawks as they lunged from the left and right while the rabbits were trying to think up of a plan.  To their alarm, four hawks as big as minivans swooped below the outcrops of rock and nimbly picked up Pipkin, Speedwell, Hawkbit, and Bluebell from the ground.  Locked in their iron grips, the four friends could only yell and scream in fright and surprise as the hawks started to carry them off higher and higher by the second.

                "Stop!  Bring them back!!" yelled Bigwig as he tried to tackle the hawk carrying Pipkin with a flying leap, yet unfortunately, he was not able to jump high enough, and the gruff veteran missed the hawk's tail feathers by several inches before gravity took in effect, and Bigwig crashed back down into the powdery ground, bringing about a soft dust cloud upon impact.  As Bigwig cursed for the failure at his attempt, Pipkin, Speedwell, Bluebell, and Hawkbit tried to wriggle and sunfish out of the grips of their mercenaries while yelling back for help from their friends.

                "Help!  Please, Hazel-rah!!  Help us!!" screamed Pipkin, crying in grief and distress at seeing himself being taken away.

                "What are you crying for, Pipkin?!" asked Bluebell gruffly as he tried to claw the hawk's legs, trying to make the hawk drop him down before they ascended any higher, "You've always wanted to fly ever since you've met Kehaar back at Watership Down!!"

                "I don't think he wanted to fly while being held in a death-grip by eli, Bluebell!!" snapped Speedwell as he bit hard on the yellow, pimply foot of the black hawk holding him by the midsection, drawing forth blood.  The hawk winced in pain, and in temper, was about to drop Hawkbit, but the white falcon, who was carrying a cursing Hawkbit, next to him gave him a warning glance with his beady, yellow eye.  Not yet, it seemed to say with its expression, remember we follow plan of Scry-rah.  Meanwhile, back on the ground, the other rabbits watched helplessly as they saw their friends being taken away.

                "O embleer Frith!!" cursed Hazel, a bit frantic, "Justin, you can't time-freeze them now, otherwise, Pipkin, Hawkbit, Speedwell, and Bluebell will be trapped up there with the frozen hawks, and then we won't be able to get them down until the time-freeze wears off!!"

                "Blackberry!" Holly turned to the thinker of the group, "Can you think of something Justin can do with his powers to bring them back down?!"  Yet Justin, incredibly saddened and troubled at seeing his friends being kidnapped away and completely lost, in his faith, clasped the cross in his hands and prayed.  Acorn, seeing this, cried out to Justin, "Justin, wait!!  Didn't you hear what Hazel said?!  If you time-freeze the hawks, they'll be stuck, but so will the other rabbits that were carried off!!"

                "Acorn, wait!  Trust Justin!  He knows what he's doing!" Silver told him urgently, and Justin just prayed, in his mind, for a miracle, a solution.  _Heavenly Father, please, I can't do this!  I don't know what I can do, and I don't want to endanger the hawks or Pipkin, Speedwell, Hawkbit, and Bluebell!  God, please, answer my prayer!  Help us find a way to get our friends back safely!!_"  In an instant, the cross flashed, and in a second, as the stunned rabbits watched, an object appeared, twinkling and glittering with luminescence, into Justin's hands.  The teenager just looked blankly at the object.  It was some sort of weapon, in the shape of an "X", but the entire alien apparatus was shining in yellow and at a closer look, it was made with gold and the edges of each of the arms of the "X" were slanted and razor-sharp.  The teenager was at a loss for words, but Blackberry gasped as the idea hit him.

                "Justin, throw that thing at the hawks!  Throw it!  I've seen such a contraption before!!  Human boys use it all the time, and I saw them playing with such objects while we were raiding farms back at Watership Down one day!!  It's called a 'boomerang', if I recall hearing the boys use the term correctly, and whenever the lads were hunting for small birds, they would throw it at them to knock them out of the sky!!  Hurry, Justin, throw it!!"  Tossing caution to the winds, upon the request, Justin bent his arm back and hurled the boomerang like a discus.  Incredibly, the X-shaped weapon flew swift and sure, and as if guided by magic, it gracefully and rapidly whished by and struck the claws of the four hawks at once, delivering such burning pain, the hawks momentarily forgot their mission as they flapped awkwardly and squawked, trying to avoid the weapon threatening to collide into them.  Unfortunately, in their confusion, all four of them dropped the rabbits they were carrying, and in terror, Hazel and the other rabbits saw Pipkin, Speedwell, Bluebell, and Hawkbit yelling as the plummeted faster and faster to the ground.  If the impact didn't render them unconscious, they would certainly break a leg or a forepaw in the process.

                "Oh no!  They're falling!!" yelled Strawberry as he helplessly watched his friends.

                "And we can't do anything to help them!" whimpered Dandelion as he fought to keep the mental image of the rabbits turning into a bloody, tangled mess, while still being alive despite their horrific injuries, the second they crashed into the ground.  Justin, however, in impulsive inspiration, clasped the cross in his hands again, but this time, the rabbits could hear them whisper intently with tightly closed eyes, "Please...please!!  Don't let them hit the ground!  Levitate them!  Break their fall!  Help my friends!"

                Upon the magic of Justin's cross, Hazel and other rabbits on the ground turned to see a miraculous sight.  Even Pipkin, Speedwell, Hawkbit and Bluebell stopped screaming and instead looked in awe at the golden rings of light that abruptly appeared around each of them, encircling and rotating around softly, supernaturally levitating the four and slowing down the velocities of their fall.  With a soft thump, the four rabbits were gently placed on the hard ground, and the golden rings of light around them vanished.  With ecstatic joy, all the rabbits rushed away from the shelter of the rock outcrop to help them back, but not before Hazel commanded to Buckthorn and the injured Silver before he rushed out, "Both of you, stay here and make sure Justin doesn't expose himself to the hawks!!"

                                                                                ***

                Scry-rah looked intently at the scene below with his two strongest, loyal hawk soldiers, Crimcraw and Kittakel from the rocks near the peaks of the mountain cliffs.  At the sight of Hazel leading ten of the remaining twelve rabbit soldiers from the protection of the rock wall, his eyes gleamed in triumph as his realized his plan was taking into effect.

                "Skkeeeahhh!  Rabbits foolish take bait and leaving cross-bearer boy by self!!  Crimcraw, Kittakel, quick!  Starting rockslide part of plan now!  I attacking human and delay before he die!!  Now starting!!"  With that, the powerful brown hawk took off, intent to stop the human from succeeding in his mission to travel and heal El-ahrairah.  Obeying their chief, Crimcraw and Kittakel viciously started striking the piles of rocks and boulders right above Silver, Buckthorn, and Justin with their hard beaks and scratching claws, loosing the stable formations precariously little by little.

                                                                                ***

                "Are you four all right?!" asked Strawberry worriedly as he and the rest of the rabbits gathered around Pipkin, Bluebell, Hawkbit, and Speedwell, helping them up to their feet, touching their noses, and eager to hurry back to Justin, Silver, and Buckthorn.  All four of them were more or less alive and well, but each of them were shaken from their abduction ad from falling down from such an incredible height, not to mention the sharp talons of the birds left several scratches and puncture wounds on their soft bellies.  Hawkbit, comically, gave Strawberry a dirty look as he growled caustically at him, "'Are we all right?'?!  '_Are we all right_?'?!!  That's the stupidest question I've ever heard yet, you great, big dandy!!  I've been dragged up in the sky by some embleer hawk, been scratched and dirtied all along my fur, not to mention probably lost several patches of it while I was struggling!!  Then I was cruelly dropped from a long drop, and I'm miffed that Justin's power couldn't have set me down on my rump a little softer!!  I mean, would it have been so much trouble?!!  My rear's sore, I have cuts and bruises everywhere...!!"

                "Ignore him, he's fine," Speedwell said flatly as he cuffed Hawkbit to prevent him from carrying on with his complaining.  Holly jumped in, "Hazel, we must get back to the mountain base with the others!  We're exposed here out in the open, and I don't like leaving Silver, Buckthorn, and Justin!  We better -"

                "WATCH OUT, CHAPS!!  THE HAWKS ARE COMING OVER HERE!!  IT'S AN AMBUSH!!!"  The other rabbits looked up, and they saw that Bigwig spoke the truth.  The rest of Scry-rah's force immediately dived towards the rabbits in an angry, huge strike, and trapped with no way to be able to return back to the mountain, Hazel, Bigwig, and the rest were forced to fight and dodge the claws and sharp beaks.  The hawks weren't weaklings, but neither was the rabbit Owsla of El-ahrairah.  Fiver and Pipkin dodged a hawk's beak by running underneath him and dashing out between his legs, confusing the bloodthirsty bird.  Acorn was knocked to the ground by a powerful sweep from a falcon's wing, but before the predator could gouge him, Blackberry took a flying leap and head butted the bird straight into the spotted, feathery chest, knocking the bird breathless to the ground.  Taking the chance, Acorn leapt up and scratched the neck of the falcon with his back legs, leaving several deep slashes deep enough to claw out puffs of feathers and draw blood.  As they angrily fought and retaliated back, Holly glanced up and asked aloud, "What in the name of the Black Rabbit are those hawks doing?!  Hazel!!"

                Hazel glanced up while Bigwig and Strawberry tackled several hawks off his tail and looked up.  His breath died in his throat as he saw the scene dawn on his mind.  Scry-rah, obviously the leader, was emerging from the cliffs that were directly above Silver, Justin, and Buckthorn, and he was diving silently and fatally towards the three, who were so absorbed at the battle their friends were involved in, they weren't watching.  And above, two giant hawks were trying to loosen the rocks above the three, and from the looks of it, they were going to succeed in loosening it.

                "SILVER!!  BUCKTHORN!!  JUSTIN!!  WATCH OUT, BEHIND YOU!!  RUN!!!"  Yet the screaming and cawing of the hawks were too loud for the three doomed ones to audibly hear Hazel's warning.

                                                                                ***

                Justin, Buckthorn, and Silver, who was leaning wearily against the wall and becoming weaker by the minute due to his injuries, watched the scene of the hawks attacking Hazel and the other rabbits helplessly.  Silver panted as he stubbornly tried to get up.

                "I'm going out there.  I'm going to help them."  Yet Buckthorn got in his path and blocked the obese rabbit from injuring himself even further.

                "You're not going out there like a fool, Silver!  You're weak from your injuries, and you're not going to help Justin if you leave him by yourself!!"

                "Get out of my way, Buckthorn, or I'll swear I'll charge through and run you down!!"

                "By Frith, why do you have to be so stubborn?!!  You don't have to prove yourself, you idiot!!"

                "You wouldn't understand!!  Now get out of my way!!"  Before Buckthorn could tackle Silver, who was crazy enough to try to endanger himself even further for Hazel and his friends, Justin then got in front of Silver and blocked him, unwilling to let him go and stopping the two from arguing temporarily.

                "Silver, don't go!!  Please!!  Buckthorn's just trying to make sure you don't get hurt, and I'll stop the hawks from attacking!!  I'll time-freeze them now, so that we can escape and they can't carry us away or separate us!!"

                "Then do it!  Quickly!!" urged Buckthorn before Silver could refuse.  Justin was about to pray with his cross when a shrill scream sounded from above them, and frozen, the three looked upwards to see a terrifying sight.  Scry-rah, the enormous hawk leader, with outstretched wings, was descending quickly at a alarming rate and approaching feet first, ready to stomp on all three of them at once like a child crushing bugs underneath his shoe.  Instinctively, Buckthorn leapt back while Silver grabbed Justin around his waist roughly and jumped back as far as he could, pulling Justin out of Scry-rah's path.  With a loud thud, Scry-rah's talons crushed the ground into miniscule pieces and pebbles, forming two shallow, cracked, craters, missing the three of them very narrowly; had they remained there two seconds longer, they would have been trampled, and Justin would have been dead.  Yet, the human teenager wasn't out of danger yet as Scry-rah fixed his yellow eyes upon Justin with the orange cross with a transfixed, injured Silver still holding him, both lying on the ground and completely vulnerable.

                "Get away from my friends!!" growled Buckthorn as he tried to tackle Scry-rah from behind, but undaunted, Scry-rah threw his strong wing back and knocked Buckthorn so hard, the brawny rabbit flew back by thirty feet only to come tumbling backwards into the open field, away from the rock wall.  That was the last sight Buckthorn saw before he lost consciousness, lying senseless on the dry ground.  Scry-rah's sharp ears picked up a noise behind him, and he turned to see Silver bravely charging him.  Unfortunately, he also got the same wing treatment like Buckthorn, and flying back, the heavy Silver crashed against the rock wall painfully, and groaning, the gentle giant sunk to the ground.  Justin was now alone with the powerful, deadly hawk.  Scry-rah screamed in triumph as he raised his beak, ready to give a single, mortal peck directly onto the human.

                "Cross-bearer, you die now!!" Scry-rah shrieked, but then, Justin heard a distant _whrreeee_ sound, and to his excitement, it was the golden, X-shaped boomerang, returning back from attacking the hawks that carried off Pipkin, Speedwell, Bluebell, and Hawkbit earlier, and it was ready to strike Scry-rah from behind.  The hawk leader also heard the noise, and in confusion, he made the mistake of turning around right before the boomerang was about to hit.  CRACK!  With an agonizing screech of torment, Scry-rah felt the sharp tip of his beak shatter into pieces as parts of his mouth were now broken off due to the force of the flying boomerang.  Now, Scry-rah was left with a jagged gaping hole when the tips of his beak once stood, his deadly orifice completely useless.  The boomerang, due to striking Scry-rah, flew at an odd angle before landing into the ground, embedding its tip a few meters away from Justin.  Seeing his chance, Justin tore off for the weapon, hoping he could throw it again to ward off the hawk before time freezing him, but Scry-rah was quicker.  And a lot more furious as well.  With a quick dash of its feet, the enraged hawk put himself between Justin and the weapon, unwilling to let the teenager escape and tried to claw the teenager with one of his talons, Justin doing his best to avoid the claws as he madly, desperately fought to survive.

                "Skkkeeeeahh!!  Beautiful beak of Scry-rah!!  All gone!!  Is finished!!  Me kill cross-bearer for hurt Scry-rah!!  You die now!!"  Yet Silver mocked the daunting hawk chief as he regained his vigor and charged towards the left side of Scry-rah, his attack completely catching the hawk off guard.

                "Me no thinks so!!"  Staggered, the hawk couldn't avoid the head butt in time, and with Silver's extremely, abnormal heavy weight, the rabbit crashed painfully into the left wing of the hawk, and the eli bird screamed in pain again as he felt one of the hollow bones in his wing snap excruciatingly underneath his feathers, the sharp twinge sending a burning, red-hot sensation through his entire wing.  With a broken forepart, the hawk stumbled off balance and fell on his right side, allowing Silver to scrabble on top of the bird's neck  and cuff and scratch the hawk as hard as he could while Justin watched from a distance, his heart pounding.

                                                                                ***

                "Rock loosening!!  Rock fast fall!!" Crimcraw declared in a exultant cry as the huge boulder she managed to nudge with her talons was teetering over the edge.  Once it fell, it would literally set off a chain reaction, setting the other piles of rock and dirt to come tumbling down on the cross-bearer and the other two rabbits.  With the other hawks fighting and distracting Hazel and the other Watership soldiers, they wouldn't be able to do anything but watch the human boy get crushed to death before their very eyes.  If the boulder wasn't successful in squashing the human, the avalanche would and Justin would be buried alive under tons of rock and gravel, snuffing him out completely.  As the rock was about to fall, Kittakel screamed out a warning as he looked at the scene below.

                "No!  No no!!  Stop falling rock, Crimcraw!!  Still Scry-rah there down fighting!!!"  The hawks looked down and with dread, saw that their leader was fighting the best he could with a broken wing as one of the rabbits, an incredibly fat and heavy one, was doing his best to pummel the hawk, unaware of the impeding danger.  And within a few feet away was Justin, in an awkward sitting position, watching the whole scene unfold.  Crimcraw turned back, but there was nothing she could do as the boulder wobbled and then finally released itself from its secure position of the cliff, making slight crumbling noises as it plunged directly at Silver and Scry-rah.

                "SCRY-RAHHH!!!  NOOO!!!" screamed Crimcraw and Kittakel as they didn't notice the other rock piles starting to fall to pieces as well, starting the rockslide little by little.

                                                                                ***

                The screams of Kittakel and Crimcraw was loud enough to create a temporary lull between the rabbits and hawks fighting in the open fields, and as they all turned around, they saw with dread what was happening.

                "SCRY-RAH!!" shrieked the hawks.

                "SILVER!!" yelled the Watership rabbits.

                                                                                ***

                Justin heard the noises of something immense, and as he stared up amongst the falling debris and dust, his heart froze as he gasped.  The boulder was enormous, as large as an Ilip, and certainly looked to weigh more than several tons.  With a quick glance, Justin saw the directly underneath it was Silver and Scry-rah, still too busy fighting to notice what was going to happen.  There was no way they would come out of such a heavy impact, even if this was the land beyond life.  In an instant, even though his voice of reason frantically told him that the boulder was too heavy, that there was possible way to do it, that he'd endanger himself if he tried to use his powers again, Justin grabbed the cross with one hand, flung his other hand towards the falling stone, and yelled, "Levitate the rock!  Please!!"

                Scry-rah first saw the rock nose-dive towards them, and seeing the look of fear and anxiety in the eli's eyes, Silver looked to see the dark boulder, blocking out the light underneath them, as it rotated and flipped around madly in the air before it would pound the both of them into the ground.  Silver, knowing he couldn't do anything, shut his eyes and bravely waiting for the spilt second before he would be crushed into a bloody pulp.  Yet, a strange sound suddenly broke the whistling incoming noise of the accelerating boulder, and confused, Silver looked up hesitantly to see an extremely wonderful sight.  The boulder was hanging several meters above them, hanging hazardously above, but being levitated firmly by a familiar golden ring surrounding the gigantic rock.  Knowing who was responsible, Silver turned to Justin, but was horrified at what he saw.  The cross in Justin's hand was gleaming, but it was very faint, as if it was dying, and Justin was starting to sweat as his face became incredibly flushed and crimson from trying to use all his power he could muster in stopping the rock from crushing both Silver and Scry-rah.  The hawks watching this were completely flabbergasted; their prey, their target, their victim, was actually helping their leader??  Meanwhile, Justin felt the buzzing in his head grow louder and louder as the blood was roaring deafeningly in his ears.  He could feel himself literally growing weaker and weaker, almost on the brink of collapse.  Levitating a boulder was much, much harder than anything he had ever done before with his cross, and the strain of it, the tension, the exertion, was going to take its toll.  Justin thought a final plea to God for strength before he pushed at the boulder with all his might.  As the rabbits and hawks watched breathlessly, the boulder moved backwards slowly by a meter, then two before the golden circle of light disappeared.  Without the ring of levitation, the boulder proceeded to crash, and with a might resounding into the earth, the rock embedded itself, half-buried into the dirt...a few feet away from a still intact Scry-rah and Silver.  Scry-rah, seeing the miraculous sight of a human, a creature that has always hunted them down near to extinction or to keep them captive as pets or slaves, looked weakly at Justin with disbelief as he croaked hoarsely, "Cross-bearer...why?"

                Justin didn't answer him, and he whispered, panting with fatigue and exhaustion, giving the gray rabbit a weak smile of prideful accomplishment, "Silver, did...you...see that?  I...did...it..."  And then the teenager slumped forward and fainted from the effort.  Silver's heart nearly leapt out of his throat as he hurriedly got off of Scry-rah and knelt to Justin's side several feet away from the Chief hawk.  As Silver lightly and gently grasped Justin, the other rocks from above, the ones previously loosened by Crimcraw and Kittakel, started to fall, creating the planned landslide.

                Buckthorn, who by now regained consciousness, heard the rumbling of thunder, and as he looked up, he saw a massive amount of dust, rock, and dirt was falling off the cliffs and heading straight for Silver, Scry-rah, and Justin.  Upon the second glance, Buckthorn gasped when he saw the cross-bearer was unconscious; without him to cause a time-freeze, all three of them would be buried under the rubble.

                "Silver, above you!!"  Silver at first looked at Buckthorn in confusion before the rumbling noises of the avalanche and the sight of the falling rubble dawned on him.  In the fleeting second before the rocks landed on the ground, Buckthorn saw Silver use his massive body to shield Justin, and Silver's last thoughts were on Justin's safety right before the rockslide covered him, the cross-bearer, and Scry-rah under tons of wreckage, powder and sand, burying them alive completely.

                "SILVER!!" screamed Buckthorn.

                "SCRY-RAH!!" screamed the hawks.

                "JUSTIN!!" screamed Hazel and the rest of the Watership rabbits.  Then all creatures, rabbit and eli, rang their cries of sorrow, of fright, of horror, mixing in harmoniously in the stifling clouds of dust and choking residue of sandstone.

                "NOOOOOOOO!!!"

                                                                                ***

                In the stifling darkness, Silver warily discovered to his relief that a small air pocket was unbelievably formed around him, and though he could move slightly, every motion from his body loosened the rocks and pebbles even further, and if he didn't wish to submerge himself even further, he knew he had to remain still.  As best as he could, he saw that by the weak light of the glowing cross, Justin was still unconscious on the ground, but alive and well, and to Silver's grief, he saw that there was a slight cut on the teenager's forehead, and the blood was starting to trickle down.  Still, at least it was extremely by pure luck that Silver's body was enough to prevent Justin from being flattened underneath the avalanche.  As Silver tenderly and caringly licked the teenager's head, he knew that underneath all this rock, Justin wouldn't be able to breathe for long.  It would be a matter of time before he would suffocate under the dust and grime.  Feeling helpless but unwilling to give up, Silver held to Justin tightly, feeling the tears of powerlessness well in his dark eyes as he tried to do everything in his capacity to prolong Justin's life.  Justin groaned from the constant licking on his forehead.

                "Silver?" he whispered weakly, but still insensible.  Silver felt a little joy and relief crawl in his heart among the grief and worry.

                "I'm here, young one.  Don't talk, just lie still."

                "Don't...leave...me...please," Justin murmured faintly before losing consciousness again.  Silver was shockingly touched.  Even though he snapped at Justin, refused to open himself, and cold-shouldered him distantly, Justin still wanted to be close to Silver, still wanted to protect him, still...trusted and loved him, like a true, dedicated friend.  Silver, now crying, touched his nose against Justin's, thinking that the simple display of compassion would ease his friend and hoping that help would come before it was too late.

                "I won't, Justin."  He then remembered the when he was told he was useless, that he wasn't wanted, that he wasn't needed.

                _"Please, help me!" shouted a younger, drier Silver as he tried to loosen himself from the bramble of vines that messily tangled and entwined his hind legs.  He, Toadflax and Pine Needles, after feasting in a farmer's garden, ran out and made their way through a narrow gap between two, lush undergrowths of thick ivy.  Unfortunately, because of Silver's size, he got caught again and was delaying the others.  Toadflax just sneered at him._

_                "And endanger ourselves with elil prowling about?!  You can forget it!  You got yourself into this mess, you can get yourself out!  Come now, Pine Needles, let's return to Sandleford."  Both of the bucks turned and started hopping off, slowly and deliberately, to spite the pained Silver._

_                "Are you sure it's safe?  Shouldn't we help him?" Silver heard Pine Needles whisper.  Toadflax laughed._

_                "He won't last long in the Owsla anyway, and even if he can't get out of this mess, it wouldn't make much of a difference.  Even the Threarah told Holly and I that he wished Silver would just die so that our warren and his reputation doesn't get tarnished from his bumbling, overweight nephew.  He's nobody, and he's not even important.  He's about as helpful as the outskirters!"  As Toadflax and Pine Needles chortled cruelly, Silver gnawed away at the vines wrapped around his legs, half-heartedly wishing that elil would come to put him out of his misery, his pain, his torment.  Yet, ironically for the weeping rabbit in the dark night, no elil came._

But it was different now;  Justin needed him, and he felt his resolve strengthen slightly as he spoke again with more fervor.

                "I won't give up.  I won't leave you."  He was so busy weeping, he didn't notice Justin's cross glow slightly brighter among the suffocating darkness, reacting to Silver's hope and fortification.

                                                                                ***

                "He can't be dead!!  He can't be dead!!"  This came from Bluebell, nearly in tears, as he and the other rabbits from Watership Down were digging and clawing madly and frantically among the rubble.  Yet, it was almost impossible.  There was such a wide area of to scourge through, and the mountains and piles of rock created from the avalanche were high, bigger than the hawks or the rabbits.  It would take days, maybe weeks to actually claw through all the ruins, not to mention that not even Bigwig was strong enough to move most of the rocks that were pinned firmly to the ground.  By the time they even had the faintest idea of where to look for, Justin would be dead, and all their work was for naught.  They had failed in protecting their friend, and thinking that Justin, their innocent, considerate, understanding and loving friend was killed, was enough to send even the calm Hazel into a tailspin of angst, sorrow, and misery.  The hawks were standing on the ground, their wings folded, and watching the rabbits uneasily and nervously.  They wanted to help, mostly because Scry-rah was trapped underneath too, but how would the rabbits take this?  And what would they do if they actually rescue the cross-bearer?  Would they nevertheless kill him, even if he did save Scry-rah from the boulder?  The rabbits paid them hardly any attention as they continued to search around the debris.

                "Hazel-rah, we can't find their scents!!  It's been eliminated by the dust covering the rocks and dirt, and we can't use our sense of smell to track Silver and Justin!!" cried Strawberry.

                "We have to do something!" choked Campion, his grief at losing his friend after Justin helped him with his battle against Veil Guplea nearly eating up his sense of reason and composure, "Hazel, Blackberry, please, for the sake of El-ahrairah, try to think up of something that can find him before it's too late!!"

                "I don't know!" sobbed Blackberry as he wearily hung his head low, at a loss that not even one bright idea could help them in this situation.  Without Justin's power to help them out of this predicament, they were helpless, and Justin was depending on them.  "There's so much dirt and rock to look through, and we can't possibly have enough time before Justin -!"

                "Don't you dare say it!!" Bigwig growled from one of the rock piles, refusing to cry as he angrily kept kicking at a large boulder from one side of the pile.  "I mean it, if you, any of you, say that Justin is dead, I will tear you to pieces!!  I won't give up!!  I'll find him, even if it takes me until the time when Elil-rah comes, I'll keep searching!!  So what are you waiting for, you pack of useless flea-ridden, tharn weaklings?!  Don't just stand there!!  Help me look for any signs that Justin is still alive!!"  Acorn, Fiver, Hawkbit, Pipkin, Dandelion and Holly were already among the piles of rock, searching, sniffing and straining their eyes for the faintest signs of life.  Pipkin was sobbing as the tears fell down his face while he scurried around madly, and Hawkbit looked at the sky and whispered pleadingly, "O Frith, please, don't take away our friend Justin!  Not now!  He's done a lot for us!  Please, help us find him!  I promise, if you help Justin survive this...I'll...I'll never complain about anything again!  Please, just don't let Justin die!"

                "Now's not the time for empty promises, Hawkbit!" blubbered Acorn as he kept clawing at the rocks, "Just shut up and keep looking!"

                "Fiver, use your second sight!  Please, use it to find Justin!!" Dandelion begged Fiver, but then Holly, through his sorrow, turned to see a faint glimpse of something from the rocks underneath a small pile at the far side.  Unlike the rest of the dark brown and beige rubble, these rocks were orange and golden, as if...Then Holly gasped out in joy and squealed.  Underneath the rocks was the faint, but unmistakable glimmer of golden sunlight.  It was Justin's cross.

                "Hazel!!" Holly bellowed as loud as he could, "I see the light from Justin's cross!!  Over here!!  It's glowing underneath all this rock and dirt!!  They're right here!!"  This immediately brought the rabbits to stampede over to where Holly was, and to their short-lived relief, they found that the Owsla captain spoke the truth.  Even the hawks turned their heads at Holly's exclamation.  Almost immediately, without word, the rabbits started scurrying away at the pile for all they were worth, with Bigwig, Buckthorn, and Hazel at the top of the heap and the rest of the rabbits digging madly at the sides, the dirt literally flying furiously between their paws.  Regardless of the Watership Owsla being only bucks, they dug for Justin's sake, cursing that they could dig more effectively like rabbit does could.  A small, tentative caw from behind them made Speedwell and Fiver turn around to see that behind them, perched on the rocks all around, were the army of hawks, looking extremely sorry but hesitant as Crimcraw spoke brokenly, "We help too.  Let us too help dig."

                Speedwell wasn't very tolerable to idea, and frankly, neither were some of the other rabbits.

"You've done enough for one day!" screamed Speedwell in rage as he glared scathingly at Crimcraw, "Get out of here!  We don't want your help!!  It's all because of you embleer elil that Justin and Silver are down here in the first place!!"

                "We no ignore.  Want to help," Kittakel broke in mulishly.

                "'Help'?!  'Help'?!!  Embleer Frith, do you even know the meaning of the word?!!" spewed an enraged Acorn.

                "Please.  Scry-rah, leader chief.  He down there."

                "And he deserves it!!" yelled Dandelion, tears of sorrow now turning into tears of rage and hatred, and he fought the urge to attack the hawks for their ruthlessness to innocent Justin who had never done any harm to them or any creature in the land beyond life.  "Scry-rah didn't even merit for the mercy Justin showed to him when he stopped that rock from falling on him!!  And there you hawks stand, not even thinking about how much this hurts us and El-ahrairah, and knowing you deceitful elil, you'll attack us and kill Justin the moment we get them and Scry-rah out of there!!"  The hawks were silent at this accusation.  Yet Hazel, while digging furiously, spoke firmly and loudly, "Let them be!  Just keep digging!  Every moment you waste talking to them, Justin is getting closer and closer to meeting the Black Rabbit of Inle!  Just ignore th-!!"

                At that exact moment, the dirt and stone at the top of the pile fell completely away to reveal a bruised and battered head of Scry-rah, gurgling weakly with bits of sand and dust clinging to his feathers and blood, but still alive and conscious.  It was slightly comical, seeing a brown head of a bird standing out on top of a large mountain of rock and pebbles.  This, though to the joy and happiness of the hawks, only enraged the rabbits of Watership Down.

                "Where is he?!" growled Bigwig, fire in his eyes as his vision literally turned red with anger, his voice tight and hoarse.  "Where's Justin?!  Where's the cross-bearer?!!  Tell me or Frith help you, I'll claw your head off!!"

                "Help me," croaked Scry-rah weakly, seriously injured from the inundation.

                "HA!  That's a laugh!!" snapped Buckthorn roughly as he was about ready to bite the hawk leader.  "We wouldn't help you if you were the last creature in the land beyond life!  If you don't tell us where Justin is, you'll stay like that forever, and we'll leave you!!"  The hawk feebly shook his brown head.

                "No leave.  Help Scry-rah with cross-bearer and rabbit friend.  Scry-rah have them."

                "I knew it!!  He killed Justin!" sobbed Hawkbit as he bent his head low, letting the withheld tears that he suppressed now flow freely, plopping onto the rocks and brittle fragments.  But Scry-rah shook his head again.

                "No kill boy.  Boy and rabbit friend underneath Scry-rah wing.  Scry-rah put wing over cross-bearer man and rabbit before falling rock.  They safe for while short.  Please dig and help Scry-rah.  I no know if still live.  Hawk brethren help."  The rabbits looked at the Chief hawk in disbelief before Hazel spoke in hopeful incredulity, "You...you protected them from the rock-slide?  You used your wings to shield them from the rocks??"

Scry-rah nodded, his strength ebbing away from him, and encouraged, the rabbits began to dig faster, their hearts now feeling brighter with faith.  And they did not work alone.  Without a word, Crimcraw, Kittakel and the rest of the predatory birds started to hover and flutter around the pile, pushing away rocks and heavy stones with their talons and powerful wings.  All together, in a fleeting cease-fire, the rabbits and hawks worked diligently and together, pushing, digging and sweeping.  Before long, but too long, the rabbits feared, they now were able to clear out the rocks that were pinning Scry-rah's broken wing to the ground, and breathlessly, the Watership rabbits looked in dreadful anticipation as Scry-rah weakly and excruciatingly lifted his wing.  At first, the rabbits could see nothing but the small rocks and stones that even managed to find their way through the clasped wings of Scry-rah, but then, to their elation, joy, and reprieve, they ecstatically saw a panting, weak, and shaking Silver as he pushed himself through the rubble.  And on his back was a limp, unconscious Justin with his cross still glowing in a beautiful, comforting light.  The hawks, seeing that Justin was still unharmed, narrowed their eyes and raised their wings, about to strike.  Bigwig, Campion, Holly, Buckthorn, and Bluebell, enraged at the hawks' treachery, prepared to tackle them, but then, Scry-rah's voice rang out, clear and with resolve.

                "No attack!!  Scry-rah say no hurt cross-bearer!!  Obey Scry-rah!!!"  The hawks, though confused, obeyed without question.  Relieved, but still wary, the rabbits focused their attention on Justin who was carefully being taken off Silver's wounded back.

                "Silver, are you all right?!" Buckthorn asked, nearly mad with apprehension as he helped Silver sink back down on the ground in exhaustion.  Silver coughed and hacked the dusty smoke out of his body several times before replying, "I'm not faring too badly, but Justin is in worst shape.  It took a lot out of him, for him to use his cross-bearer powers to stop the rockslide and to save their chief hawk and me.  I almost didn't make it in time to cover him right before the stones fell, but thank the stars, Justin is still alive...but barely."

                Silver's voice dropped a note or two in sadness and depression at the remark of Justin's status, but Buckthorn just gave a weak grin for his friend.  "The point is, he's still breathing, and it's all due to your girth and resolve, the same resolve you've always shown ever since we were alive back at Watership Down, old chap.  I never would have doubted that Justin survived if you were there with him underneath all that dirt.  You nearly drove us all mad with worry and trepidation when we saw the rocks fall.  We...we thought we lost you both."

                Silver gave Buckthorn a slight, shrewd but amused look.  "You know none of us can die, except for Justin."

                "Even so, it's a hard thing to remember when we see rabbits we care about go into the thick of danger."

                "Really?"  The amusement on Silver's face made the giant crack a weak grin.  Buckthorn coughed nervously, staring at the ground before he worked up the courage to speak next.  "Silver, about what I said earlier, when I was cuffing with Hawkbit, when we were running away from the hawks, I'm sorry.  By the fur and paw, I don't know what made me say that, but I would never -"

                "I know, Buckthorn," Silver said simply, the soft, compassion in his tone and eyes letting the brown rabbit know he was forgiven, that it was all in the past.  As the gap between the two closed, Hazel, Fiver and Blackberry were licking Justin's face, hoping he would wake up from the delicate moisture of their tongues while the other rabbits looked on anxiously.  To their nervous thrill, the teenager gave a small moan, and weakly, Justin opened up his eyes, wincing a bit in the sunlight shining on his face, a bit disoriented.  As his vision cleared, he saw the faces of Bigwig, who was propping Justin up for the others to lick him to revival, Hazel, Blackberry and Fiver, their faces, though shadowed from the silhouettes of their heads, showing relief and smiling in grateful respite.  And behind them, Justin could see Campion, Pipkin, Acorn, Hawkbit, Dandelion, Speedwell, Bluebell, Holly, and Strawberry, their eyes wet but shining.  Justin didn't need to ask; he knew Hazel and the others had rescued them from the rocky tomb in time.

                "Where's Silver?" Justin feebly asked, "Is he all right?"

                "I'll live," smirked a teasing Silver as he came up beside Fiver and smiled upon his friend.  Justin looked at him, slightly questioning but entirely happy.

                "You...you were there while I lost consciousness, weren't you?"  Silver glanced to the side, averting his eyes, but the humble sheepish look on his dusty face, brown from the sand and dust, gave himself away.  Justin grinned as his raised his sore, throbbing arm and gently touched the rabbit's face, making Silver generate eye contact again.

                "Thank you," Justin whispered hoarsely, "I'd...be lost if you weren't there with me during God knows what happened.  Thank you."  Silver swore he wasn't going to cry in front of the Owsla, but by Frith, he knew he couldn't help himself as his eyes started to water again, but this time, for once in a long time, it was due to blissful exhilaration.

                "Thank...you...cross-bearer" cawed a voice, and the Watership rabbits turned around to see that it was Scry-rah who had spoken, trembling in embarrassment and dishonor, but keeping his yellow, sharp eyes locked on Justin lying in Bigwig's paws, who was smiling back at his former assassin.

                As the sun was beginning to set in the west, the hawks and Scry-rah were standing side to side as they faced the line of Watership rabbits and the human cross-bearer, all now fully healed and, more or less, completely recovered.  Except for Justin; for some odd reason, he didn't think about healing himself, and the bloody cut on his forehead was still slight stinging, and his flannel long-sleeved shirt was torn and ripped in several places.  Yet he took no notice of them as Scry-rah, with a new intact beak and a repaired left wing, spoke coldly at Justin in front of him.

                "Skkeeah!  Know this, Justin!  Scry-rah and hawks still enemies to rabbits!"  His tone softened, but still maintained a harsh steel entwined with the words.  "But we no tell Elil-rah see you and rabbits at base mountains.  Scry-rah forget not Justin for saving.  Very kind, but very foolishly!  We flying now.  No tell Elil-rah.  We go fly away from Elil-rah, not come back!  We finished fight, is through!  But, we hate man still."  The rabbits, especially Bigwig and Silver, nervously arched their legs back for expected fight and flight, but Justin nodded, faithful that the hawks wouldn't hurt them.  He didn't expect anything else, and he spoke clearly, looking at Scry-rah, "I understand, Scry-rah.  I don't blame you for still hating me, even if I did save your life.  But, I hope that someday, when we do see each other again, it won't be as enemies, but as friends.  I also hope you see that not all men are evil, and I wish you luck."

                Scry-rah still acted as if he didn't believe Justin, but he nodded easily enough, and with a sharp cry, he took of silently and gracefully, the other flock of his loyal comrades following him.  They took off, a mass of multi-colored feathers and wings, and as they sailed into the red and slightly purple sky of sunset and night, the rabbits continued on their journey to the gentle, easy foothills, covered in groves of fresh trees and thick, cool plants.  Justin was now riding on the gentle Silver, and as they slowly made their way to the hills, Silver talked privately with Justin.

                "I'm not exactly best at climbing these mountains, young one.  With my size and weight, we'll be lucky if we don't trail too far behind."

                "It's okay," chuckled Justin reassuringly, "Hazel and the others would never leave us.  After today's events, they'll keep us company and surround us.  I guess they're still fearful that something else will attack us and try to kill me before we reach the warren of El-ahrairah."

                "Well, the record is hrair to none, with the score in our favor," Silver joked uncertainly before pausing, and asking Justin, "Justin, is it...is it ever possible to find healing from past wrongs done to you?"

                Justin flashed back to his father, to his abusive childhood, to the painful trials he himself endured from emotional stability to his faith in his Christian religion, and truthfully, he spoke from his limited knowledge and memories locked in his heart.  "I guess so, but sometimes, we may be looking at the wrong places for healing.  I mean, I know I would like nothing better than to hear my dad tell me that he's sorry for what he did to me, all the hateful things he ever said to me, about how I was a failure, a disappointment, a nobody.  But...I know I shouldn't hold my breath.  Even I did talk to him about how I felt, he would probably ignore me and refuse to admit anything.  So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, if I know I'm not going to get healed from forgiving a certain person or expecting a certain person to say 'I'm sorry', I shouldn't depend on it, otherwise I'll never grow and move on."  He paused, deep in thought.  "What about you, Silver?  I know you made up with Buckthorn, and I can't tell you how happy I am to see that, but...what about your misgivings with the Threarah and Toadflax and some of the others?"  Silver flashed back to when he quietly passed away, and the Black Rabbit brought him to be in the Owsla of El-ahrairah:

                _"Toadflax!  Pimpernel!  Scabious!  Threarah!!" Silver cried joyfully when he found himself among sunny pastures and eternal green fields of clover and grass with other rabbits.  And to his joy, he found the old acquaintances he remembered back from Sandleford.  To his relief, Toadflax, Scabious, and Pimpernel all happily touched noses with Silver, crying with joy and relief, the three former Sandleford Owsla veterans apologizing to Silver for driving him away and remarking how glad they were to see him.  Silver was feeling very elated and free-spirited...until he met up with his uncle.  The gray, old, shriveled, but extremely large and powerful Chief rabbit gave Silver the evil eye and turned away heartlessly.  Silver was stunned, and after a brief silence, he finally spoke.  "Threarah, what's wrong?  I thought you'd be glad to see me."_

_                "Glad??  Ha!  Not by the black tail and paw of the Black rabbit of Inle, you cowardly, filthy piece of rabbit scum!!"  Silver was shocked, and his uncle turned to face him menacingly._

_                "You think I'd actually be glad to see you, after what you did to embarrass me and the rest of the Sandleford rabbits who were killed by man's ruthlessness and evil?!  You abandoned me and your fellow Owsla to die deaths that we never deserved!!  Worse yet, you made me look like a fool in the land beyond life, and if you hadn't left Sandleford, I wouldn't have ever died such a bitter rabbit!!  You cheated me!  I gave my life, my reputation, my authority, to help ungrateful rabbits like you and Bigwig join the Owsla and keep the warren safe, and you left it all behind to help those...those...weakling outskirters!!"_

_                "You never gave me a reason to stay because you never showed any compassion or friendship to me!" Silver yelled equally back at him, his temper bubbling dangerously underneath his pale fur.  "What in Frith's name did you expect me to react?!  You always said you wanted it to be better if I was dead so I wouldn't be such an embarrassment to you and the others!!  And if I never left Sandleford, I would have never found Hazel and my other friends, my friends who stood by and fought with me, true and good, and they were more of a family than you ever were!!"_

_                The Threarah laughed cruelly.  "You're no blood family of mine, and if I knew what you were going to do, I would have ripped out your throat when your mother gave birth to you as a kitten!!"_

_                Silver tried to not cry with brokenness as he felt his hurt come back to him.  "I thought you would have changed by now."_

_                "Don't expect miracles.  Not even El-ahrairah could help us now."  With that last word, the Threarah hopped off, leaving a pained and heartbroken Silver.  Acorn came up to him after witnessing the argument, feeling for his friend.  "Silver, are you all right?"_

_                "No."_

_                "I wish the Threarah would have seen by now how much he was wrong."_

_                Silver sadly looked at his uncle, dead to him in his heart and blood.  "So do I.  Believe me, so do I."_

                Then Silver flashed back to when he, Hazel, and the rest of the Watership rabbits left the warren of the sick El-ahrairah to find the cross-bearer, to when the Threarah said the only sentence to his nephew since he entered the land beyond life:

                _"Just when I thought you could not have disgraced me any further, you, Silver, are actually going to the ends of the land beyond life, to save a human?  A man?  Something that is, and always will be, our enemy, and yet here you are, ready to set off without giving an embleer care about how your chaps and innocent rabbits lost their lives to men when they destroyed Sandleford??  I hope you never come back."_

                Silver muttered bitterly, "You'd actually be surprised how we are not that much different, you and I, Justin, with your father and my uncle, the Threarah."  Justin realized what this meant, and feeling Silver in understanding and consideration, he leaned over and gave his friend a soft, yet comforting hug around his neck.  Silver smiled at the gesture of friendship.  Justin then whispered encouragingly in Silver's ear, "But, at least, even though we can't repair the hurt and pain we got from others, I do know that we can always depend on each other and our friends, the ones who we love and care about, the ones who feel our pain and understand us, the ones who know us best.  And as long as we have that, I know that we'll be able to heal little by little.  Certainly, the hurt and sadness will still be there, but with a little light, even the blackest darkness in our hearts can be lifted so it won't hurt as much, especially since God loves me...and Frith loves you."

                Silver beamed affectionately at Justin as they started to climb up the mountains.  Unbeknownst to the two, a little behind them, Bluebell and Hawkbit were joking and making fun at Silver's expense.

                "I'm still stunned, Hawkbit!  I mean, I find it quite ironic that Silver was able to protect the cross-bearer when a skinny, underweight rabbit wouldn't have been able to do the job, right bucko?"

                "That's an understatement, old chap!  And _I_ find it ironic that for once, Silver's heaviness and fat body actually _prevented_ someone from getting crushed to deat-...Oh, uh, ha ha, hello Bigwig, hello Acorn, hello Buckthorn!  Nice weather we're dealing with now, aren't we?  Ow, ow, ow, stop cuffing us!!  Ow, ow!!"

"By Frith, can't you rabbits appreciate a little humor?!  Ow, ow!!" cried Bluebell, and Silver and Justin, seeing the scene from a distance, laughed privately.

"Think we should help them, Silver?"  Silver tried his best to look innocent as he mockingly wailed in sarcastic, pseudo torment.

"How??  By the light of Frith, I'm only a fat, heavy Owsla rabbit who spends too much of his tharn mind on food!  Oh, how can I ever save Bluebell and Hawkbit from Buckthorn, Acorn, and Bigwig?  I say we should just ignore it and watch!"

"Oh, shut up Silver!  You made your point!!" growled Hawkbit as he kept shielding himself vainly from the cuffs of Acorn and Buckthorn.

/* 

Next up: PIPKIN in "How Pipkin Got His Wings"

Like this chapter?  REVIEW!  Constructive criticism?  REVIEW!  Want to tell me what you wish to see in a future chapter?  R-E-V-I-E-W!!! ^_~

*/


	15. How Pipkin Got His Wings

Author's note: I know, I know, I'm late, but this chapter was sooooo hard, not to mention I had two papers and a final due last week, so I didn't have any time for any writing. I apologize for being late, but here is my creation! Enjoy this chapter of Pipkin! Oh, hold on (gets a full suit of body armor and a shield in case any true Watership Down fan who feels this chapter did not do Pipkin justice decided to have a few "words" with the author). OKAY, I'm ready! BRING THE REVIEWS ON!

CHAPTER 15 

"Wow, look at the stars! They're so beautiful!" gushed Pipkin as he sat with Justin underneath one of the many fruitful and blossoming trees growing on the peaceful, yet steep slopes of the mountains. Justin gave an approving nod of agreement as he chewed on several cherries. Earlier, after gathering some generous amounts of fruit and walnuts for the famished Justin, the other rabbits decided to rest and silflay under the bright moonlight the following evening after the attack from Scry-rah and his hawk horde. They all deserved a lengthy, relaxing rest, and the rabbits eagerly feasted on clover, grass, or contented themselves to run and chase each other in friendly tag across the lush, green, cool fields on the hills. It was nice transition from the hot desert that the Watership Owsla had spent traveling through a hot and bothersome desert. Pipkin volunteered to keep Justin company along with Speedwell and Bluebell, and as the two other rabbits chewed at the patches of luscious grass not too far from Justin, Pipkin eagerly and curiously asked Justin more about his world, the mysterious world of men which was always seemingly full of dangers and magic to the comprehension of rabbits.

"Justin...is our story, the one about us and El-ahrairah and Watership Down and all our adventures? Is it really well-known and admired by all humans?" Justin spit out a cherry pit before answering truthfully.

"Well, I guess so, but some people like the tales about Watership Down better than others. I mean, in my world, there are millions, uh, hrair, stories about many different things, and yours is only one of the many. I guess it's kinda like how there are so many stories about El-ahrairah, and how some rabbits have favorite tales, treasuring them over the numerous ones that have been told."

"What do men think about us?"

"Well, to the people who actually enjoy the stories, they've actually fallen in love with the characters. I mean, Hazel is the compassionate, caring, and clever leader who is almost like El-ahrairah, Bigwig is the tough, stubborn fighter with a secretly strong heart and loyal will, Fiver's loved because he seems so small and helpless, but he's actually pacifistic, confident, and a visionary with mystical powers, and I know for a fact that a lot of people like Blackberry and Dandelion because Blackberry's the inventor, the rabbit with insight and shrewd wits, and Dandelion's the one you can always count on for a good story to keep everyone's spirit up, like a cheerleader or a motivational supporter." Pipkin looked a little disappointed from this, and Justin thought the little rabbit was troubled from the fact that he wasn't as famous and cherished like the rabbits he had just mentioned. He added hastily, unwilling to hurt Pipkin's feelings of adequacy like Acorn felt before, "Hey, you're well liked too, Pipkin! You're known as the smallest rabbit of the group, but nonetheless, you're incredibly loyal and trustworthy, not to mention you have great faith in Hazel and the rest of your companions. You're always eager to follow orders, without question, and when someone's hurt or left behind, you're always willing to do anything you can to stay close or comfort them. Like...like you did when Holly came to Watership Down after escaping the destruction of Sandleford, and you stayed by with him and Bluebell, trying your best to calm them down and talk them through their misery and pain. Or when the time Efrafa attacked the Honeycomb, and when Fiver was left behind because he was in a stupor, you begged Bigwig to let you stay with Fiver, even though it meant that you would probably be killed when Woundwort made his way into the run. I mean, Bigwig and Holly almost had to drag you away from him."

Pipkin, however, still looked troubled, but he looked at the starry night and said softly, "No, it's not _that_ I was dismayed about Justin. It's just...I treasure all my friends here, from Hazel-rah to Holly to even Hawkbit and Acorn. They...I care about all of them, and I don't hold one above the other because I love them all like my brothers, equally and fairly. But...but what makes me so sad is the fact that in your world, you seem to like rabbits like Bigwig, Hazel, Blackberry, and Fiver more so than the other rabbits who are just as important and wonderful, like Bluebell or Speedwell or Strawberry." He paused. "I don't care if...if I was never important in any of the stories about Watership Down told to humans, but I'm little bothered when parts of my family are divided and...well...seemed to be made more heroic than others. I don't want any of them to feel inadequate or...or useless. I just can't stand that. I feel all of them are courageous and equally benevolent, special and noble. That's why I don't think that I'd like it if in your world, only some of us are praised while the others are ignored, because if given the chance, everyone would be just as clever, brave, and gentle like El-ahrairah, our Prince of all rabbits." Justin looked at him in surprise. For such an easy-going and seemingly simple-minded rabbit, Pipkin was amazingly perceptive and empathic and was also honorably, evenly, considerate for each one of his friends. Not only that, what was most admirable was that he was fiercely dedicated to his family, willing to abandon his own needs and concerns for the sake of his friends', if it ever came down to that. Heck, Justin remembered that when he first met the rabbits, Pipkin was friendly, open, and even when it seemed that Justin wasn't the cross-bearer, Pipkin said, " _'I don't care; I still think he's a good one. He's different from all other men we've seen before'_ ". Justin decided it would be best if he didn't tell Pipkin that his guess was right, that the stories in the human world simply described the less important rabbits such as Hawkbit, Speedwell, or Silver as "filler rabbits", rabbits that had no real importance in the plot and were just there for numbers.

"Well, if it makes any difference, I agree with you, Pipkin. I mean, Acorn, Silver and Hawkbit may not be leaders or visionaries, but they saved me from Volgnamass, the hawks and the Wolfen Gale, so I owe my lives and my heart to them as much as I do for Campion and Bigwig. I guess you could say that despite it all, every rabbit that El-ahrairah sent to protect me is one of my guardian angels, each one equally significant in my life and for my safety and companionship during the journey." Pipkin radiated a smile at Justin's sincere words, but he also had a quizzical look in his face.

"Justin, what in Frith's name is an 'angel'?" Justin grinned in amusement at Pipkin's eternal, innocent, and childish curiosity.

"Well, in my religion, angels are messengers of God, and they tell people what God wants or to give them a message. It's also a popular belief that angels are sent by God to protect innocents from danger and evil."

"Like us?"

Justin laughed softly in concurrence. "Yeah, exactly."

"What do angels look like, Justin?" Pipkin's eyes grew brighter and more excited at Justin's words. It was like the teenager was telling a story, and from the sound of it, a very gripping one at that. Justin, a bit flustered at the pestering of Pipkin, but completely in good spirits, tried to think of the best kind of description.

"Well, the truth is, no one knows what angels truly look like. They can look like any animal, any object, or to the belief of most people, they look like humans with wings bathed in light, completely pure, benevolent, and holy. Truth is, I can probably tell you I've never seen an angel in my life, but I guess I know God sends them to me without my knowing just to watch over me and keep me safe. For...that's what a guardian angel does; it is sent to a person and does everything in its power to protect and defend it from darkness and temptation." Pipkin looked even more astounded from Justin's narration, and he beamed happily as he already developed the picture in his overactive imagination.

"Great Frith, that sounds so enchanting! I never dreamed that men could have such things in their world!" He paused, but then a thought came to him, slightly depressing him. "But, I wish...I wish..." He stopped, slightly embarrassed, and Justin, seeing the sad look in Pipkin's eyes, asked him, "But what, Pipkin? C'mon, you can tell me."

Pipkin, a bit mortified but trusting Justin's unsaid promise he wouldn't laugh, continued, "Well, you'll think it's silly like Bluebell or Hawkbit, but...but I just thought that if I had wings and could fly, then I could be a real guardian angel, just like you've always wanted. If I had wings, I could finally be more useful, do a better job of defending you, and finally have my dreams come true and getting the chance to fly, just like Kehaar." Justin's brow crinkled a bit in amused disbelief, but he didn't say anything; he knew how much dreams meant to you if you truly desired to fulfill them. Pipkin, seeing the look, felt his ears heat up slightly in awkwardness as he stared back on the ground.

"I told you it was a bit barmy." Justin smiled brotherly, caringly, as he reached over a scratched the spot between Pipkin's ears, feeling through his soft, brown fur, soft as goose down.

"Not really. _I_ think it's a good wish. Heck, a lot of men in my world wish to fly and such, and we have airplanes and other gadgets and stuff to help us fly and soar in the air like birds, so it's not at all unusual to have that sort of dream or ambition, even if it does seem stupid or nutty to others. But...why do you want wings so much?"

"Well, I always felt that when you're flying, having the wind and air rush by as you rise above and watch the land below, it's the best feeling ever. Kehaar was telling me about his travels and his 'Big Water' when he was injured and when we had to care for him back at Watership Down. I was really enchanted from all the tales, all the stories, all the chronicles he told about how it felt so free, so liberating, to glide and play in the air without a care in the world, to feel like all your worries disappear in the clouds, like fog under the sun, to see things above and beyond in a magical, new view. He told me everything seems so small when you're flying in the air, but it also appears more exquisite and thrilling when you get a bird's eye view of the land and terrain. Ever since then, I've always wanted to fly, and when the Black Rabbit brought my spirit up here in the land beyond life, it...it was so breathtaking, I could not even describe it, and I could only watch in awe as I saw myself leave my body and my home, only to head into the light of Frith and welcomed into the warren of El-ahrairah. I just...I just wish I could do it again, but El-ahrairah said that Frith only gave birds the benefit of wings, and that I should always be thankful that the rabbit's powers of digger, listener, runner, and swift warning that Frith gave me. And don't get me wrong, I do appreciate those gifts, but...I wish could just fly, even if it's just for one more time."

Justin said softly, encouraging but wanting to convince Pipkin that he loved him regardless of whether he had wings or not. "Pipkin, I don't care if you don't have wings, strength, or a burly, Owsla size like Holly or Bigwig. You're a great guardian angel the way you are, and to tell you the truth, I'm honored to even be protected by a famous, faithful, and affectionate rabbit such as yourself. Now, c'mon, cheer up, Pipkin! Hazel-rah and the other Watership rabbits wouldn't want you to be so gloomy and downcast. That's Hawkbit's job!"

"I heard that!" snapped an irate Hawkbit in the background, and Pipkin smiled at the humor while Justin snickered at the sight of Hawkbit giving them both of them a mock, murderous look. Justin sighed, his stomach full, as he looked up in the dark sky with the waning moon and twinkling stars of various sizes and intensities. Pipkin then broke the silence as he stared at his teenage friend.

"Justin?"

"Hm?"

"Do you ever miss your home? Your world, your friends, that you left behind when El-ahrairah and Frith summoned you here in the land beyond life?" Justin, though he tried not to show it, was taken aback that Pipkin was able to guess what had been on his mind for the past week. Justin had to hesitate, thinking a bit, before he answered.

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"Why?" The question was innocent enough, and Pipkin's face and eyes didn't register any other reason for asking except to satisfy his curiosity and to make Justin feel more at ease in the foreign land.

"Well, I guess it's because I lived there my entire life, and being here without any people, it's just so new and overwhelming to me. I mean, I'm not used to traveling through deserts, grassy plains, and mountains, not to mention back at home, if I was hungry, I could just go to the refrigerator or pantries and pig out instead of gathering fruits and nuts life a squirrel."

"Oh," Pipkin said softly, in understanding, but not before he asked, "Then, does that mean you wish you've never came to the land beyond life and be with us?" Justin stared stupidly at Pipkin in shock, but then realized that he made it sound that he still wished he never became the cross-bearer and never met the rabbits of Watership Down. He spoke with extreme persuasion and earnestness as he fiercely shook his head.

"No, never! I...yes, I miss my home, but here, I gained so much! Even though you, Hazel, and the others are rabbits and I'm a human, I couldn't have found better friends and companions in my entire life! I mean, all of you have done everything possible to help me, protect me, and nonetheless of what others, such as the hawks or...or the Ilips said, you were willing to open yourselves up to me, make me feel welcome and special and important, and show me the kindness and friendship that I could never get back at home." He paused a bit before continuing. "To tell you the truth, if I disappeared off the face of the Earth, no one, not even my dad, would be upset by this, except possibly my mom and yes, my best friend, Michelle. But, that would probably be it because to everyone else, I wasn't of much significance to begin with and no one would have been very saddened by it. It's sort of like Silver's predicament with the Threarah." Pipkin, in an act of touching compassion and devotion, edged closer to Justin and rested his head on the teenager's leg, his fur lying on the denim jeans.

"If you ever died, I'd be so sad. You're the only human friend we've ever made, but you're nicer than a lot of animals here, and I'm glad that you came. I wouldn't want anyone else to be the cross-bearer but you." Justin smiled, and Pipkin asked, "Justin, what do you dream about? What do you wish for with all your heart?"

Justin had to ponder this a bit. "I guess I wish I could have a loving family and friends, people who care about me, cherish me being with them, and who would always help me, guide me through trouble, and prepare me for challenges and trials in my life with encouragement, not anger and harshness. And I would feel the same way about them."

"Well, you will always have us, Justin."

"I know," Justin said quietly.

"I wish you could be with us forever," Pipkin piped up in simple adoration.

Justin stroked his friend's head again. "You know what? I wish so too."

000-

That night, as the rabbits were asleep along with Justin under a thick willow tree, except for Holly, Strawberry, and Blackberry who were on guard patrol, Pipkin woke up silently to find Justin, who was sleeping next to Silver and Bigwig, slightly shivering in the cold mountain air as he slept in an upright position with his back to the trunk of the tree. Pipkin quietly and carefully hopped over between the two bulking rabbits, and gracefully, without waking the teenager, curled up into Justin's lap, his warm, small, furry body lying against Justin's torso. Justin murmured a bit in his sleep, but he continued his slumber, and without realizing it, his left arm softly encircled Pipkin and held him close, like a teddy bear. Pipkin just nuzzled nearer to his friend's body in silent fondness, keeping him warm, as he slowly drifted back to sleep. Yet, unknown to him, Strawberry, Holly, and Blackberry, a pair of narrowed, black eyes watched the rabbits sleeping from a cliff above them.

"Sleep now, cross-bearer," the figure snickered sadistically, "You will meet your match this time, and you will lose your powers."

000-

"Quite a sight to behold, eh, young one?" Silver admired the view out loud as Justin, though gripping Silver's fur tightly due to the incredibly, slanted ground, mustered enough courage to peek at the scene. It certainly was breathtaking, and the dark, shadowed cover of the trees they were traveling through did not block the view of the lands, the desert, the grassy plains, the forests that they had spent over two weeks journeying through, all illuminated brightly under the morning sunlight. It seemed so far away. As they slowly hopped upwards, Justin could feel his head swim slightly from the thinning air, but he knew that he needed to hold on if he didn't want to fall, and possibly tumble a long drop back down. He wished that he wasn't so scared of heights, but the other rabbits of Watership Down didn't seem fazed by the great altitude, so why should he? Still, as Pipkin was hopping next to the huge Silver, he noticed that Justin was grasping Silver's fur so tightly, his knuckles were turning white.

"Are you scared of heights, Justin?"

"It's that obvious, huh?" Justin said dryly, keeping his eyes shut as he felt Silver hop painstakingly, making sure his hind feet got a good hold of the grassy soil before he made the next leap.

"Well, you can open your eyes now, Justin! We're here at the top, and the ground is level again!" Justin cautiously peeked to find the little rabbit was telling the truth. They were now at one of the summits of the steep, grassy highlands they were previously climbing on, and now, the ground was flat, dry, and devoid of any plant life, like a mesa. It was a wide, brown clearing. Though the terrain they were currently standing on was spacious, open and level, Justin saw that there were two paths they could take. A course on their left temptingly led to a dense thicket of woodland, offering dark, cool shade from the trees. The route in front of them led into the steady, but rocky canyons that were sandwiched between the mountain apices. If the Watership rabbits wished to reach the other side of the mountains, the needed to follow the bypath in front of them and cross the canyons. However, from the looks of it, the walkway that led headway through the eminences appeared unstable and perilous. As Justin pushed down on the panicked fears that were rushing through his nervous system like a tidal wave, Hazel interrupted his thoughts.

"Justin, hold on tightly to Silver. We're going to take the pathway ahead, but it is extremely tapered and constricted. It'll be a tight squeeze if we all try to travel through this at once. Holly, I want you to lead the group in front, and Bigwig, you are to trail behind last, making sure no one falls or looses their footing! Everyone, go in groups of two, and walk through the footpath in a straight line, and for Frith's sake, if the rabbit in front of you is going to lose his balance, for the sake of El-ahrairah, help him! It will be a long drop, and we don't want to leave any Owsla rabbit behind, and this will stall us long enough to have Elil-rah's next wave of soldiers to come to attack us! That is certainly something we don't want, so be especially alert! And Justin, if an enemy does show up, time-freeze it immediately, or else we'll be in a very dangerous compromise in this treacherous path across the mountain tops!" Justin could see why; on the left side of the path was a towering, vertical wall of red sandstone and lime, but on the other side was nothing but empty space, exposing the view of a tremendous height well above the trees and some of the low-altitude clouds. Heck, the battlefield that Justin encountered with the hawks with Silver was now only literally the size of a postage stamp from his point of view at the high elevation. Everyone followed along with the instructions easily enough, yet Justin had to force himself to not look down towards the dizzy chasm of empty air and terrifying heights. One slip, one slip was all it would take for him to be sent hurtling down the crown of the mountain peaks to an excruciating death. Pipkin noticed this and quietly, he spoke comfortingly to the teenager to distract his thoughts while hopping alongside Silver. The procession slowly made their way through the path, with Holly in the lead, followed by Hazel and Fiver, Acorn and Bluebell, Hawkbit and Campion, Silver and Justin and Pipkin, Speedwell and Strawberry, Dandelion and Buckthorn, and lastly, guarding the rear, Bigwig and Blackberry. It was extremely tedious, if not nerve-wracking.

"I'm beginning to see why none of Elil-rah's soldiers would dare attack us at this time," muttered Dandelion as he warily watched the abyss on his right, observing the eerie altitude above the woodlands and groves, seeing lands as far as the distant horizon due to their elevation. "Frith in a hole, even an Ilip would become seriously maimed from dropping at this height!"

"Don't think about it! Just don't think about it!" shushed Speedwell immediately, trying to block his mind from the daunting thought. Bluebell, sensing the tension, tried to lighten the mood with some humor.

"By Frith, I think now is the time I want to be a bird. If we all had wings like Kehaar, we could be bird rabbits! Then this entire journey would be so much easier! I think I want to be a bird!"

"Wouldn't be so hard since you're already a _birdbrain_," growled Hawkbit impatiently, but Bluebell pretended to not hear that insult.

"C'mon chaps! Think about! With us flying back to El-ahrairah's warren, we could go through this mission as easily as acorns falling off an oak! No more muddy fur, no more sore paws, no more cuts and thorns in our flesh and skin, and best of all, we could cross over these hills and mountains and pastures without breaking a drop of sweat! We'd be as fresh as daisies when we get back to the meadows of Fenlo!"

"Oh, that would be wonderful, Bluebell!" chimed in Pipkin excitedly, his eyes beginning to sparkle, setting off groans, shaking heads or rolling eyes to the rabbits around him.

"Bluebell, now is not the time we need to hear one of your jokes or chatter," nagged Silver impatiently as he forced himself to not groan with tormented annoyance.

"By the fur and paw of El-ahrairah, this journey could not possibly get any worse!" carped Hawkbit, grimacing.

"YOU RABBITS SHALL NOT PASS ME!" thundered a deep, bass, deafening roar, sending its powerful vibrations through the peaceful, thin air and bristling past the furry hairs on the bodies of the rabbit Owsla. Everyone looked up in front of them to see the hulking, immense size body of a black-and-white badger, blocking their approach into the canyons. The badger was certainly foreboding; he was as large as the Ilips, not to mention each one of its four legs were as thick as a redwood tree, sturdy, and powerfully built with blunt, yet thick, black claws. Even now, Justin and Pipkin could see that the badger's nails were effortlessly embedded deep into the stone and rock he was standing on, unconsciously straining and flexing his muscular paws. The creature's face was black but two wide strips of white fur marked vertically on his cheeks and face and across teal-colored eyes, and underneath his powerful snout was a jagged row of white teeth. Across his wide and strapping back, the badger wore a simple cape of brown, coarse material with a V-shaped collar looped elegantly around his neck. And on his neck was the telltale sign of Elil-rah's power: a bronze medallion with the symbol "E". Campion glared at Hawkbit with resentment.

"You just had to say that and tempt fate, didn't you?" Campion snapped. The badger stood on his haunches upright, like a bear, and raised his front paws, ready to strike. Hazel gave a knowing glance at Justin, but the teenager already acted quickly without any need for warning.

"Time, please stop! Time-freeze the badger!" Immediately, the cross around the human's neck illuminated the rocky trail and shone its majestic light on the evil messenger of Elil-rah. Yet, to the disheartening terror of Hazel and the other rabbits of Watership Down, the badger just smirked menacingly and knowingly as the warm, golden rays of light just bathed his face. As the magic of Justin's cross faded, the badger was still unaffected from the time-freeze spell. It didn't work! The badger gave a savage, deep laugh, causing Pipkin to shudder as the rabbits stared at him, bewildered and confused.

"Trying to freeze me, young one?" the badger leered, "How predictable! You actually thought that Elil-rah wouldn't have taken that possibility into account when he sent me to kill you and defeat your precious friends from Watership Down? Pitiful, simply pitiful! AND DON'T MOVE!" The badger roared that last command as he saw the rabbits were about to make a turnabout face and run the opposite way, afar from the fierce eli. The outburst was so deafening, so forceful, it temporarily made all the rabbits, even Bigwig and Hazel, go tharn for a brief second or two as they all stopped and stared back at their enemy. The badger beamed cold-bloodedly, pleased that he got their attention.

"I wouldn't try running away if I were you, you imprudent rabbits." He stared meaningfully at Hazel as he address towards the leader. "Look...Hazel-rah, I believe, isn't it? I know for a fact you wouldn't want to risk the life of your human friend and the safety of your comrades if you all tried to run. For you see, before any of you would even have a chance to make halfway back from the trail, I could simply do this..." And to demonstrate his point, with a swift movement, he slammed his front paws back onto the rocky ground, and as a result of his heavy weight, the entire rock lane, and indeed, the entire mountain, shook intermediately. The rabbits struggled to maintain their balance, trying not to fall off into the empty nothingness on their left side, as rocks started to fall from the sandstone walls and chillingly, the rock path was starting to crack and crumble. The badger was right; if they even made a dash for it, he could send them all hurtling down the mountain by causing the walkway to disintegrate with a second body slam before they could even safely get away. Hazel, pushing himself past Holly and doing his best to look at the badger bravely, spoke grudgingly, "What do you want, lendri?"

"Oh, please, Hazel-rah, let's be more formal, shall we?" the badger cruelly chuckled, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Brock, one of Elil-rah's most powerful and mighty servants."

"Lord Brock!" gasped out Justin and the Watership rabbits. Justin remembered now. After El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle left the warren of the Black Rabbit of Inle to save their home from King Darzin, in "Tales of Watership Down", Lord Brock was a badger who kept El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle prisoners in his den, bargaining with the rabbits that he would help them make their way through an impassable forest if they helped him gather food. However, untrue to his word, Lord Brock did nothing to keep his promise, and it was only by exposing his den to humans (not to mention the fact that Lord Brock buried the body of a dead human female close to his home) that El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle were able to escape his iron grip on their freedom. Though he wasn't sure if Lord Brock actually killed the woman in the stories he read, there was no doubt in Justin's mind that the badger would kill him if he wanted to, especially since he was sent by Elil-rah. Yet, something was irregular about this whole thing. It didn't seem rational of Lord Brock to actually do this, to show himself in front of the rabbits, actually talking with Hazel-rah as if the matter of bargaining for someone's life was a simple conversation between acquaintances. Not only did he lose the element of surprise, but he was also alone without any army. This whole thing seemed incredibly fishy, but Justin knew that the messengers Elil-rah sent to kill him were usually not very reasonable. Pipkin, however, noticed what Justin was thinking too.

"Silver, there's something odd about all this! He's not even trying to attack us! He's trying to talk it out with Hazel-rah, and this isn't like all the other elil that Elil-rah has sent to chase us! He could have sent all of us tumbling down the mountain by breaking the rock path before we could even scamper off, but he's not! Silver, I'm scared! Please, try to run and get Justin out of here! I don't want him to endanger himself if he stays here!" he pleaded.

"We can't!" hissed Silver as he was trying to listen to the conversation Hazel was having with Lord Brock. "If that embleer lendri is as good to his filthy, contemptible threat as he says, then he'll try to hurl all of us off this mountain! And I can't run now, not without having Bigwig and the other rabbits in front of me getting out of my way, and before that could happen, Lord Brock will see what was going on and send all of us plummeting down before we could even move! Pipkin, quiet, I'm trying to listen!"

Justin then had a sudden impulsive idea, and he leaned over to Pipkin, whispering, "Pipkin, I have an idea, but I need your help since you're the smallest and can easily squeeze past everyone without Lord Brock's attention. I need you to go to Bigwig and..." The small rabbit listened intensely while the other rabbits just focused on the sight of their leader bravely discussing matters with the huge badger lord.

Lord Brock continued talking. "Come now, Hazel-rah, try to be a reasonable rabbit and hear what I have to say. I'm not going to kill Justin, well, not if it can be helped." At this, he shot a leering glance at the teenager on Silver's back, and Justin shuddered, not liking the gruesome, teasing tone of Lord Brock's voice on that last part. Campion, Hawkbit, and Acorn, seeing this, stood upright and blocked Justin from the badger's eyesight, glaring at the eli with a mixture of helplessness and fury. "I'll make this plain and simple: I want the cross, the jewel around the boy's neck. Give to me, and I'll let all of you pass by and make it back to El-ahrairah's warren without so much as even a scratch. Out of the goodness of my heart, I'll even lie to Elil-rah and tell him that I succeeded in my mission of assassinating the young human boy."

"Without Justin's cross, El-ahrairah will never recover from Elil-rah's dark powers!" fumed Hazel as he fought the urge to yell at Lord Brock. "I am no fool; without his powers, Justin will be vulnerable, so the temptation for you to kill him will be too great to suppress. And even if you didn't kill our friend, that won't stop Elil-rah from sending other messengers to attack us."

"That may be true, but I am giving you the chance to spare Justin's life," Lord Brock sneered at the rabbit leader. He then noticed a movement from the group of rabbits, and alarmed, he looked up sharply, but to his relief, he saw it was a diminutive, brown rabbit, a runt, trying to make his way past the other rabbits and retreating away from the scene. And none of the other rabbits made a move to stop him.

Coward, the badger thought, chuckling at the sight of a puny, weakling rabbit even being in the infamous Owsla of El-ahrairah, the runt of the group has turned tail and run. Oh well, what's one less rabbit, especially a pygmy like him? He's of no importance, and as long as I have the rest of these damned rabbits under the power of my menace, I still have the advantage of this fight. Lord Brock then turned to Hazel and growled, "Now, enough talk, Hazel-rah. I've made my ultimatum: either the boy hands me his cross and I let you live, or I start a tremor powerful enough to collapse this footpath and to send all of you rabbits and the cross-bearer into a very long descent into oblivion."

"No, you can't have it!" This came from Justin as he guardedly clasped a hand over his cross around his neck, and Lord Brock just grinned slyly at the teenager. Justin continued to shout at the badger, "I won't let you take my cross! I need this to save El-ahrairah and I won't let you steal the only thing that can help my friends and their Prince in this land! Besides, this cross isn't even important to you, Lord Brock! It would be worthless to you! You wouldn't know what to do with it!"

Lord Brock grinned craftily, "Aha, but that is where you are wrong, you unenlightened fool! I want that cross for its power, and even in such a short time, all of the messengers and soldiers of Elil-rah's Owsla have already heard of the wondrous and miraculous things that you, a lone, sad, inadequate human teenager, were able to achieve and accomplish with such a small trinket! The power to freeze time, to create a vast army, to move objects at will, to call on and summon servants of mass destruction! With that cross, I could be a god, a creature as powerful as Frith himself! The glory I could accomplish with that power, and once I have it, _I_ will be the new ruler in the land beyond life, and all will bow and humble themselves to serve me and my kingdom for all eternity!"

"I can obviously see Elil-rah wasn't very careful at choosing his members to be part of his dark Owsla," snarled Holly as he looked at Lord Brock in contempt. Lord Brock's eyes darkened.

"Elil-rah is an impetuous fool to not imagine the possibilities of supremacy that could be achieved with that token, and the dark duffer actually feels threatened by that light of the cross-bearer's cross! With such light, I will have nothing to fear from Elil-rah, and once I take over the land beyond life, I will live in the dream of prestige and command over all animals!"

"You're mad!" spat out Fiver in shock, his mouth starting to froth in distress, "You're absolutely mad!"

"Oh wonderful," Buckthorn growled sarcastically, "So even if we did let this crack-brained lendri have what he wants, instead of being slaves to Elil-rah, we'll be slaves to that badger! I can't tell which one is worse!"

"It's sort of like deciding whether to be snared or to be shot," protested Strawberry. Lord Brock ignored him and boomed his threat back towards Justin.

"Justin, give me that cross!"

"No, I won't, and I won't let you use this for evil! The cross was given to me so that I could help this world and other animals, not to hand it over by some psychotic megalomaniac fur-ball like you! I won't let you hurt us!" In an instant, Justin grasped the cross with both hands and started to pray, invoking the powers of holy, golden light. The badger, though slightly irked at Justin's stubbornness and loyalty to El-ahrairah, smiled at Justin's naive second attempts.

"Trying to time freeze me again, you stupid boy?" Lord Brock boasted gleefully, "Haven't you guessed it, you idiot! Your powers won't affect me! Elil-rah handed me a article of clothing so impervious, not even the light of your prayers can stop me!" He indicated the cape he was wearing with his head. "This cloak of resistance that was given to me will protect me against any spell you throw, and no matter what you can think of, you cannot use your cross-bearer powers to affect me!"

"Whoever said I was using the powers of my cross on _you?_" Now it was Justin's turn to smirk, and to the badger's surprised fury, the teenager opened his eyes from his prayer, giving Lord Brock the same, telltale, knowing gleam in his eye. Suddenly, Bigwig, the very rabbit in the back, started to grow at an incredible rate, bathed in golden sunlight as his body began to reshape and form. In a flash, to Lord Brock's horror, now Bigwig was transformed into a large dog, the very same form he used to protect Justin from King Darzin. And with a second glance, the badger saw that the rabbit runt (Pipkin) was standing next to the dog, smiling. As it turned out, Pipkin didn't run at all; he went to the rear of the line by Justin's request to inform Bigwig of Justin's plan to transform him into a dog so that he could fight and stall Lord Brock from attacking Hazel and the others while they used the chance to escape off the shaky, rocky path. Lord Brock's impassive arrogance had cost him fatally. Bigwig, in his dog form, sarcastically smiled as he growled, "Now we're evenly matched, embleer lendri!"

With a bound, Bigwig leapt past the rabbits, sailing overhead his comrades, only to tackle Lord Brock at the other end of the route, causing the rock path starting to crackle and fracture even dangerously further. Lord Brock fought back angrily, biting and clawing at the dog, but Hazel knew that this could be anyone's battle. Both Bigwig and Lord Brock were the same size, and due to their combined weights on the path, it would certainly be inevitable that one of them would fall if the rock trail didn't collapse first. Justin quickly yelled to Hazel, "Hazel, c'mon, we have to get out of here! Bigwig's stalling Lord Brock to give us time to escape!"

With a dash, all the rabbits flew as fast they could back towards the part of the mesa leading into the thick forest covering the other side of the mountain. They were now off the treacherous footpath and back at the solid, rocky clearing of the summit.

"Now what do we do?" squealed Speedwell, "We can't go back down the mountain, and Lord Brock is blocking the only safe path through the mountains!"

"We could try finding another way!" suggested Dandelion, his sides heaving and gasping.

"We don't have time! We have to figure out a way to get rid of Lord Brock from coming after us! But with that cloak of resistance, Justin can't time-freeze him and give us a chance to make headway for escape like we did with the Ilips and the Efrafans!" Blackberry pointed out.

"Justin, can't you just summon the cloak to come off him! Like you did with Blood Whitetail's medallion!" Hawkbit pestered the teenager urgently. Justin shook his head.

"I don't think so! Lord Brock said it was resistant to all the abilities my cross could summon, so if I tried to do it, it probably wouldn't work since my powers of teleportation would simply be reflected off the cape!"

"Well then that eliminates the other offensive possibilities of levitation, blinding him with the light, setting him on fire, and Frith knows what other direct attacks we had in plan in case of an emergency such as this!" Campion groaned with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Fiver then squealed in dread and sorrow as he watched the battle.

"Bigwig!" he screamed.

Everyone turned back to the battle to see a gut-wrenching sight. During their inhumane brawl, Lord Brock had just embedded his claws into the inside of Bigwig's right haunch as Bigwig kept a bloody, death-grip of the badger's shoulder with his teeth. At the stinging of the claws scratching against his bone, Bigwig let go of Lord Brock's shoulder and roared in pain. That was the moment Lord Brock was waiting for. With a hefty, cruel shove with his good shoulder, the badger pushed Bigwig off the path, and despite a few brief seconds of Bigwig teetering precariously, trying to regain his balance, he fell, hurtling down the mountain. Pipkin screamed and Strawberry started wailing, but Justin grabbed his cross.

"Stop him!" he whispered intently, "Please, for Bigwig's sake, let him land on a rock to stop him from falling! Block his path with a ledge or a cliff! Please!" With those words, Bigwig saw to his astonishment, as he fell, a sudden bulge of golden light emerged from the mountain right underneath him, and with a sudden thud, Bigwig's descent was miraculously halted as he felt his belly land painfully on something hard. With a flash, the light revealed that Bigwig fell on a jutting outcrop of rock, formed in the nick of time by Justin's powers, and now, Bigwig was safe, but bleeding and hazardously lying on a flat ridge. Lord Brock then charged down the path and towards the Watership rabbits guarding Justin, roaring with demonic anger, "I WANT THAT CROSS! BY THE NAME OF ALL LENDRI, I WILL TAKE IT FROM YOU, JUSTIN!"

"That's what you think!" yelled Holly as he, Hazel, Fiver, Hawkbit, Campion, Bluebell, Dandelion, and Buckthorn charged towards Lord Brock courageously. As they made their way halfway up the path, before they could strike with a team-coordinated head-butt, Lord Brock gave an amazing bound and gracefully leaped over the heads of the rabbits. But that wasn't the worst part. With a resounding crash, Lord Brock landed hard onto the rocky path, and due to the final blow, the path behind him started to break and collapse underneath the very paws of the rabbits. As Lord Brock watched over his shoulder with sickening enthusiasm, the path gave way and sent all the rabbits standing on it tumbling down the mountain into the empty air and void below!

"Hazel-rah! Everyone!" screamed Pipkin, unable to take his eyes off the horrific sight.

"Bigwig, above you!" Silver bellowed, and Bigwig looked up to see the screaming rabbits falling towards him, and without a thought of his own safety, Bigwig instinctively leaned over and grabbed Fiver skillfully by the scruff of his neck, preventing him from falling. Due to Bigwig's broad canine body sticking out, Hazel, Campion, Holly, and Hawkbit were luckily able to land on his wide back, safely breaking their falls with a soft landing. Bluebell comically stopped his plummet by scrabbling onto Bigwig's large head, and Dandelion and Buckthorn, thanks to Bigwig's leaning outwards, grabbed hold of his neck, and gasping with fright and adrenaline, they sunk their claws into Bigwig, trying to gain foothold and a better grip. Bigwig hissed in pain through his gritted teeth at the stinging of Dandelion and Buckthorn unintentionally scratching him, and Bluebell said, panicking, "Bigwig, whatever you do, don't move or else you'll lose your own balance and we'll all fall off this ledge! And I don't think Justin can levitate all of us!"

"Frank youth forth saything the obthious, Cluekell!" warbled Bigwig heatedly through his gritted teeth as he still held Fiver with his mouth. Now, all of them were awkwardly and precariously dangling on the cliff, and any sudden movement from Bigwig would endanger all of them. Hazel stared at Lord Brock helplessly, praying that the other would somehow find a way to defeat him before he could attack Justin. Meanwhile, Justin and the other rabbits back at the firm ground above looked on in dread and alarm as Brock started to stalk towards them, madness and grim determination in the badger's bloodlust eyes. Blackberry then hit on an idea.

"Justin!" he yelled at the teenager, "Try creating an army of rabbits, like you did with Acorn with Volgnamass and his weasels! It'll certainly give us an edge in stopping Lord Brock!"

"An army?" Justin glanced knowingly at Acorn, who nodded fiercely at Justin, indicating that he was ready. Justin grabbed his cross, and in less than a minute, Lord Brock was shocked at the sight of Acorn multiplying into a vast number of rabbits, covering the entire mountaintop. With a terrific squeal, the army of Acorns charged and leapt at the hulking form of the badger. Annoyed and enraged, the badger did his best to swat them off, but the tenacious multiples fought bravely as they clabbered over the beast, biting, scratching, and kicking repeatedly. And they were not alone; fearing that the army wouldn't be enough to handle the enemy, Pipkin and Justin were left behind for their own safety while Silver, Acorn, Strawberry, Blackberry, and Speedwell charged into the melee. Silver shouted to Pipkin and Justin watching helplessly in the sidelines while he proceeded to rip the badger's ears into pieces with his teeth.

"Pipkin, take Justin and both of you, run into the forest and hide yourselves! If we can't stop Lord Brock, at least he won't be able to find you among the trees!"

"No, we won't!" whined Pipkin with tears in his eyes, "We won't leave you! I want to help!"

"Frith in a tree, just run! Do you want Justin to die!" Pipkin shook his head, but when Justin and Pipkin ran as fast as they could towards the thick wood, the small rabbit couldn't help but cry, partly cursing himself for being a coward but also cursing himself because he knew deep in his heart, if it came just between him and Lord Brock, Justin wouldn't have a chance.

Brock had enough, and with a fury none of the rabbits had ever experienced before with any animal, the huge eli went into an insane rage as his cloak around his neck started to glow in a dark luster. With squeals of pain and excruciating agony, all the multiples of Acorn that Justin had summoned for his cross covered their heads with their paws, and with a final whimper, turned into smoke as they all vanished into thin air. Now, there were only the five original rabbits standing between Lord Brock and the path that led straight into the forest where Pipkin and Justin took. With a roar of determination, Speedwell, Strawberry, Blackberry, Silver, and Acorn charged towards the badger, but the wrath of Lord Brock's anger and battle lust was unconquerable. With a swipe of his paw, he sent Acorn and Blackberry flying into a wall of rock, stunning them into the brink of unconsciousness. With a ferocious lunge, Speedwell and Strawberry leapt into the badger's back, trying to find a way to tear the cloak of resistance off him, but Lord Brock simply bucked them off, and a few hard cuffs made sure that both annoyances stayed on the ground, lying weakly in pools of their own blood. Silver tried to leap up and claw at Lord Brock's face, but with a thrust, Lord Brock caught Silver in his mouth, and with just one chomp, Silver fell back down to the ground, writhing in agonizing, unbearable pain as the jagged teeth wounded his body horrifically, tearing the flesh on his waist and torso into loose, flapping chunks and ribbons and leaving his fur coated with a mixture of saliva and blood. Remorseless, Lord Brock growled into Silver's face savagely, "That was for my ear, you flea-ridden inconvenience. Now, we're even!"

Without hesitation, the badger ran into the thick coppice, his massive body crashing and uprooting the sturdy trees and brambles as he went, leaving a trail of broken wood, uprooted earth, and destruction. As Silver feebly watched Lord Brock break down through the trees, shaking from the cold and pain of his injuries, he gasped faintly, "Pipkin, please, for Frith's sake, protect yourself and Justin. I don't know what would happen if we lost both of you."

000-

Pipkin and Justin ran as fast as they both could, not caring about the aching splits they both had in their sides nor the branches that threatened to hit them as they sped past. Panting and exhausted from the reckless sprinting, both Justin and Pipkin came to the edge of the grove, and to their stupefied, distressing dismay, they came into a barren, rocky clearing about several yards long, but at the very edge was a steep cliff. And beyond that, nothing. They were trapped. Behind them was the thick forest where they could hear the faint, but distinct sounds of Lord Brock crashing through the growth and underbrush, and in front of them was a crag offering nothing but a very steep drop into the ground way, way, _way_ below. Justin's face just blanched at the thought of the height, feeling his fears creep back to him and hugging his heart with a strong grip of ice. Pipkin just kept sobbing on all fours, and worried, Justin knelt down to calm him down, "Pipkin, please don't cry, we have to find a way to get out of here!"

Pipkin wept, "I'm sorry, Justin, but I'm crying because we left all our friends behind! They're all hurt, and yet I couldn't help them!" The tears were now rivulets running down his fur. "I ran, I just ran, and I could have done something to help them, but all I could do was run away with you, like a helpless, scared buck! I could have stayed there with them, and instead, I just did nothing!"

"Pipkin, that isn't true! If we stayed, we would have been killed by Lord Brock a lot quicker! And...and yeah, I don't want to leave them either! That's why I didn't want to leave Bluebell when the Efrafans attacked, but you aren't a coward! It's not your fault, Pipkin! You did what Silver told you to do, and being faithful isn't cowardly!"

"Yes, it is! If I was better fighter, I would have been able to protect you!"

"Pipkin..." murmured Justin in sympathy and understanding, and in his love for his friend, he gently picked up the rabbit like a toddler, and stood up, cradling the anguished Pipkin against him. Well, if he was going to die, he might as well do it after showing Pipkin some care. Pipkin kept sobbing before his heart spilled his angst and grief, "If only I was more courageous like Bigwig or...or a good fighter like Campion and Buckthorn, I could protect you, like a real guardian angel, the type of guardian angel that you deserve! I...I just wish I wasn't so small and weak!"

"Ah, I see that little, pathetic, feeble annoyance has seen the obvious," Lord Brock commented despicably as he emerged from the undergrowth. Forcing himself to not grow weak with dread, Justin just slowly edged backwards away from the advancing badger, but still awkwardly looking behind to see that he was nearing closer and closer to the very edge of the cliff. A few more steps backwards and he would fall. Lord Brock just continued ruthlessly tormenting Pipkin as he menacingly advanced on them. "Hmph. So _this_ is what it all comes down to for the protection and well being of the cross-bearer? One pathetically, small, tearful, oversensitive, weak runt? I can truthfully say by now, your cross will be mine, cross-bearer."

"Leave him alone, ya big bully!" snarled Justin, his eyes flashing at the sight of Lord Brock picking on Pipkin, just like how the high school kids picked on him back in his world.

"I will, _when_ I have that cross! Give it to me!"

"Over my dead body!" yelled Justin, but then he blanched, realizing what he just said. Not exactly the best thing to tempt the eli with.

"Duly noted," snickered Lord Brock before his face grew cold and serious. "Now give me that cross!"

"NO!" Justin was adamant, remembering how his friends he had left behind fought with everything they had to protect him from danger. He wasn't going to give the cross up, and though the thought made him shiver, the only way Lord Brock would get the cross was if he had to pry it off his dead body. Lord Brock now had a murderous gleam in his eyes as he whispered ominously, "That wasn't a request, you little brat! Now, if you do not give me that cross, I will grab that rabbit from your hands and toss him off this mountain, and you'll have the perfect view of seeing him hurtle downwards into a very painful landing to the ground below right before I kill you regardless and take the cross myself! Being familiar with how much you treasure you precious rabbit friends, I know this is one of your weaknesses."

It was clear that Justin didn't have much of a choice, but Pipkin cried out sorrowfully to Justin, "Please Justin, don't do it! I don't care if I get hurt, but I don't want you to be alone with Lord Brock!"

"QUIET, YOU ANNOYING, LITTLE RUNT!" Lord Brock roared the command so loud, Justin nearly went deaf as the wind from the badger's hot breath caused him to stumble further back, nearer towards the cliff. Pipkin, at the harsh, vicious words, buried his face into Justin's shirt, sobbing with a mixture of fear and self-loathing.

"Leave him alone, you jerk! Pipkin didn't deserve that!" Pipkin felt Justin hold him even tighter.

"I've had enough: cross-bearer, you either hand me that cross immediately or I will personally take that sniveling, whiny buck from your hands and crush him with my paws before flinging him off this mountain! CHOOSE!" Justin, at a loss, slowly, to Pipkin's shock and horror, raised his right arm towards the clasp to the necklace at the back of his neck. Pipkin was crushed, and he shut his eyes, and before his human friend had a chance to touch the metal latch, Pipkin thought as his tears started to drop onto the orange crystal cross, _NO! Please, this is all my fault! If only Hazel-rah and all my friends were here, we could stop him from giving Lord Brock the only thing that can save the land beyond life and El-ahrairah! Please, Frith, I don't care what happens to me, but Justin is going to hand the lendri the cross to save me, and I want to help, but I can't! Please Frith! I don't care what happens to me, but...but I don't want Justin to die! I want to protect him with all my heart, like a real guardian angel!_

As Pipkin shed tears, his tears of love, of devotion, of trust, caused the cross to react violently, and to the shock of all three of them, the cross radiated golden light so brightly, all of them had to squint and shield their eyes as the powers engulfed the entire mountain.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE DARK BEAST!" Lord Brock howled in rage as he stepped back reluctantly, but painfully from the bright light, his paws vainly trying to shield his pupils from being blinded by the bright intensity.

"Pipkin, what's going on? What did you do?" asked a bewildered Justin.

"I...don't know!" Pipkin gasped weakly as the cross continued to glow strongly.

000-

"Bigwig, please don't strain yourself!" Hazel begged him as he, Hawkbit, Campion, and Holly hung tenaciously on to his back. Bigwig was still in his dog form, and despite his uncoordinated position on the ledge, he was doing his best to keep the rabbits on his back and hold Fiver with his teeth. If he kept this up any longer, he would tire out and collapse from exhaustion, but none of the rabbits didn't want to even think what would happen if that occurred. Buckthorn then gasped as he saw they were suddenly engulfed with a golden light. Hazel and the others also noticed the paranormal scene.

"What in the name of Frith and In-?" blurted out Holly before Bigwig, Fiver, Bluebell, Buckthorn, Dandelion, Holly, Hazel, Hawkbit, and Campion disappeared off the small ledge in a blink of an eye. Only to find themselves back on solid ground, away from the recently collapsed rocky path that Lord Brock had destroyed, and now, they were magically teleported where the rest of the rabbits were weakly lying on the ground of the clearing, heavily injured and barely moving. Holly cursed under his breath at the sight of his companions and friends injured to the badger's ruthlessness and he and Hazel were about to rush towards their fallen comrades, but Campion stopped the both of them.

"Look!" he exclaimed, indicating the sky with a simple nod of his head. There, in the sky, rays of golden sunlight were illuminating the entire mountain that the rabbits of Watership Down were standing on. Bigwig looked on bewildered as a ray of sunlight surrounded him, and instantaneously, he was reverted back into his original rabbit form. Silver, Acorn, Blackberry, Strawberry, and Speedwell were also bathed with healing, warm, comforting streams of gold and orange, and with a final flash, their wounds were gone, erased, and all five of them, despite the horrific injuries Lord Brock dealt with them, they were all now fully recovered and they shakily got up from the ground.

"Wha...What in the name of El-ahrairah had just happened?" Strawberry queried incredulously.

"I think Justin had a hand in all of this," smiled Blackberry with relief as he helped Acorn rise from his sprawled position on the ground. But then a roar of rage from Lord Brock had echoed clearly throughout the mountain.

"That's Lord Brock!" gasped Dandelion in realization. Silver then realized something.

"Hazel-rah! We have to get over to where Lord Brock is and help Justin! Pipkin went with him, but he's the only rabbit protecting the cross-bearer! Lord Brock went into the forest to track and hunt down the both of them after he fought against us!"

Hazel declared loudly, "Then we best be moving! Follow Lord Brock's scent in the forest and start running!"

000-

As the light subsided, to Lord Brock's horror and to Justin and Pipkin's surprised joy, the light from Justin's cross had completely disintegrated Lord Brock's cloak of resistance. Now he was completely vulnerable to Justin's powers. Justin could scarcely believe his luck, but Pipkin snapped him out of his dazed condition. "Hurry, Justin, freeze Lord Brock! Hurry!"

Lord Brock then snapped to attention, and with a maddening, livid roar, he foolishly lunged at Justin and Pipkin, snarling, "Oh, no you won't! I'll rip you both to shreds before that will happen! I'll kill you myself cross-bearer!"

It's often said that foresight is 0/20 while hindsight would be 20/20. Unfortunately, that was the case for the three of them. Lord Brock, in his insane rage, didn't anticipate himself tackling Pipkin, Justin, and himself off the cliff, and as Hazel and the other rabbits emerged from the forest and into the clearing, they saw the terrifying scene of Lord Brock, vainly trying to claw at Justin holding Pipkin in his arms, stumbling off the precipice and into the empty air.

"JUSTIN! PIPKIN!" all the rabbits screamed as they raced to the edge to see the sight of the three plummeting to a very deep fall. Justin swore he felt his heart jump up from his chest and to his throat for he was too much in shock and dread at the sight of falling at such an incredible velocity to even scream. The fear, the dread, the phobia, was now multiplied many times over, and took a complete, paralyzing hold over his brain and body, and despite trying desperately to think of a solution he could think of to get out of this situation, all he could think was, _I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die_. It would probably be several minutes before their bodies would hit the ground, and he remembered reading that when falling from an extremely, high altitude, a human will black out before hitting the ground. He hoped that would be the preferred alternative. Lord Brock was roaring and howling in a combination of terror, fright, and anger, and in his wrathful outrage, he focused the blame for his undoing on the being closest to him, which unluckily, happened to be Pipkin. Pipkin blanched as he saw Lord Brock reach out to claw at his body despite plunging rapidly.

"YOU!" he snarled, his teal eyes burning with animosity and insanity as his words raised overwhelming enmity mixed with his bile burning at the back of this throat. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! IF WE ARE TO FALL, I'LL TEAR YOU TO PIECES BEFORE WE EVEN REACH THE GROUND, YOU STUPID, TROUBLEMAKING WRETCH!" With a hostile lunge, he succeeded in grabbing the terrified buck with his paws, and now, Pipkin was writhing at Lord Brock's mercy as he saw the disturbed, fanatical look of the badger's face as he gave a sickening smile of delight and anticipation, his claws itching to rend the rabbit into bits.

"JUSTTIIIIINNNNNN!" shrieked Pipkin, and the cry of pain, of torment, of innocence, snapped Justin to attention as he saw Pipkin being cruelly grasped in Lord Brock's awkwardly large paws, like how a cat handles a mouse right before it kills it. For though he had no idea why or how, Justin then remembered Pipkin crying as he recalled Pipkin's words earlier, his safe, gentle voice echoing into his head: _Well, you'll think it's silly like Bluebell or Hawkbit, but...but I just thought that if I had wings and could fly, then I could be a real guardian angel, just like you've always wanted. If I had wings, I could finally be more useful, do a better job of defending you, and finally have my dreams come true and getting the chance to fly, just like Kehaar... Please Justin, don't do it! I don't care if I get hurt, but I don't want you to be alone with Lord Brock! If you ever died, I'd be so sad. You're the only human friend we've ever made, but you're nicer than a lot of animals here, and I'm glad that you came. I wouldn't want anyone else to be the cross-bearer but you... If only I was more courageous like Bigwig or...or a good fighter like Campion and Buckthorn, I could protect you, like a real guardian angel, the type of guardian angel that you deserve! I...I just wish I wasn't so small and weak!_ Grabbing his cross, Justin whispered pleadingly, affectionately, "Please, I wish...that just this once, you grant Pipkin's wish! I wish he had wings so that he can save himself from Lord Brock! Please, just once, grant Pipkin's wish in his heart!"

Above them, back on the clearing at the edge of the precipice, Hazel and the other rabbits were tearfully and helplessly looking at the scene below with dread and trepidation.

"Oh no, the lendri's got Pipkin! He's going to hurt him!"

"Please, not Pipkin! Please, Frith, for our friend, save him!"

"Justin, please, come through!"

Silver then saw a miracle happening to Pipkin. He squealed, "LOOK!"

Everyone glanced down and gasped, staring at the wonderful sight with mouths agape. Lord Brock was about to break Pipkin's body into two, but then to his surprise, the little buck's body was illuminated with golden light, sparkling and pure like the sun. Unable to continue watching the sight, Lord Brock yelled in pain as the light seared into his eyes and brain excruciatingly, causing him to let go. Alone and unhindered, Pipkin closed his eyes, feeling the most soothing, calming feeling washing over his body, and with a bright flash of light, the Watership Owsla witnessed Pipkin now no longer falling and floating softly, serenely in the air. And on his back, were enormous, beautiful and delicate feathered wings, so intense no one could distinguish if they were the color of gold or white. The wings were narrow, but intricately designed with beautiful patterns of large and small feathers for powerful, maximal control of the air for flight and power. Pipkin slowly opened his glazed pupils, letting his wings stretch back from his relaxed body, their wingspan as long as the size of Lord Brock himself. With the halos of light shimmering across his light brown fur and the serene, calm complexion in his eyes and face, Justin could have happily sworn that Pipkin looked like the perfect description of an angel. But then he realized that he was still falling along with the terrified Lord Brock.

"PIIPPKKIIIINNNNNNN!" Justin hollered, the blood rushing to his head and heart, threatening to make Justin pass out. Pipkin came out of his trance and glanced down to see Justin plummeting to his death. With a powerful flap, the rabbit instinctively folded his wings and dropped like a stone. As the rest of the Owsla from El-ahrairah watched breathlessly, in a swift curve, Pipkin flew up to Justin, and frantically, Justin grabbed Pipkin, wrapping his arms firmly around the buck's waist while positioning himself securely on the rabbits back in between the two outsized bird wings. Lord Brock howled in fury.

"No!" he screamed, reaching out for the two, but faster than his eye could blink, Pipkin joyfully ascended and flew upwards to the heavens above, leaving Lord Brock alone in his descent, as the courageous rabbit carried the teenager to safety. Justin, now out of danger, could scarcely believe what he was seeing. He and Pipkin were now soaring into the clouds, above the cliffs and mountains, and compared to the view he saw while climbing the summits with the rabbits, Pipkin was right. The scene of the land beyond life in the bird's eye view was utterly, completely, absolutely breathtaking. Down below, the rabbits continued watching the scene of Pipkin flying with his newfound wings, elated and bursting with happiness with relieved astonishment.

"Well, what do you know! The young chap finally did it! He did it!" cheered Bluebell happily.

"You know, watching Pipkin having the time of his life up there make me a little envious!" Buckthorn watched in eye-boggling amazement.

"By the miracles of Frith, this is certainly a new one!" commented Dandelion with shining eyes, "Our children's children will hear a good story!"

"I guess Pipkin finally got his dreams achieved, eh Hazel-rah?" Campion smiled warmly.

"Should be get them down?" Bigwig asked worriedly, but Hazel shook his head as he was enjoying the sight.

"No...I think Pipkin deserves to enjoy this moment as long as he wants. It's not every day a rabbit is lucky enough to have something like this happen to him." All the rabbits merrily contented themselves to watch the sight of Pipkin gliding gracefully across the blue shy and white clouds. Meanwhile, up in the air, Pipkin was excitedly talking with Justin.

"See, Justin! This is absolutely wonderful! There's nothing like this in the world like flying!"

"I guess you're right, ol' buddy," admitted Justin sheepishly as his fears of heights were conquered by the tranquil and stunning views of the green and golden lands and forests of the heavenly paradise of the land beyond life. He turned to the small buck and cheerfully laughed, "Looks like you finally got your wings, Pipkin! You're now a qualified guardian angel!"

"Frith-rah!" cheered Pipkin ecstatically, but then Justin added compassionately, "But, with or without wings, you'll always be my friend..._and_ my guardian angel." Pipkin smiled, his eyes twinkling with tears of joy and love, and said, "And you'll always be my friend..._and_ the cross-bearer who I'll always protect and always be by his side with all my mind and heart."

000-

Meanwhile, Lord Brock, before he hit the ground, was surprised to find himself engulfed with black, choking smoke, and before he knew it, he found himself facing the red, damning eyes of Elil-rah, staring at him knowingly and accusingly.

"My...my Lord," Lord Brock whispered meekly as he bowed, but Elil-rah's voice boomed with animosity and disappointment as he yelled at the badger.

"**YOU FAILED IN OBTAINING THE CROSS-BEARER, LORD BROCK, AND TO ADD THE INSULT TO YOUR INJURIES, YOU ACTUALLY DARED TO DEFY ME! OH, BELIEVE ME, I AM OMNIPOTENT, AND I CAN SENSE IN YOUR TRATORIOUS, WRETCHED MIND ON HOW YOU PLANNED TO DECEIVE AND OVERTHROW MY ATTEMPTS TO RULE IN THE LAND BEYOND LIFE WITH YOUR SELFISH, POWER-HUNGRY AMBITIONS! YOU DARE TRY TO STEAL THE CROSS OF ETERNAL LIGHT AND HARNESS IT AGAINST ME AND MY POWERS! YOU WILL BE PUNISHED!**"

"My lord, please, have mercy!" pleaded the badger pathetically, but he disappeared in a puff of black smoke, only to awaken and find himself embedded into the ground, painfully entwined and trapped underneath the roots of a gnarled, large oak tree. Only his head and two front paws were above the surface of the grass and dirt, and the wretched badger could hear the deep, booming voice of Elil-rah all around him.

"**NOW, YOU CURSED LENDRI, HERE IS WHERE YOU SHALL REMAIN FOREVER MORE! THIS TREE SHALL IMPRISON YOU INTO THE EARTH FOR THE REST OF YOU MISERABLE, INSOLENT EXISTENCE, AND NO AMOUNT OF STRENGTH ON YOUR PART WILL EVER FREE YOU! IN FACT, THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN FREE YOU IS THE HUMAN CROSS-BEARER HIMSELF, SO HERE, YOU SHALL ROT LIKE THE LYING, DESPICABLE HRAKA YOU ALWAYS WERE! NOW YOU WILL STAY, FOR ALL ETERNITY!**"

"NOOOOOOO! Please, don't leave me!" screamed the badger lord, crying pitifully, but no one was there to hear his cries of the punished and of the damned.

NEXT: Blackberry in "Blackberry's Beautiful Mind"

BTW, like what you read! REVIEW! Constructive criticisms are welcome! Suggestions for improvement are welcome! Elil and any person flaming the Watership rabbits will be dragged out into the open and cuffed personally by Bigwig, Silver, and Holly, right guys! (all three growl in agreement) Next chapter coming in one or two weeks!


	16. Blackberry's Beautiful Mind

/*

Author's note: I'm so sorry, I again apologize for being late, but this chapter caused me a bit of trouble.  I wanted to write more about Blackberry, but honest to fan fiction, I couldn't picture a conflict for the bright fellow! **~Blackberry glares at him~** Oh wait, thought up of one!  And plus, there was all the stress of buying presents, wrapping presents, and the holidays, not to mention playing my new Kingdom Hearts game on PS2! ~**Everyone stares at him, wondering why an author could put more precedence on video games that writing (hey, I have a life outside this story!)~**  Anyway, I apologize for being late, and hope you enjoy this chapter about our ever so famous bright genius, Blackberry!  Constructive criticism and suggestions are WELCOME! =)

*/

CHAPTER 16 

                It was a bright mid-morning two days following the events of Lord Brock's attack at the pathway leading into the canyons.  After Pipkin had his enjoyment with his wings, the instant they both landed back on the ground, the wings faded away, vanishing into the sunlight. Surprisingly, Pipkin wasn't crushed about giving up his newfound ability to take flight so quickly; using it to save the famous cross-bearer just once was enough for him, and the memories would last in his mind forever.  Now, they were already in the very heart of the canyons, after Justin used his powers of his cross to repair the bridge that Lord Brock had previously crushed, and were among the steep slopes surrounding the gorges, the rocky walls actually sunburned to a dark red.  However, much to Justin's extreme relief, the grasslands at the very center of the gorges had lush plants, several fruit trees and a nice, sparkling stream of clear water running though banks of bright, sandy soil.  There were even some wild carrots and cowslips for the rabbits to feast on, and to everyone's delight, Holly and Bigwig and Hazel all agreed after two days of traveling, here would be a perfect spot to rest for a day.  They've all been worn out, including Justin, and here, with its high, protective barriers and ample cover underneath, Hazel and Holly believed the very bottom of the canyons would be the safest place to recuperate.  Pipkin was retelling all the rabbits gathered around him, while nibbling on carrots, what exactly went on between Lord Brock and himself when they got tackled off the cliff, and apparently, from the looks on some of their faces, they too, wished they had wings and the ability to take flight.  Well, almost everyone.  Bigwig and Buckthorn were on sentry duty, and Blackberry laid on the grass next to a large, fallen, rotting, dead birch tree along with Justin next to the sandy banks of the stream abound with cranberry bushes.  Justin was drinking the cold water from the stream.  Well, literally inhaling it since he hadn't any water for a day since they went down the rocky path of the mountains to the canyons.

                Blackberry ambled beside Justin.  "I can see you've been needing that for a while, young cross-bearer."

                "Yeah," panted Justin, feeling loads better now that his parched throat was diminished.  "I just had no idea how thirsty I was."  Blackberry cocked his head in puzzlement towards the human he was supposed to protect.

                "Thirsty?  You've only been without water for one day."

                "Um, Blackberry, that's long enough.  In fact, a human can only last two or three days without water.  If I did that, then I'd probably die.  But why?  How long can you guys last without drinking water?"

                Blackberry gave a sheepish smirk.  "Well, since this is the land beyond life, to tell you the truth, we only eat, silflay, and drink whenever we feel like it, so we could last much longer than before when we were in the physical world.  Though we still silflay, we could live hrair days and Inle without food or water if we wished it so."

                "But...but then why not?  If you didn't have to stop all the time with rest and silflay, then we'd get to the warren of El-ahrairah a lot sooner."  Blackberry stared at Justin for a moment, but then averted his gaze as he shook his head slowly.  "That's a foolish question, young one."

                Justin then realized it: the Watership rabbits were constantly stopping and resting _for him_.  Justin needed food and water constantly, and the rabbits understood this, so rather than journey through the travel as fast as possible, they were considerately stopping to give Justin a chance to rest and regain his strength.  That alone must have been nerve wracking and tedious for them since every time they did that, it allowed Elil-rah's Owsla to get closer and closer to tracking them down.  Justin felt humbled and touched; it was another reason why he felt more appreciative of the rabbits of Watership Down.

                "Sorry about that," he whispered shamefacedly, "I never really thought about how much you guys are sacrificing yourselves for my sake."  Blackberry gave a wry, disbelieving look towards Justin before settling down on the sandy back next to the teenager.

                "I must admit young chap, I didn't ever think I'd hear the day when a human appreciates the Lapine ways of rabbits!  Now I've certainly heard everything!"

                Justin glanced at him quizzically.  "You make it sound like humans and rabbits will never get along."  Blackberry's face showed annoyed incredulity as he stared at Justin, and Justin then realized that the rabbit was serious.

"Wait...you can't possibly...you're serious??" he finished weakly.  Blackberry gave Justin a sad glance.

"For someone who was chosen to be the cross-bearer, you're incredibly naive."  Justin was quick to check himself for not being offended, especially since he couldn't argue with that.  Blackberry continued.

"Justin, don't mistake me for a heartless Efrafan, and I'm happy for you in seeing that you've found some happiness in the land beyond life, especially since you think of the rabbits such as Bigwig, Silver, and Pipkin as you're close friends, if not your brothers.  But, you do realize, that you're rather more of an exception rather than a rule.  Frith always told us that men were one of the Thousand, so...to be practical, I'm not so sure I even approve that you should even be here because a part of me is fearful that you would ruin this world for us like men before you have ruined the physical world."

"Blackberry, you know that's not true."

"Isn't it?" Blackberry's voice was now a bit resentful and acidic.  "I've seen everything a rabbit has ever feared from the world of men.  You've 'conveniently' forgotten, young one, on how I've had to leave my home because men decided to destroy Sandleford just to suit themselves.  So tell me, am I right?  You, a boy, should at least be able to acknowledge what I say is true."  Justin paused.  He did know that many times, humans certainly didn't know much better (or that they didn't care).  Wars, famine, hatred, prejudice, it all existed in society, and in such a materialistic world, most people cared only to look after themselves rather than care about other matters.  If homes needed to be built, people had no reservations on bulldozing a forest to clear some land (like Sandleford, Justin noted sadly).  If food was needed to be obtained, kill a cow, strangle a chicken, burn a field to create fertile farmland for crops, regardless of the consequences.  After all, as long as they were content, who would care about a few suffering animals such as mice, birds...or even rabbits?  This made Justin realize why Blackberry wasn't so eager to immediately trust the human who would be the summoned cross-bearer.  Blackberry took this silence as unspoken agreement as he continued.

                "For the light of Frith, I've don't think I'll ever be able to understand the ways of men.  Even if it takes me until the end of time, I don't think I can ever comprehend in my mind why men do the things that they do.  Fires, the White Blindness, the demolition of trees and forests to make room for houses and farms, the shooting of innocent animals for sport, hrududu crushing any unlucky animal who walks into its path, and the like!"  The tone in Blackberry's voice slightly worried Justin.  Though Blackberry was certainly friendly and encouraging, Justin couldn't get the feeling that the black-tipped earred buck wasn't as close to Justin as the others.  Yet then again, he never had much of a chance to either.

                Justin tried to find a mutual agreement between himself and Blackberry's statement.  "Well, granted, yeah, a lot of humans do foolish things without thinking how it affects others, but, Blackberry, not all men are evil.  I mean, well, yeah, I don't blame you for thinking about the dark sides of men, but there's a lot of good too.  I'm not the only one who cares about animals and the environment; there's many humans in my world who try to conserve nature and encourage peace."

                Blackberry looked at him sadly, as if he pitied Justin.  "You may care, Justin, but even if you tried, you're still a threat to every single creature in the land beyond life."

                Justin was floored; this was certainly the first time anyone said something that blatant to his face.  Not even Bigwig was this harsh.  "Excuse me??"

                Blackberry ignored the frosty decline of the teenager's voice.  "Justin, do you want to know why I'm so apprehensive about your presence here in the land beyond life?  Do you??  In the physical world, you don't know anything about living on your wits, never knowing when one of the Thousand will snuff out your life in an instant, living every moment of your existence wary, nervous, and to top it all off, live to breed, survive, and be in a home where you belong!  Don't you remember how scared the lot of us were when we had to leave Sandleford warren to escape death?  And why Watership Down was such a safe, hallowed haven?  Because men were never there to threaten us, and entering into the land beyond life, a world where no animal ever has to fear about death, pain, or sorrow ever again, is certainly more than enough to cause chaos and wide-spread panic if any animal found about your coming!"

                "But I don't WANT to hurt anyone here!" Justin fervently protested.

                Blackberry sighed, "I know that, young one, but...I still have doubts.  Remember all the abilities you were able to achieve with your prayers and that cross of light?  Did it ever occur to you that you could also use it to destroy and cause pain and suffering?  Lord Brock's demented dreams of power were only a taste of the horrors your powers could inflict on this world!  And I'm sorry for saying this, Justin, for I can see you _are_ an admirable chap, but if it wasn't for the fact that we need you to heal El-ahrairah, we'd probably be one of the many who would be against you even being here."  Justin was now completely floored.  So now Blackberry, a rabbit he always considered tender and understanding, had the same hidden feelings as the other animals of Elil-rah's Owsla sent to stop him.  Of course, he knew Blackberry was straight-headed enough to never consider treachery, but...the fact was, Blackberry, like Flyairth, was still very, _very_ wary of the ways of men.  He decided to ask a question.

                "Blackberry, do you...do you even like me??"

                "Of course, you're the cross-bearer, the only one who can save this land and heal El-ahrairah from the powers of darkness inflicting him."  Justin decided to rephrase it again.

                "I meant...do you like me, personally?  If I wasn't the cross-bearer, if I wasn't the chosen one..."  He couldn't finish, but Blackberry, ever so perceptive, finished the question for him.

                " 'Would we still have protected you, even though you might have died out there on your own?' "  He paused before replying honestly, "No, we wouldn't have."

                "So, basically, even if I am close to some of you, like Pipkin or Silver, you...the only reason you're tolerating me is because of my cross??  Of my powers??!"  Blackberry remained silent without looking at Justin, and Justin tried to persuade him.  "Blackberry, please, you can't think like that!  I'm not someone who wants to hurt you, and I really do care about you guys!  You're my friends now, the only friends I've ever had!  Blackberry, if you got to know me like Bluebell or Acorn, then you'd realize that everything you think you know about the ways of humans doesn't exactly apply to me!  Please, Blackberry, don't think like that!"

                "Justin, I can't do that.  It goes against everything Frith taught to us rabbits, and you should have known by now that this wasn't going to be a peaceful mission where you would have every creature you'd ever come across to welcome you with warmth and praise.  I'll always be your protector if needed, but other than that, to tell you the truth, I like myself the way I am, and I don't want to associate myself with men any more than I have too."

                "You 'can't', or you '_won't_'?" Justin specified grimly, feeling his resentment for the thickheaded rabbit emerge, "After all, Bigwig, Pipkin and the others don't seem to have a problem with accepting me and getting close, despite me being a human."

                "With no offense to my comrades and closest friends, they don't know any better."

                "And _you_ do?" Justin's voice got colder.  "Blackberry, just because you have incredible wits _doesn't_ mean you're always right!  You don't know everything!"  The teenager touched a nerve, and Blackberry's head snapped as he glared at the cross-bearer.  That was the first time he had ever heard someone say that to his face, and insultingly enough, he didn't like it.

                "By Frith, the instant El-ahrairah becomes well again, I can't wait for the moment when you have to go back home!" he snapped.  "By the Black Rabbit, I don't even know why El-ahrairah even sent me!  I should have just stayed behind with Flyairth; at least she shares my concerns about men being in the land beyond life!"

                "Maybe he'd thought you'd learn something, but apparently not.  You're so clouded with your instinct and beliefs, you probably can't even realize that you still have a lot to learn." Justin said scathingly and flatly, trying to mask his hurt at Blackberry's future relief once he went back to his world.

                Blackberry growled in Justin's face, emphasizing every word, the peaceful wisdom on his features temporarily masked with annoyance and denial.  "You don't know anything."

                "And with feelings like those, you're no different from an Efrafan," Justin said with sorrowful sullenness as he got up and left, away from Blackberry's company.  Conflicted, Blackberry couldn't honestly retort back.

                                                                                ***

                Later that afternoon, Blackberry had a long talk with Hazel-rah and Bigwig (Bigwig, as usual, wanted to resort to screaming and beating for hurting Justin's feelings, but Hazel wisely decided he just watch after the cross-bearer with Pipkin).  Hazel and Blackberry just talked side by side as they went to go silflay on crabgrass and fireweed.

                "Blackberry, I can't say I'm not disappointed in you, but I also know you're not as senseless and inconsiderate as Hawkbit, so obviously, this is something that is neither the fault of you nor Justin.  It's something much more troubling than that.  You still have reservations about Justin being here, don't you?"

                Blackberry nearly dropped his share of fireweed blossoms as he left his mouth hang open in bewilderment.  "How...how did you know?!"

                "El-ahrairah.  Before we left the warren in Fenlo."

                Blackberry gave a small grunt of embarrassment, and Hazel used the moment of awkwardness to get through his friend.  "Blackberry, old chap, we've known each other far too long to hide secrets or hidden feelings from each other and our friends.  And whether you have qualms about Justin being here or not, the fact is, he had no choice in the matter nor did he make any decision to come here.  Frith and El-ahrairah summoned him, and I know you can hardly argue against our Lord and our Prince for making a rash decision as letting a human come into our haven."

                "I know, I know, Hazel," Blackberry seethed impatiently, "but I...I just can't."

                "Because you're afraid to get close to him, because no matter how much your heart sees Justin's light and vulnerability, your mind and sense remind you of the horrors men have inflicted upon our world, the promises that Frith told us to be cunning to prevent destruction by the Thousand, and the timeless oath all animals, elil and prey alike, have learned and understood that humans are evil, should never be trusted, and must do everything in our power to ravage and cause trouble for humans."  Blackberry sighed in annoyance at Hazel's presentiment.

                "El-ahrairah, again?!"

                Hazel smiled knowingly.  "Yes, but he only told me and no one else.  Not even Rabscuttle knows.  But that's not the point here.  The point is, you know better than to think that.  I mean, look at the demeanor and morale of this group ever since Justin came along; it's changed dramatically, and frankly, most of the rabbits can't imagine never meeting Justin.  Despite being a boy, he's like El-ahrairah at heart."

Blackberry became slightly mulish, guilty, and ashamed, but still nevertheless, resolute.  "I didn't mean to condemn Justin, Hazel-rah."

"I know you didn't, but you should remember the advice El-ahrairah gave you."

                "A fat lot of good it does me.  I didn't even want to come.  I remember putting up a little resistance when El-ahrairah summoned us to his den and told us the prophecy.  That's when El-ahrairah talked to me privately, giving me some advice."  He flashed back:

                _"Something troubles you, doesn't it, Blackberry?" El-ahrairah gasped as best as he could while still conscious enough to withstand the pain the black mist surrounding him.  Blackberry at first didn't know how to answer, like a small child expected to give an intelligent response to an adult, but then he spoke openly, "El-ahrairah, my Lord, please...I...I do not wish to go protect the cross-bearer.  Please, can't you send Stonecrop or Blackavar in my place?"_

_                El-ahrairah, instead of reprimanding him, just smiled understandingly as he looked at the black-eared buck with kindness, not anger, with his blue, shining eyes.  "I'm glad that you had the courage to tell me the truth, young one.  And...I do understand completely how you feel.  But, you must realize that you are needed on this mission to protect the cross-bearer."_

_                "Why?" questioned the rabbit tightly._

_                "Like the expedition to Watership Down, rabbits had realized the value of your role as the 'inventor', the one with shrewd wits and cunning, the one who searches the unknown, regardless of his fears, to find a possible solution which can affect the outcome of any battle.  Ever curious, watchful and uncanny, I need you to go with Hazel and the rest of the rabbits from Watership Down and with Captain Campion.  But, heed my advice: cruel is the rabbit who closes his heart, and foolish is the one who refuses to acknowledge humble wisdom from others, whether they be mice, birds such as Kehaar...or yes, even a human."_

_                "El-ahrairah, please, think about this!" pleaded Blackberry, "I know there must be another way to help you from Elil-rah's sickness!  Please tell me what it is, and no matter how difficult or impossible it seems, we will only be ever so happy and obliged to accomplish it!"  El-ahrairah chuckled, despite the sickly feeling spreading throughout his body._

_                "Simple, young one, go retrieve the human cross-bearer and protect him with your beautiful mind."_

_                Blackberry lowered his head in shamed disappointment at El-ahrairah's answer.  "But why me, Lord?" he whined dejectedly._

_                The Prince of all Rabbits smiled sadly before sinking to unconsciousness due to the evil plaque surrounding his powerful form.  "Because I want you to learn a very important lesson from your travels with the human."_

_                Blackberry just stood there in the den of his Prince lying in a stupor, wishing that for once, he wasn't so enigmatic._

                Hazel's voice brought Blackberry back into the present, "Blackberry, the question is, what are you going to do about this now?  Judging by the way things are going, this probably means your 'trial by fire' is approaching quickly."  The black-eared rabbit, despite always having the voice of reason and common sense aid his decisions, couldn't answer Hazel's question.

                                                                                ***

                "By golly chaps!  What a beautiful night!  Starry sky, a bright moon, the coolness of a nearby stream!!  The sounds of the wind blowing, the chirps of the crickets sighing..." Bluebell marveled loudly, his praise echoing annoyingly amongst the canyon walls.

                "The sounds of my aggravation rising and my headache pounding," groaned Campion as he rolled his eyes at Bluebell's endless enthusiasm.  He, Bluebell, and Bigwig were on night sentry duty while the rest of the rabbits were sleeping peacefully next to a warm outcrop of rock jutting from the ground.  Campion fondly looked at the image of Justin sleeping peacefully using Silver's head as a pillow and with Pipkin dozing happily in Justin's arms.  Still, several hours of enduring Bluebell's chatter and comical nonsense was enough to make him wish he persuaded (bullied) Hawkbit into taking his place.

                "Oh, come now Campion!" Bluebell grinned, "That's not being very positive now, is it?  I know, a jolly, good song should daresay lighten the mood!  How about it, buckos?!"

                "NO!" yelled Campion and Bigwig with equal insistence.  Bluebell, of course, pretended he didn't hear that.  He continued anyway, "Ah ha, ah ha, O Campion and Bigwig!  The land is nice, it hath been enticed, t'is free from Efrafans, elil, and the like!  While friends sleep, we hardly make a peep, while we fight against darkness that sneaks and creeps!"

                "Think Hazel-rah will mind terribly if I hurt him?" Bigwig said flatly as the rabbit jester carried on.

                Campion smiled wanly, "I think he'll let this one pass, so be my guest.  Please.  _I insist_."  Yet before anything could be done, all three of them heard a strange, raspy, voice behind them, completely taking them by surprise.

                "_Nekasssssss......_"

                                                                                ***

                When it was done with the three rabbits, the figure crept closer and closer to the huddle of furry bodies entwined snugly around the human cross-bearer, its target.  Its spine-chilling, eerie eyes gleamed with ruthless expectations amongst the yellow and black pupils.  It bared its fangs, immediately ready to strike a lethal blow to the human; in an instant, it would be done and Elil-rah would reward him greatly.  Yet to its surprise, the cross trinket around Justin's neck set off a brilliant luster, and as the creature struck, it felt its head and teeth unpredictably collide painfully against an invisible wall.  "What?!!" it screamed in its head, "It's impossible!!"

                But then it saw why.  All around Justin and the sleeping mass of rabbits was a swirling mass of a golden force, glinting gold in the darkness and enveloping the group.  It was a shield of sunlight, and as long as it remained, the creature had no possible way of killing the cross-bearer.  Apparently, even without the teenager's conscious awareness, the cross exhibited mystical properties that could not be overcome.  It fumed immensely; Elil-rah was not going to enjoy this unseen complication.  And with Justin and the rabbits still peacefully sleeping, the creature couldn't use its powerful abilities to overwhelm him like he did with the three rabbit guards.  It paused as its mind clicked.  It smiled craftily at the unconscious and paralyzed, limp forms of Bluebell, Bigwig, and Campion, a new strategy taking root in its small, wicked mind.  Those three rabbits could prove quite useful after all...

                                                                                ***

                "Bigwig!!  Campion!!  Bluebell!!  Where the heck _are_ you guys?!!" yelled Justin frantically, his calls echoing unanswered in the yawning crevice, while he, Acorn, Silver and Pipkin wandered around aimlessly amongst the canyon.  Earlier, at Pipkin and Fiver's frantic screaming, Hazel-rah and the other Watership rabbits had awoken at the crack of dawn to discover that their sentries had literally disappeared.  Not a trace, not a scent.  Mad with worry and anxiety, Hazel-rah and Holly split the group into several divisions, forming a search party.  Unfortunately, to their worried disappointment, they couldn't find anything as they combed over rocks, plants, and sand, hoping to spot the slightest clue that could lead them.  And it had been like that for several hours.  Hazel, Buckthorn, Blackberry, and Fiver reconvened with them at the stream while Dandelion, Hawkbit, Speedwell, and Strawberry were still sniffing and looking elsewhere.

                "Anything?" Hazel asked, already knowing the answer he was dreading.

                "Nothing," gasped out Acorn worriedly, a bit exhausted from wandering around in a mad frenzy, "But what makes it odd is that there's no scent of them!!  Could it be possible that they were captured, just like how Justin and I were when Volgnamass and his weasels attacked us?!"

                Silver rebutted that possibility.  "No, it can't be.  Why would they take Bigwig, Campion, and Bluebell without trying to take Justin along as well?  There's no point for Elil-rah to capture three rabbits when the cross-bearer is his main target!  But what puzzles me is that if one of Elil-rah's messengers did appear while we were sleeping, then why is Justin unharmed?!"

                "Could Bigwig, Bluebell, and Campion just simply have left to go exploring and that they would come back later?" put in Buckthorn.  "You know, Hazel-rah, like a small expedition or one of Campion's Patrols??"

                "No, because I know both Campion and Bigwig, and they would never leave the responsibility of protecting the cross-bearer for such a foolhardy, worthless run," Holly chipped in worriedly, "Hazel, whatever happened to them, it has to be due to Elil-rah's minions!  I'd stake every single tuft of gray fur and my whiskers on it!!"

                "So what should we do now?!" wailed Pipkin, the thought of his friends missing in action causing his eyes to water.  Either way, Hazel knew it was going to be a tough decision.  If Bluebell, Bigwig, and Campion _were_ kidnapped, then the ones responsible were probably still nearby, and that meant they were all in danger.  Yet, no smell, no scents, no recognizable footprints or paw marks of traditional elil littering the soft ground, so they had no idea who or what they were dealing with.  Not even Holly and Blackberry, with their limitless knowledge, could recognize the strange, curved, skid marks that were left in the sand.  That made it less desirable and more difficult to search and rescue their friends from danger.  Yet, if they left right now, knowing Justin and some of the other rabbits, they would resist and try to linger on and look for them anyway.  Yet, if they did continue with the search party, Hazel knew that it would be a telltale chance for Elil-rah's messengers to lead them into a trap and kill Justin.  Blackberry, who had returned with the remaining rabbits, spoke what was on Hazel's mind.

                "Hazel, I don't think Bluebell, Bigwig, and Campion would appreciate it if we endangered Justin's life for their sakes, and we better get moving!  It will be a long journey to climb out of the canyons and across the mountains, but if hurry, we might be able to evade any elil who are still in the vicinity!  Please Hazel-rah, Bigwig, Campion, and Bluebell won't be in any immediate danger, but they'll understand if we try our best to get the young one out of here as quickly as possible!  They wouldn't want Justin killed because of their predicament!"  Before Hazel could make a decision, Justin interrupted heatedly.

                "Hazel, NO!!  Please, we have to find Bigwig, Bluebell, and Campion!!  They risked their lives for me before!!  We have to find them, and I don't care what chances I have to take!  I don't want to leave them behind!!"

                "Justin, for Frith's sake, please be logical!!" snapped Blackberry heatedly.  They've already gone through this predicament before with Bluebell when he was wounded terribly from the Efrafan spears, and frankly, Justin's nobility over common sense was starting to annoy him.  "This is best possible solution, and I don't care what your heart is saying!  There's no rational basis to storm around without direction in the enormous canyon only to wind up literally hopping into the fangs and claws of Elil-rah's Owsla!!  Can't you see that this could be a trap, that Elil-rah and his soldiers are exploiting your weaknesses of stubbornness and friendship to lure you into their clutches?!!  We don't have time for this argument!  Please, Hazel-rah!  We must leave now!!"

                Justin narrowed his eyes as his voice became more hard and forceful, indicating that he wasn't changing his mind.  "I'm not leaving until we find them!!"

                Blackberry's voice became equally forceful, and the unnaturalness of it sent the other rabbits, who have always known Blackberry as a mild, clever, understanding fellow, into a shocked silence as they unwillingly watched on as an audience.  "And in the process, you'll endanger the rest of us while you selfishly look for them?!  By the Black Rabbit, must you always be so dense?!!"

                "Must you always be so heartless?" snapped Justin, "Blackberry, just because something seems the most reasonable doesn't mean it's for the best!"

                "And this seems better to you just because it's from your heart?!!  By Frith, you think that just because you're the almighty cross-bearer, you're always right about these things, and you act like a spoiled buck!!  You always let your feelings cloud your judgment and common sense!!"

                Justin didn't answer, and he replied hotly, "I don't care.  I'm going to stay until they're found; they're my friends and I can't leave them behind, not after what they've done to protect me."  He did an about-face and swiveled around towards the opposite direction, but Blackberry hurriedly rushed in front of him and blacked his path.  His voice, though reasonably quiet, was intense enough to knock down a brick wall.

                "That may be true, Justin, but if I was Bigwig, Bluebell, or Campion, and I had learned that you left El-ahrairah to suffer in agony just to save me as a noble bravado to further impress your friends, I would despise you."

                Justin just sadly looked in his friend's eyes.  "Unlike those three, however, you already despise me because I'm a human."  At these words, Blackberry was stunned, and that gave Justin the opportunity to slide away quietly past the shocked rabbit.

                                                                                ***

                "Great seasons of Frith and Inle!  What on earth is this?!  Hazel-rah!  Everyone!  Come here, quickly!!"  This came from an astounded Speedwell, after he, Hawkbit and Dandelion breezed past Blackberry to accompany Justin, and after several minutes of exploring and walking past a huge rock pile heaped awkwardly against the smooth canyon wall, they found that hidden from sight was a partially buried cave opening.  Even through the rocks blocked most of it, the three rabbits could smell stale air escaping from the grotto.  Hazel and the others, including a reluctant and petulant Blackberry staring solemnly at Justin, scurried towards the rock pile blocking the cavern.  Holly and Strawberry then noticed some telltale hairs lying on the pebbles of the heap, and upon closer examination, to their horrified relief, they were remnants of rabbit fur.  Bigwig, Bluebell, and Campion's to be exact.  Strawberry gave a grim expression back to his friends as he solemnly stated, "It's them, all right.  Whatever this thing is, it took Bigwig, Campion, and Bluebell with it; we can smell their scents all over this rock.  So that means..."

                "If they _are_ here, then the eli, whatever it is, took them prisoner through this run," Hazel finished for him grimly.  Without word, everyone started digging at the rock pile, clearing away the mess easily as if it was dry soil.  In a short time, the mouth of the cave was completely cleared, and the rabbits were now facing straight in front of an enormous cavern opening, large enough to let an elephant pass through.  The air was stagnant, almost dead, and reeked of grime, dust, and God knows what else.  And though it was murky, the rabbits could see that the sloping path led downwards into the unknown darkness, with shadowy moss and lichen growing on the rock walls, forming eerie and sinister coils and tendrils hanging down from the ceiling like arms ready to grab unsuspecting prey.  Justin tried not to shudder; being in the dark was another one of his phobias, but Fiver, to his surprise, was already shivering.  Speedwell, in concern, asked him, "Fiver, what's wrong?  What do you see??"

                "A clever trap, or a trap made for the clever?  Danger lurks in the eyes of the beholder, but without sight, one can see the fight.  Like a ditch filling with water in the rain."  With a final shudder, Fiver opened his eyes again after his visions from his second sight only to see everyone quizzically looking at him in uncertainty.  Acorn groaned, "O Frith and Inle, I don't know who's more cryptic: El-ahrairah or Fiver."

                Blackberry broke in, "Hazel-rah, my guess is this is not going to be the only path down into this mountain.  I wouldn't be surprised if there were winding tunnels with multiple runs and openings, like a normal warren!  Even if Bigwig, Campion, and Bluebell are down there, how do we find them quickly enough without getting close to whatever forsaken, bloodthirsty messenger of Elil-rah sent to kill Justin and attack us?"

                "I know, Blackberry," sighed Justin in temporary agreement, "I wish there was a way...or...or something that could guide us to where our friends are right now."  Instantly, to everyone's surprise, the cross around Justin's neck started to glow, bathed and illuminated in sunlight.  Smoothly, the jewel levitated in the air, floating, and as far as the chain around Justin's neck would allow, the bottom end of the crystal pointed directly into the dark cave.  Justin just stared with trademark wide eyes.  The cross was acting like a compass, and it wasn't hard to figure out that they needed to travel in the direction the cross was pointing in.

                Speedwell just stared at the jewel levitating on its own free will.  "I think...the cross wants us to go in and follow it."

                "Brilliant deduction, Speedwell," snapped Hawkbit, "By Frith, Justin, why didn't you tell us you could do that?!  By the fur and paw, we would have had an easier time traveling back to the warren of El-ahrairah rather than wander slowly through thick and thin if you used that power before!!"

                "Hey, I just learned this, okay?!" snapped Justin, "I don't even know how I do this or what kind of stuff I can do with my cross yet.  All I can remember is that Dandelion said I could do anything, provided that it helps you guys."

                "Look, let's not argue," Silver interrupted gracefully, "The point is, we now have a way to find Bigwig and the others.  And for every moment we stand here, it could lead them deeper and deeper into danger."  But before any of them could move, Blackberry growled impatiently, "I CAN'T BELIEVE ALL OF YOU!!"

                Everyone turned to face the buck who was getting more and more frustrated with the fact that it seemed that only he was aware of the situation unfolding in front of their very eyes.  He snapped impatiently, "Has it ever occurred to any of you that this could be a trap?!  That we're risking Justin and ourselves for a foolhardy mission?!  And that every moment we spend dawdling, El-ahrairah is getting weaker and weaker?!!"

                Hazel sighed, but he could honestly say he felt no resentment on Blackberry for simply being overtly cautious, anxious and wary.  "Blackberry, we all know those are very possible risks, and yes, none of us wish to endanger ourselves nor Justin nor El-ahrairah.  We haven't forgotten our main objective, but not even El-ahrairah would approve of leaving our comrades at the mercy of elil.  Blackberry, if you were the one trapped down there, we would have gone after you without a second thought."

                "It's not that, Hazel-rah!  Of course I know you would."

                "If you're worried, Blackberry, you could come with us and make sure everything is going according to plan, making sure all of us won't be in danger.  We could use your wits and brilliant ideas at a time like this when we don't even know what creature took our friends or what types of extraordinary abilities it even has," Holly chipped in gently.

                "I...I..." and the buck faltered, not wanting to say what was on his mind, and he just looked down on the ground.  Hazel sighed again in aggravation, but he understood.

"How about this, old chap?  We need you to stay here and watch out for any suspecting elil who may be outside this cavern and waiting for a perfect opportunity to trap us.  Just stay here as a sentry, then.  If there's trouble...if there's trouble," Hazel finished weakly.

                The group left, fading away torturously in the enveloping shadows, and Blackberry could hear Hawkbit smirk back at him, silently accusing him of being a coward.  Speedwell and Acorn, to Blackberry's slight relief, caught the look and angrily told Hawkbit off, but Justin glanced back, and Blackberry could see the boy had worry and concern in his eyes before he disappeared from sight.  The lone buck just shut his eyes in self-loathing and anger.  So that was how it was going to be.  Instead of listening to Blackberry, a rabbit who, time and time again, had proven that his wits and voice of reason always resolved sticky situations, Hazel-rah and the others chose to follow Justin, a human teenager who was always destined to be their enemy and who was just impulsively following his heart, getting into trouble.

                Blackberry refused to let the frustration get to his patience, but he cursed to himself, "Why, El-ahrairah, why?"

                                                                                ***

                Back at the warren, El-ahrairah, though wavering between the brink of unconsciousness and consciousness, raised his head weakly as he could hear, feel the pain of Blackberry's prayers.  Without the knowledge of Rabscuttle and Hyzenthlay, who were both carefully looking over him, he closed his eyes and let his powers of empathy take into effect.

                _Blackberry, you know better than to ask questions you already know the answers to._

                Blackberry jumped as he looked around wildly.  He was alone, but...but he heard El-ahrairah's voice in his head.  "It...it can't be...El-ahrairah?" he whispered weakly.

                _Yes._

                "By Frith, I never even dreamed you had such powers!!"

                _There are many things about me you don't know about, just like how there are many things about young Justin that you have made yourself too blind to see.  Young Blackberry, don't you remember what I told you: cruel is the rabbit who closes his heart._

                Blackberry felt guilty, but he protested, "I never asked to come here."

                _But I did, Blackberry, because despite your fears, you're more of an advantage to young Justin than a disability.  Even though there are times we're forced to do the things we'd rather avoid, we do them because it may lead to a better future and prevent the past from overflowing like a pool of water, ready to flood the mistakes and misdeeds from the precedent again and again when clouds cry tears of rain.  And you should realize by now that Justin is not like other men you've experienced before._

                "I know that, my Lord, but...but why should I change my feelings and thinking for his sake?!  I have always trusted my intuition and my mind rather than my heart because they have never failed me, and I have learned time and time again that emotions can be misleading!  So what am I supposed to do?!  Throw away and ignore everything I have ever learned about survival and life as a rabbit?!  After using my mind and ideas to help Hazel-rah and the Watership rabbits fight, escape, and deceive our enemies, I'm now supposed to use it to help a human teenager?!  Asking me to alter my feelings, my instinct, and my Frith-given nature, all for Justin's sake!  It isn't fair, my Lord!"

                _Perhaps, but it also isn't fair to Justin either._

                Blackberry didn't know how to process this, so El-ahrairah patiently explained, like an ever so loving father towards a child who didn't know any better.

                _Blackberry, you're not the only one who has to endure change if he wishes to prevent Elil-rah from gaining power and destroying the world we have grown to cherish.  Young Justin, though he may be a human and one of the Thousand, made a conscious choice to help us, and he does not even belong in this world, and to his point of view, it isn't fair to give such a young one the burden of fighting Elil-rah or summoning him from his home.  He could have refused, he could have broken down and cried like a helpless child, but instead, he actually chose to help the creatures in the land beyond life, even though humans constantly and ruthlessly kill and torture animals for sport or food, even though this is not his world to protect, and despite the fact that he is putting his life at risk.  Justin knows he can never change the fact that he is human, but he can change the beliefs he's always had about the world, about how it is silly to think that everyone should obey what they are told if their hearts say otherwise...and about how he would always be alone and unimportant in his world.  Blackberry, he may be a boy, but he has a spirit no different from any other creature in the land beyond life, and it's selfish of you to think otherwise._

                Blackberry now felt worse, especially since he realized that Justin was having a hard enough time as it is without his stubbornness, but he still secretly felt conflicted.  He asked, "But...but then why is Justin able to change?  Why is he the way he is?"  El-ahrairah chuckled.

                _Because he has learned to always trust his heart, because he has found comfort and love after years of hate and scorn, and because he cares deeply about you rabbits from Watership Down.  Now go to him; he will need you._

                "But...but I..." began Blackberry, whispering.

                _Don't be scared to listen to your heart and your mind.  You have a beautiful mind, Blackberry, so instead of using it to further strengthen your doggedness, use it for what you have always done with it: to protect others, to save lives, to understand the unknown, to lessen fear...and to be cunning and full of tricks so that neither you, nor Justin, nor your comrades can ever be destroyed._  With those final words, Blackberry was left alone for several seconds before the black-tipped buck madly ran straight into the cave after his friends.

                                                                                ***

                "Are we close yet, Justin?" Speedwell asked for the fifth time as the group cautiously traveled down the winding tunnels that led deeper and deeper into the ground.  The cave had literally opened up into a maze with turns and twists in every possible direction, and if Justin had been in here alone without his cross, he'd be doomed to helplessly wandering throughout these runs until he died of thirst and hunger.  The tunnels were certainly wide enough for all of them to travel together as a group, and the light coming from the floating cross was a little comfort in the stifling darkness as it shone strongly enough for them to see their way a little bit.  Already, they have made a series of confusing lefts and rights, and Justin already lost count of how many forks in the tunnels that they had to pass by.  He hoped his cross wouldn't fail him; he couldn't picture the thought of what would happen if he couldn't see an inch away from his face.

                "I don't know, Speedwell," admitted Justin sheepishly as the cross led them into a small room that conjoined into three separate runs, and by the tugging of the jewel, they took the tunnel on the foremost right.  "But I can tell you one thing: we're going deeper and deeper into the ground.  Wherever Bigwig, Bluebell, and Campion are, Elil-rah's messenger, whatever it is, took them pretty far from the surface."

                "Everyone, be alert," commanded Holly vigilantly, "and Justin, I want you to be prepared to for anything that might come."  Justin nodded apprehensively, ice clutching his gut.

                                                                                ***

                Excellent, thought the creature craftily as it saw from above, watching the group slowly make headway into the confusing maze.  It knew the human would never abandon his friends, and it also knew, as Elil-rah warned, that Justin's cross of light had the power to locate the bait it so conveniently left for them to follow.  However, the rabbit soldiers of El-ahrairah's Owsla were neither foolhardy nor impulsive, so it knew it had to separate the human from the rest.  That shouldn't be so hard, it thought maliciously as its gleaming yellow eyes withdrew into the obscurity.

                                                                                ***

                "Hey!  I think we're getting closer!  The cross is pulling on the chain harder!" Justin cried with extreme relief as his orange orb starting hovering more forcefully, generating more pressure on the silver necklace.  As he stepped forward, further and further into the tunnel and into a large chamber, Buckthorn and Strawberry, both of whom were in the very rear, suddenly stopped as they stared behind.  Hazel and Holly noticed with uneasiness.

                "Buckthorn?  Strawberry?  What's wrong??" Holly asked sharply.

                "Thought we heard something," muttered Buckthorn intently, adrenaline coursing through his veins, making him primed to strike in an instant.  Pipkin started whimpering and shivering, and Silver sternly, but gently, shushed him as everyone strained their ears.  Then they heard it, a harsh, grinding voice, like sandpaper on stone, hollowly floating like a ghostly voice, echoing cacophonously on the dead air.

                "_Deeaaatthhh...Deeeattthhh...to the crossss-beaarrerrr_."

Dandelion gasped out and squealed in awfulness, while Speedwell choked out, "It's here!"

                "Justin, quick, time-freeze the blighter!!" yelled Hawkbit urgently but before he could do that, by some sort of freak chance, the ceiling above Justin started to crack, and to their horror, bits of dirt, debris, and grime started to hail down.  Reflexively, Justin backed up hastily away from the threat and shielded his face with one arm while the tunnel collapsed, causing a cave-in.  When the dust settled, horrified, Justin looked back to see a solid wall of moss-covered rock and dirt.  The teenager pressed against the wall, hoping he could loosen a portion or two.  No such luck; the avalanche was firmly embedded into the ground.  He could hear muffled voices coming from the wall.

                "Justin?!  Justin?!!"  It was Hawkbit and Speedwell.

                "I'm here!  I'm all right!!  Where are you guys?!!" Justin was partially thankful his friends weren't crushed to death underneath the rubble.

                "Thank the stars!! We're on the other side of the rock!" yelled Speedwell, "None of us are hurt, so we were able to escape from being squashed by the collapse of the run!"

                "Justin, do you see Bigwig, Bluebell or Campion over there?!" asked Hazel frantically as Buckthorn and Silver futilely tried to claw and dig through the barricade of hard earth and stone.  Justin, realizing that his cross was still pointing in the opposite direction behind him, turned around and let his narrowed eyes adjust to the faint golden light that seeped into the small area.  He was in a great, spacious chamber, lined with dry, brown soil and supported structurally with plant roots and lichen.  The entire ceiling was lined with creamy colored stones and rock of sandstone, lime, gravel, and mica.  What was astounding about the chamber was that there were three other openings leading to other tunnels and pathways.  Two burrows commenced on the packed walls in front and to his left, and oddly enough, the third opening was on the ceiling itself.  Before he could wonder what kind of creature would even be able to easily travel through these tunnels, his eyes caught several limp forms on the dry, dusty ground.  To his joyful relief, it was the still forms of Bigwig, Bluebell, and Campion.  He rushed over to their sides, but then realized they were all still unconscious, cold, stiff, and barely breathing.  Troubled, Justin closed his eyes and let the healing sunlight from his cross channel into his hands and onto Bluebell's body, soon cloaking the burly rabbit with gold.  Several minutes passed like hours, but to Justin's panicked dismay, Bluebell was still immobile and paralyzed, even after the healing powers.  Justin tried again, but whimpering, he realized that Bluebell still hadn't awoken.  His healing powers weren't working, and if Bluebell couldn't awaken, then Bigwig and Campion couldn't either.  He was so vexed that he didn't notice nor hear the figure creeping silently out of the opening from the ceiling, slowly descending onto the soil without even a murmur, behind his back.

                "Bluebell, please, wake up!" pleaded Justin softly, gently shaking the rabbit's stiff body, "Wake up!  Wake up, please!!"

                "He will not awaken, young one," a harsh voice hissed behind him forebodingly, "He will never awaken."  Sweat literally crawled down Justin's neck chillingly as Justin swiveled around, the fear choking his throat and preventing him from screaming.  He was staring face to face with a giant snake.  But not like the snakes he had seen in his world, for this snake would give any sane person nightmares for the rest of his or her life.  It was colossal, large enough to swallow a cow in a matter of seconds within its huge, pink, quivering mouth lined with a black forked tongue and six white fangs as long as a human forearm.  It's long body was heavily shielded with a thick armor of bright, green scales, piled upon one another in an intricate design while the dark-gray belly of the monster sparkled was embedded with fragments of mica and shiny rock fragments in the presence of the sunlight.  On the back of the snake, protrusions of bone from its spinal cord were jutting out of its body with a mixture of blood and dirt, running in a perfect line all the way down to a tail with a three-pronged, black claw, similar to the tail of an earwig.  Its face was the most terrifying part.  The snake had a shaggy mane of gray fur and a similar small, gray beard curling from its lower jaw.  Yet what was most unnatural about the abomination was that it had three yellow eyes, with the third one positioned vertically in the middle of the snake's forehead, symbolizing the evil third eye.  And each one of the eyes now had no pupil; instead, they were all glowing with a demonic, chilling yellow luminosity, and Justin couldn't help but stare in those endless pools of light, seeing his reflection on each of the eyes, as the snake chanted tunefully, "_Look into my eyesssss, young human.  My eyesssss of gold.  I command you, young one, look into the eyesssss of Nekassssss_."

                Instantly, Justin felt his body become heavy, ridden with lead, as he his eyes just continued to gaze fixedly into those seemingly, comforting pools of the sun.  He couldn't take his eyes off them as the snake continued to work his hypnotic powers over the teenager.  With his strength seeping out of his body, Justin's body began to shiver and grow weak, the heat seeping out of him by the second.  Justin felt numb and drowsy, as if he was floating.  The teenager sank to his knees, groaning as he felt his brain shut down, and his body betrayed every frantic scream his mind was sending to his burdensome nerves.  Nekas's eyes gleamed as it sensed his victory was drawing near, and as the teenager uneasily propped himself with his hands to prevent himself from toppling over, the serpent bent down and brought his snout closer to the human's eyes so that they were mere inches apart.  Justin couldn't avoid staring into the unholy eyes, ignoring the screams of panic from the Watership rabbits, divided on the other side of the rock wall, unable to help the cross-bearer.

                "Justin!  Justin!!  Please answer!!  Justin, what on Frith's name is happening?!!  Justin!!  Justin!"  All the rabbits chorused urgently and with anxiety and fear, but the human could only hear the buzzing in his ears as the snake continued to assure the human, almost caressing his face.

                "_Do not be afraid, young crossss-bearer.  We are brothersssss, you and I.  My eyesssss of gold and your crosssss of light, we both share the same powerssssss.  Give in, give in, young Jussstin, and let me take care of you.  Ressssst now, go to sleep_," it chanted in its deep, raspy voice, and Justin's eyelids were nearly dropping as his eyes glazed over and his complexion turned pale.

                "I...I..." Justin whispered weakly, his memories becoming blurs as his brain was slowly dying under the snake's gaze.  Nekas smiled maliciously as it stretched its mouth wider and wider, ready to swallow the young teenager in one gulp.

                "JUSSSSSTTTIINNNNNNN!!!" bellowed a voice, strong and determined, and from the tunnel on the left side of the cavern, Blackberry shot out like a bullet as he bounded onto the enemy's face and delivered a single, quick, hard bite on Nekas's nose.  With a screech, the monster broke its concentration as it reeled back, flinching from the pain of the rabbit's attack.  Unfortunately, the ceiling wasn't large enough to allow the fell height of the snake, and painfully, foolishly, Nekas hit its head against the unsound ceiling, and as a result of the powerful collision, dirt and stone rained down on the snake, covering its head with choking dust and blinding grime and soil.  Cursing and screaming, the snake shook its head and writhed painfully, black blood starting to dribble down its face from the bite Blackberry delivered.  Justin groggily held his head in his hands as he let the cobwebs clear away and for the numbness to fade, but when he opened his eyes, to his ecstatic revelation, he saw that he wasn't alone as Blackberry nuzzled his face worriedly, sniffing and asking, "Are you all right?"

                "I'm fine," Justin said shortly, but his eyes were watering with appreciative respite as Blackberry helped him up.  "But...how on earth did you find me?  In all these tunnels??"

                Blackberry's ears flushed with embarrassment as he awkwardly and sheepishly admitted, "El-ahrairah helped me follow my heart."  Yet before Justin could ask what he meant, Nekas almost cleared away the dirt embedded on its face as it glared vehemently and murderously at the two protagonists.  Blackberry then remembered Fiver's cryptic warning before entering the tunnels: "_A clever trap, or a trap made for the clever?  Danger lurks in the eyes of the beholder, but without sight, one can see the fight.  Like a ditch filling with water in the rain._"

                "Justin," the buck warned urgently, pulling him roughly, "Whatever you do, don't look into its eyes!  I'm probably assuming that's how it was able to overcome Bigwig, Campion, and Bluebell so easily while they were at guard duty the previous night!  C'mon!  Hurry!!!"  With that, Blackberry got on all fours, and Justin obediently and madly scrambled on his furry back as the snake lunged at them.

                "DIE!!!" Nekas screamed, but with a bound, Blackberry, with the cross-bearer on his back, dashed out, narrowly avoiding the snake's fangs as they struck the dirt nearby, and scurried into the other tunnel on the far side of the cavern.  With a furious hiss, Nekas slithered after them with surprising speed and agility.  Inside the run, Blackberry panted, fear and instinct brushing his senses and making him more alert as they traveled down the burrow.  Justin just yelled his worry in his ears while lying flat to prevent his head from hitting the low ceiling of the tunnel while they sped by with an angry snake monster on their trail.

                "Blackberry, we can't leave Bigwig, Campion, and Bluebell behind!  They're still asleep in that cavern, and we have to go back!!"

                "Couldn't you awaken them?  With your healing powers!!"

                "No, that's the problem!!" Justin wailed, "The snake has them under his control with those three eyes of his, and I think as long as he has that hypnotic ability, they can't ever wake up!!"

                Blackberry's mind raced furiously, but then he remembered Fiver said that without sight, one could see the fight.  Could it be possible that...

                Suddenly, they rushed out into the open space of another chamber, but to their shock, it was a dead end.  There were no other tunnels leading out of the room, and both of them were trapped.  From the sounds behind them, Nekas was gaining, and there was nothing else in the chamber except for a small pool of cold, clear water supplied from an underground stream.  Justin swore he felt his fear and panic intensify as he wildly looked around, "We're trapped!  There's no way out!!"

                Blackberry then spoke to him, "Not quite, Justin.  We're not finished yet, not by a long shot!  Remember Fiver's vision and riddle?  The part about without any sense of sight, you can see the fight?!"  Justin nodded apprehensively, and Blackberry continued.  "I think if we can get rid of that monster's powers from his eyes, perhaps maybe blind him somehow, we can win this yet!  If he doesn't have his sight, if he becomes blind..."

                "Then maybe Bigwig, Campion, and Bluebell will wake up from his spell!" Justin finished for the buck, catching on, but then a thought struck him.  "But...but how do we blind him??  Can you claw his eyes out?!"

                Blackberry miserably shook his head, "No, he's too powerful and big for me, and before I could even attack him, he would put me under his control, just like the others!  I can't fight him if I can't look at him, young one!!  But maybe...maybe we can blind him some other way!!"  Justin then glanced at the pool of water as his mind began turning.  It was a long shot, but...

                "Blackberry, I have an idea!" he gasped out as he whispered the plan that was dangerously outlined into the rabbit's black ear.  Blackberry turned at him, shocked.  "What in the name of Frith?!  That is unarguably the most foolish, insane, stupid -"

                "I HAVE YOU NOW!!!" bellowed Nekas as it emerged from the tunnel, ready to attack them again, its three eyes glowing as it tried again to invoke its hypnotic glare from its evil eye.  Blackberry gulped.

                "O how I've come to loathe your bright ideas, young one!!" groaned Blackberry, but without argument, he and Justin ran and plunged themselves into the pool of water with a splash.  Nekas smiled as it slithered up to the pool.  Fools, it crowed for it knew that they would never be able to swim to safety using the underground stream.  The human would drown before it even got a chance to see freedom, and if they didn't swim for it, then it would corner them and kill them with its own power.  Either way, it mused to itself, they have lost.  As he glanced into the pool, he could see both the human and the rabbit, staring stupidly at it, motionless and holding their breath as best as they could.  Nekas sensed triumph, and to make sure they would not give too much of a struggle, it invoked its hypnotic gaze at the two as it hissed, "_Look into my eyesssss you foolsssss!!_"

                Yet what happened next was completely unexpected.  The light from the serpent's eyes was shining brightly enough to cause a reflection of its mirror image onto the water surface as he stared at Blackberry and Justin.  Yet because it didn't acknowledge this, the snake, before it could overpower Justin and Blackberry, saw a complete likeness of itself with the same, blinding, yellow stare on the shimmering facade of the pool.  And since the surface of water was just as good as a mirror, the snake got its hypnotic powers reflected right back at him, giving it a taste of its own medicine.  To its complete astonishment, the light seared into its eyes and brain, becoming so intense, all three of its eyes withered into burnt, useless, brown tissue, and in agony, the snake screamed in fury and discomfort as the pain from its seared eyes became unbearable.  Seeing the light die, Justin and Blackberry emerged from the surface of the pool, drenched and their lungs burning as they both gasped in precious air.  As they crawled back on the solid ground, Justin was ecstatic; he was so afraid that his plan of using the snake's reflection on the water wouldn't work.  Blackberry, choking and vomiting water, just gave the teenager a mock, mischievous glare.

                "As I've said before, oh how I've come to loathe your bright ideas, young cross-bearer."

                "Oh shut up," Justin said humorously, and in a moment, both of them raced back to the chamber where Bigwig, Campion, and Bluebell were waiting for them, free from the power of Nekas, as the snake continued to howl in vengeful wrath.

                                                                                ***

                "By Frith, that was certainly an experience I'm never going to forget!" groaned Bluebell as he stumbled out of the cave and into the fresh, inviting air of the canyon and open space.  Earlier, to Blackberry and Justin's joy, they found Bigwig, Campion, and Bluebell alive and aware, now that Nekas has lost its hypnosis once it destroyed its own eyes.  With a little help from his cross, Justin, Blackberry, Campion, Bluebell, and Bigwig were able to rejoin their friends in the winding tunnels and find their way out and back to the canyon.

                "I'm just glad you three are all right and safe!" chimed in Pipkin happily as he nuzzled against Bigwig's fur affectionately.  Bigwig smiled at his friend, but then his eyes grew dark as he muttered, "I'd sooner would have liked the chance to give that eli disgrace a beating it will never forget!"

                "It's all right, Bigwig," consoled Justin as he rode on Campion's back, still dripping from his dunk into the pool, "I really doubt Nekas will be able to attack us again, now that he's blind and can't use his powers to put creatures to sleep."  Campion then turned his head to his human friend and to Blackberry.

                "Blackberry, Justin, I speak for all three of us when I say 'thank you' for what you both have done," he praised with fondness, "You all could have left us behind with that serpent, but instead, you came back for us and fought that monster at your own risk, just to make sure we'd come back.  I can't tell you both how much your friendship and loyalty meant."  Blackberry just blushed, and Justin smiled.  Holly sighed with relief.

                "By the Black Rabbit, I think now I can say we're out of the thick of danger -" yet unfortunately, to Murphy's Law, there was a sharp squeal of rage, of immeasurable, uncontrollable anger, and with an explosion of the earth and sand in front of them, Nekas emerged into the open, its eyes leaking black blood as it wrathfully, as its sense of smell was able to detect the large group of rabbits standing directly in front of it.

                "I AM NOT FINISHED YET!!!" it hissed in outrage, its anger and bloodlust fizzling in its dark blood, "I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!!"

                "Oh embleer Frith!" cursed Strawberry.

                "By the fur and paw!" panicked Speedwell, "It still wants to try and fight!"

                "DIE!!!" Nekas roared as it lunged with fangs bared, and the rabbits of Watership Down were lucky enough to dodge the poisonous head of the serpent.  Campion ordered to Justin, "Justin, hurry!"

                "Time, stop!!" commanded Justin in a loud voice, but in a flash, Nekas buried itself under the ground, avoiding the power of the time-freeze, and it dug underneath the dirt with powerful thrusts of its head, hiding itself underneath the dirt to shield its vulnerability to Justin's cross.  And with the snake hidden in the dirt, Justin had no way of time-freezing the snake or predicting where it was going to appear next.

                Buckthorn cursed as he valiantly tried to get Fiver out of the open, "Frith in a hole, this monster is as cunning as El-ahrairah!  We'll never find it before it has the chance to attack us!!"

                Bigwig hollered to everyone, "Quickly, run everyone!!"  With a mad dash, the rabbits rushed to the road that would take them out of the canyon, but Nekas emerged from the ground again, like a jack-in-the-box, completely taking the rabbits by surprise and lunged again.  The rabbits dodged, barely, and Nekas burrowed itself into the ground before Justin could time-freeze it.  Hazel then realized that if this game of cat-and-mouse continued much longer, they wouldn't be able to keep Justin safe for long.  Blackberry panted as he nearly gave up hope.  Even after blinding the monster, what else could they do to stop it?  It couldn't die, and it was still hungry for their blood and flesh, but then, to his bewilderment, the buck heard El-ahrairah's dying voice one final time before his Prince fell into a stupor.

                _Your storm, Blackberry-rah, use it.  Your storm, like a ditch filling with water in the rain_.

                "El-ahrairah??" he gasped weakly, and then Blackberry knew what needed to be done.  What El-ahrairah needed him to use to protect Justin.  Bringing himself close to Campion, Holly, Hazel, and Justin, he whispered his plan, but when he finished, the teenager gasped, "Blackberry' but you'll get hurt too!"

                "I have to, for your sake and for El-ahrairah's," whispered Blackberry, smiling at Justin's naive loyalty and before he could argue, Blackberry was off while Hazel told Justin, "Just stick to his idea, Justin!  If not, we're all doomed!"

                "But Blackberry..."

                "He wants you to make it out of here in one piece, young cross-bearer," Hazel finished for him, looking at Justin with his soft eyes, "Do you want to refuse him that duty?"

                Justin miserably shook his head and prayed as he grabbed his cross, "Please, make it rain all along the canyon!  Make it rain harder than any rainstorm in the land beyond life!  Flood the canyon with water!!"

                                                                                ***

                Blackberry called out tauntingly to Nekas, "Nekas, you still want to fight?!  Come and get me then!  You should at least be able to remember me, Blackberry, the buck who stole your chance of killing the cross-bearer and who wounded your nose!!"  Immediately, the snake emerged out of the ground, fuming as he recognized the buck's voice.

                "YOU!!" it screamed, "I'LL RIP YOUR BODY TO SHREADS YOU EMBLEER RABBIT!!" and before Blackberry could even run, the snake's tail whipped out from behind him and grabbed him painfully with the three-pronged claw, holding him securely.  The snake was so intent on hurting Blackberry, he didn't even notice that rain was starting to pour down, torrential amounts of water cascading like a heavy mist as a strong downpour was already starting to instantaneously create puddles and flood the tiny stream.  Blackberry gasped and squealed in pain as he tried to fight out, but the snake brought him closer to its bloody face as it sneered to the buck, "NOW, YOU SHALL FEEL MY WRATH!!"

                Yet before he could bite him, he heard a distinct roaring noise, and to its horror, it could sense a massive overflowing flood coming down from the canyon directly at them.  Because Justin, to Blackberry's urging, used his powers to invoke a torrential storm, the canyon was collecting all the rainwater pouring down on it, multiplying the water by the moment, letting it gather and increase in destructive force as it surged powerfully down towards them.  Blackberry then cast a glance at the remaining rabbits.  To Blackberry's idea of floating wood to make a vessel to carry Fiver and Pipkin through the stream and to get the Efrafan does out of Efrafa, Hazel, Justin and the others were now atop the fallen birch tree that Blackberry and Justin found when they first talked.  Even if the flood caught them, the tree was buoyant enough to float them out of harm's way, symbolizing Blackberry's last and final use of his idea to protect Justin.  Even if he did get swept up in the flood with Nekas, Blackberry could honestly say he didn't care; he's do it again if it was to save El-ahrairah and his friends.

                "Looks like this 'embleer rabbit' has a more cunning mind than you, Nekas," Blackberry smirked, and the serpent could only manage to scream before the flood swept them up with a resounding crash.  Stunned, the snake let go, and Blackberry had the fleeting glimpse of the snake being swept down the canyons with the rapid, churning water before the cold overcame his body and took him under.  He could hear screaming, but his mind was slowly shutting down as the air escaped as bubbles from his nose and mouth.  Yet, to his surprise, he felt himself be slowly lifted up out of the water by a telltale, golden, levitation ring and to be gently set down on the floating birch tree with Justin and the rest of the rabbits.  Justin had extracted Blackberry, his friend, out of the flood before he could disappear in the depths of the rapids.  Blackberry coughed and sputtered before looking into Justin concerned, grateful eyes, his tears mingling with the rain that fell down his face and hair.  He grinned.

                "I said I wasn't going to leave my friends behind," he whispered before tenderly hugging Blackberry around his neck.  And this time, Blackberry could honestly say he didn't mind being close to a human as he friends looked on, smiling at the sight of Justin holding Blackberry close.

/*

Next: SPEEDWELL in "Speedwell's Ghost of a Chance"

Constructive criticism, suggestions, likes, dislikes?  REVIEW! Thank you!  All will be appreciated (except flames!)

*/


	17. Speedwell's Ghost of a Chance

/*

Author's note: Hey everyone, I'm back!  Thanks to everyone for the reviews!  I treasure each and every one of them!!  Again, sorry about being late, but I had writer's block and the quarter for college started for me, so I had some stuff to do (ie. homework, programs, reports, angry pissed off teacher, yadda, yadda, yadda).  Anyway, I'm so happy to finish writing this story about Speedwell!  He may be a secondary rabbit, but I actually started enjoying the buck while writing this chapter!  Enjoy!  All constructive criticisms or serious discussions are welcome!!

*/

CHAPTER 17 

                "Oh wonderful idea, Blackberry!" complained Hawkbit sarcastically as he was shivering due to the air sending ripples of cold over his wet fur, "We are now floating along pointlessly and lost on some Frith forsaken canyon, on a fallen birch tree no less, while the river takes us to where only the Black Rabbit knows!!  I'm hungry, cold, wet, and if you weren't over there with Justin on the other end, I'd go over there and kick your furry tail!!"

                "Hawkbit, do you wish to find out if there is such a thing as a water rabbit?!" smiled Speedwell evilly as he, Silver, and Bluebell leered at him, indicating the churning, massive, rough floodwaters that were still whipping along the canyon and bobbing their makeshift boat.  Hawkbit got the hint as he sulkily kept his mouth shut, muttering as the rain continued to pour down on his soaked fur.  Blackberry just smiled at the scene silently, despite his exhaustion as he felt Justin's glowing hands transfer light from his cross on his beaten and bruised body as they all uneasily kept their balance on the tree trunk.  As he felt the warmth ease his mind and sense, he then softly spoke.

                "Justin, I...I never got around to saying this, but...even though I'll always be wary of men, I'm..._partially_ glad I've gotten a chance to fight and protect you, as my friend.  And...what I said before about following one's own heart is idiotic, I...El-ahrairah helped me see..."

                "That _you_ were the one who was being idiotic??" teased Speedwell, who was squatting next to Justin and Blackberry.

                Justin grinned back and Blackberry just groaned aggravatingly, stressing out his tormentor's name annoyingly, "Spppeeeddweellllll!!  Not now!"

Conceding to Blackberry's wishes for a little privacy, chuckling, the white rabbit just looked on as Blackberry continued, "Anyway...I'm sorry.  I was being...well..."

"Ignorant, self-righteous, and inconsiderate?" Speedwell finished for the black-eared buck humorously.  Blackberry flushed but ignored him as he continued to make peace with the human teenager.  

"In any case, El-ahrairah wanted me to see that I shouldn't have been too smart for my own good, and...I'm sorry that I was being too embittered in my attitude towards you just because you were human."  At this, he shakily smiled at Justin.  "Sometimes, animals and beasts of Frith can be just as bad as any man."  He paused, cursing his wits for failing him for once in thinking of the best way to say what El-ahrairah had nudged him into confessing.  By the Black Rabbit, he felt like such a kitten.

"Forgive me?" he asked softly, awkwardly.  Justin just smiled.

"Of course.  Always.  After all, we're friends," he whispered certainly as Blackberry, relieved yet flushed, kept an embarrassed silence.  Rolling his eyes at the apparent sappiness of the scene unfolding, Speedwell chuckled, mocking, "I guess this would certainly indicate that you're not as reasonable and sane as you imagined yourself to be, eh, ever-so-intellectual-Blackberry??"

                "Oh do shut up, Speedwell," Blackberry shot back drolly as he felt his body become fully healed from Justin's hands, "By Frith and Inle, you're just as bad as Bluebell!!"

"Not quite, I have at least more than half a brain and don't get cuffed and scratched by Bigwig every time I tell a jolly poor joke!!"

As Bluebell mockingly tried to jump on top of the witty Speedwell for that past remark, Justin wearily looked at the gray, tumultuous sky with black, dark clouds sending hammering rain onto their soaked and shivering bodies.  What I wouldn't give for a nice, roaring fire to sit by and some dry clothes, the teenager thought to himself as he closed his eyes, trying to ease his fatigue from the battle with Nekas and from summoning the thunderstorms.  Still, he couldn't argue the fact that Blackberry's idea of the floating birch tree as a "boat" had saved him from uncertain death and that he was alive...

                Unexpectedly, to Justin's confused fear, a sudden, sharp searing pain erupted in his brain, and with a weak cry, Justin held his head as he slowly bent over, losing all awareness around him.  Blackberry and Speedwell stopped playing and instantly became alarmed, and as the white rabbit tried to alleviate Justin, Blackberry called out, "Hazel-rah!  Bigwig!  Something is the matter with Justin!  Come quick, he's hurting!"

                With a few awkward movements (and rude shoves on Bigwig's part), the two Watership commanders were able to make their way through the line of rabbits lined on the tree trunk and squatted next to Blackberry, Justin, and Speedwell.  The other rabbits just surveyed the occurrence with wide eyes and troubled whispers.

                "What in the name of Frith is wrong with him?!" Bigwig demanded, worry and dread lining his rough voice.

                "I don't know!  I haven't the slightest!!" confessed Blackberry in apprehension, "He was healing me from my injuries with Nekas, and then suddenly, he started crying and moaning!!"

                "Is he hurt?" Hazel asked calmly to Speedwell as he knelt closer to examine Justin , still whimpering in pain with gritted teeth and gasping sobs as his pain kept magnifying.  Speedwell, who was now greatly vexed, shook his head as he tried to gently shake the boy into consciousness.

                "No!  At least, I don't think so!!  I don't smell any blood, but...by Frith, he's getting cold, freezing even!  Fur and paw, he's even colder than the waters surrounding us!  C'mon, young one!  Wake up, wake up, old chap!!  It's me, your chum, Speedwell!!"  The instant Speedwell's paws grasped Justin's shoulders, the teenager and the white rabbit both gasped in pain as images suddenly poured into their minds simultaneously.  It flowed in so fast they could both hardly comprehend them.  Yet what they could distinguish left them numb.  Blood.  Screams of pain, fear, anger, resentment, all rolled into an unimagined, horrific sound of angst and dark emotion.  Pale, disheveled, ethereal rabbits shining with an unnatural, wraithlike whiteness against the dark shadows.  They were advancing towards them.  Closer, closer, they advanced in the line of Justin's sight, their eyes bloody and dripping, their fur matter and torn, yet their faces were the most terrifying as they were gruesome and grotesque with anger, rage, and insane gleefulness, mirroring the same fanatical look on Lord Brock's face when he tried to tear Pipkin into bits.  A sudden flash of white, and Justin gasped heavily as he and Speedwell just woke up from the trance simultaneously.  Sides heaving, they could only just blankly look at each other in confusion and apprehension as the surrounding rabbits worriedly badgered the two.

                "He's out of it, Hazel-rah," Bigwig informed Hazel and the others, his peace of mind forming a small, relieved smile on the buck's face.  "Whatever it was, it stopped."

                "Thank the stars," muttered Bluebell in grateful reassurance.

                "Justin?  Justin, for Frith's sake, don't scare us like that again!" Blackberry exclaimed, relieved.  Hazel placed a paw under the cross-bearer's chin, gently forcing the boy to look into his concerned brown eyes as the rabbit leader studied him conscientiously.  He wasn't hurt, but...Speedwell told the truth.  Justin's skin was extremely cold, almost glacial to the touch, and he couldn't explain it, but for a brief instant, Justin's eyes seemed as if they were lifeless, empty.  Yet it was only for an instant, and the rabbit could see the consciousness and comprehension dawn again on Justin's face in a flicker.

                "Justin, are you hurt in any way?  Do you feel any pain from some sort of injury?  Did Nekas injure you back at the cave??" he questioned fretfully, and Justin, unable to speak, could only shake his head, a bit embarrassed at making a commotion.  Hazel, however, knew he was holding back, yet he decided to question the teenager later when he felt better, and he left the shaking, traumatized Justin in the care of Bigwig, Pipkin and Blackberry.  While they were busy brooding over their friend, Hazel quietly took to Speedwell's side.  The white, spotted rabbit was still in shock from the images as he just squatted clumsily on his hind feet, looking at Justin with a mixture of puzzlement, dread, and distress, his eyes glassy and wide with disbelief and fear.

                "Speedwell, what happened??" Hazel asked him anxiously, "What in Frith's name made you and Justin go nearly tharn?  You look like as if you've seen a ghost!"

                Speedwell just turned to his Chief rabbit at the sound of that last word, murmuring heavily, slowly and nervously  "I think I did, Hazel-rah."

                                                                                ***

                "And that's what you saw when you touched Justin??" queried Campion incredulously as he, Hazel, Fiver, Speedwell, Bigwig, and Holly discussed what happened earlier on the birch tree.  When it had finally stopped raining amongst the canyon, the rapids slowed down enough for the their vessel to get caught on a protruding outcrop from the rock wall, allowing the rabbits and Justin to get off and climb uneasily up the paths out of the rift.  Once out, they were able to find some cover amongst a thick, lush field of wild wheat grass, still green and pungent, and growing to a full height taller than Bigwig standing upright.  Pipkin and Acorn already gathered some kale and groundnuts, and Hawkbit, on a solo exploring expedition, found a small pond of water.  Still, Hazel couldn't shake the feeling there was more going on that what appeared, so he and the others interrogated Speedwell and his eyewitness account of what he thought Justin saw.  And frankly, neither he nor Hazel and the others could make any sense of it.

                "I know, I know, it just doesn't seem possible," Speedwell conceded feebly and self-consciously, "I mean, Fiver is usually the one among us who can have visions and such with his second sight, so how could it even be possible that I saw...what I saw??"

                "Maybe you just imagined it?"  Speedwell gave Holly a strange look, and the rabbit veteran immediately realized that was probably a stupid likelihood.  "Well, no, then again, maybe not," the gray, whiskered Holly admitted quickly.

                "What's puzzling is the fact that you saw rabbits, not elil, in your vision, and from the sound of it, they don't appear to be Efrafans, but even if they were, I don't think even Woundwort has the ability to cause others to hallucinate with illusions like Veil Guplea or have revelations from the Lapine second sight."

                "But if they aren't Efrafans, what are they then??" Bigwig asked Hazel.

                "Maybe Holly was right earlier.   Maybe this is just a hallucination Speedwell had from all the fatigue and running, not to mention from being attacked from Elil-rah's messengers and minions every other day," Campion suggested reasonably, "I mean, it's not that hard to believe; we've all been really uptight and strained due to our journey back to El-ahrairah's warren."

                "Not exactly, Campion," Hazel interjected gracefully, "I don't doubt Speedwell's instincts, and even if the images he saw were insignificant, it doesn't explain why Justin was so cold all of a sudden when both Speedwell and I touched him.  By the hole in the sky, his skin felt like I was touching fresh snow, and shockingly enough, he was even colder than the Black Rabbit of Inle!  I don't believe that was a coincidence, Campion.  Whatever happened, it is due to Elil-rah's powers."

                "Fiver, what's your take on the matter?" Holly asked Fiver who was silently contemplating, "Do you sense anything with your insight?"  The visionary rabbit shook his head.

"No, I don't sense anything, not from Speedwell, Justin or from our current location."  For some reason, this response led to Speedwell getting a bit annoyed.

                "Oh wonderful," he said in a sarcastic, bittersweet tone, "my one chance at doing something helpful for the quest to save El-ahrairah, and instead, every jolly chap here thinks I'm losing my sanity and sense of reason!"

                "I didn't say that, Speedwell," Fiver retorted defensively, hating for being taken out of context.

                "Embleer Frith, that is simple for you to say Fiver!  Whenever you have your mystic powers occur, everyone listens to you, but when Speedwell has something completely out of the norm or whatever the like, it's always 'he's delusional' or 'half-witted Speedwell isn't really serious, as always'.  Frith and Inle, why can't you ever have your visions come when we need them?!  At least then, Justin wouldn't be in so much danger!!"  Fiver looked hurt at that statement, and Speedwell immediately felt penitent, especially since Bigwig got in between them and gave Speedwell a look of annoyed rage from his flashing eyes.  Holly jumped in.

                "I think that's enough.  Hazel, let's go back with the others for a rest and a bit of silflay and pellets.  Blackberry, Strawberry, and Silver will act as sentry tonight."  Everyone agreed, but as they hopped back to the resting grounds, Holly stayed behind to talk with Speedwell, who, from the look on his face, still felt troubled, humiliated and conflicted.

                "For what it's worth, Speedwell," consoled Holly gently, "I personally don't think that you're being silly or misbelieving; you may be a prankster and droll like Bluebell, yet when matters come down to it, you've always taken your responsibilities of an Owsla rabbit quite seriously.  Though I don't know how to make heads to tails of this visualization, I believe this may have happened to you because it was meant to be, like how young Justin was meant to be our cross-bearer."

                "It's not that, Holly," Speedwell groaned inwardly, "Well, partly yes, but what concerns me the most is that I don't know why I received this...this apparition while no one else did, not to mention that I don't want to see Justin get killed yet...if this prophecy comes to pass and we have to fight the rabbits in my dream, the problem is...this isn't an apparent enemy we've fought before.  They were rabbits, non-threatening and scared!  They weren't loyal to Elil-rah, but they weren't exactly peaceful either, and I could feel everything!  Pain, hurt, turmoil, and anger, bally loads of it!!  Enough to make Bigwig seem like a tame kitten!  It was enough to drive any level-headed rabbit insane, but...but, it was also like...like I could understand them, because they're my brothers and sisters, fellow rabbit creatures, and if they are the enemy, what then?  Must I fight them, to protect Justin??  Even though I am fighting for the side of El-ahrairah, it feels like I'm betraying them!  I don't want Justin to die, but I don't wish to fight rabbits who aren't necessarily our enemy, but who may wish to jeopardize our mission."

                "Let me get this straight, Speedwell," whispered Holly, stunned, "you're telling me that you think what you saw were rabbits who aren't on the side of Elil-rah, like the Efrafans, yet who may have been sent to kill the young cross-bearer??"

                "Something like that," admitted Speedwell, though he wasn't sure how else to put it.  He glanced at the sight of Justin, Hawkbit, Blackberry, and Pipkin laughing uncontrollably at the sight of Bluebell, who was performing a mocking farce of Bigwig as entertainment for them, unbeknownst to him, the real Bigwig was silently sneaking up behind the jester, revenge and irritation etched darkly on his face.  Speedwell continued as he faced Holly, "I can't help but grow doting and affectionate of Justin, especially since he's saved me from Scry-rah's hawk attacks and healed me more times than I can count, but it's not exactly helpful when I remember how men heartlessly destroyed Sandleford."

                "I know, Speedwell," Holly reassured him, flashing back to when he felt the pain and anguish every time he found his comrades and closest friends dead, sometimes from elil but mostly from the work of men.  That was another reason why the land beyond life was such a wonderful haven; everyone was delighted to find their old comrades, dear friends, and loving family again after being separated by death and the Black Rabbit of Inle.  "But Speedwell, remember, El-ahrairah said that Justin is the key to saving the land beyond life, and any animal or creature who wants to endanger the young one is an enemy, pure and simple.  We can't afford to try to be compromising and understand the views of every animal and eli that come our way."

                He ignored the yelps of Bluebell and Bigwig screaming in the background, "Get back here and take your beating like a rabbit, you foul-mouthed coward!!"  Speedwell continued.

                "But it's not always one or the other, Holly!  What about Scry-rah and the weasels Sneezewort and Lousewort?  After seeing what Justin was really like, they realized that they were fighting for the wrong sides and left Elil-rah's Owsla!  So why should it be any different from those...those rabbits that I saw?!  It's all the more reason why I'm hesitant!  Fighting Efrafans and elil is one thing, but fighting rabbits that aren't on the side of Elil-rah is another!  If they do want to kill Justin, I'll fight them, yes, but I wouldn't feel right about it either!"

                "Perhaps," conceded Holly wearily, "but...would you feel right about Justin being murdered?"

                Speedwell tried not to shudder at the possibility.  "No, I wouldn't.  But the point is, what in name of Frith and Inle are we to do about this??"

                "I don't know, old chap," admitted Holly dejectedly, helplessly, "but whatever happens will happen, and worrying ourselves until our fur falls off won't make it come any later."  They just pondered this thought all the while, Bluebell ran by with Bigwig in hot pursuit, screaming apologetically, "By the Black Rabbit, Bigwig will you calm down and take a joke?!!  I was only joshing when I said you didn't have fleas primarily because they couldn't stand the way you smelled!!"

                                                                                ***

                "Aren't you tired yet, you little troublemaker?" teased Speedwell whimsically as Justin kept staring at the dark, cloudless sky with the bright moon and stars.  Justin was shivering in the cold night air and his eyes were heavy like lead weights, but he shook his head miserably.  Realizing that something was wrong, Speedwell stopped joking as he squatted next to the human teenager, having a concerned inkling of what was bothering him.

                "You're afraid to go back to sleep, aren't you?" he asked Justin privately, his voice becoming soft and understanding.  The funny thing about Speedwell was that he may be fickle, dismissive and impulsive, not to mention a bit quick to temper and annoyance, but when he took it upon his mind to protect his friends or to like someone, he was always dedicated and faithful to it like any responsible rabbit.  And human or not, Justin was no exception.

                Justin cast his downcast eyes to the dark, cold grass.  "No...I mean, yeah.  Maybe, a little."

                Speedwell grinned impishly.  " 'A little'??  '_A little_'??  You naive duffer, you!  A little would be, like say, an ant, a grain of sand, or yes, even Hawkbit's brain!  But this is certainly not little!"  His voice became more compassionate and genuine as he leaned over and draped a warm, furry paw around Justin's shoulders, enveloping him securely.  "It's all right to admit you're scared about these things, Justin.  You're not alone in this.  I mean, great seasons of sun and rain, what I saw would probably give me the screaming horrors for hrair days and nights!!"

                Justin looked at him, startled.  "You...you saw??  You know??!"

                Speedwell's mouth stretched out in a grim line.  "Yes, from the moment I laid my paws on you, I, for the light of Frith have no idea how or why...but when I touched you, I think I saw the same thing you did.  All those lifeless, grotesque rabbits, looking angry enough to kill, hopping over to you with claws ready and teeth bared!"  He noticed Justin's face uneasily paled at the reminder, and he stopped, wishing he had an additional leg to kick his own tail whenever he put his paw in his mouth.

                "The point is, young one," Speedwell continued amenably, "you don't have to be very scared cause you're stuck with us, us bucks from Watership Down!"

                Justin sighed miserably, "I dunno, Speedwell, I mean...maybe I imagined all that.  I mean, after all the elil that have been sent to kill me and take my cross, I'm surprised I _haven't_ had nightmares yet.  Maybe it was all some sort of freak occurrence brought on by the stress and traveling we've been doing."

                Speedwell's brow wrinkled in concern and worry.  "You know better than that, Justin.  Since when do nightmares happen in broad daylight while you're awake, especially while it's raining?  And let's not forget that one usually doesn't become cold to the touch or starts aching in pain whenever a dream hits."

                "I know, but...it's easier for me if I convince myself that possibility.  Otherwise I don't think I'll ever be in my right mind, not to mention it wouldn't make me relax any easier or feel safe."  Speedwell, in touching closeness, gave the teenager a soft hug, and Justin could feel his warm, yet itchy, fur quivering under his strong heartbeat and pulse.

                "Like I've said before, Justin, it's not wrong to admit you're scared and vulnerable.  Heck, by the fur and paw, I would have said you were lying if you said you weren't.  I remember when I left Sandleford and crossed over the heather with the others, it really put a chap like me off, and brought about the very worst in me, not to mention I wanted to give up and abandon everybody without giving a hraka's care about my comrades.  But traveling to Watership Down, fighting Efrafa, and yes, even coming here to get you for El-ahrairah's sake, changed me for the better, but it was only because of El-ahrairah and Hazel and my friends that I was even able to do that."

                "I know, I remember that part from the stories of Watership Down," Justin murmured, "I'm not scared to admit it, but...but I wish this didn't always happen, how every time we get up in the morning until we rest at night, we get attacked by some messenger or member of Elil-rah's Owsla.  I just wish it would all stop, where I can just go through a day if not a week of no attacks, no surprises, no near-brushes with death and such!  But what I'm really scared about..."  He paused, not sure how to put it.  "What I'm really scared about is that there may be a day I have to fight by myself, that I won't always have you guys to protect me, and that even if you did, that, maybe Elil-rah will send some creature that you guys can't defeat and despite everything, I'll still be in danger."

                "I don't know how I can help with that," admitted Speedwell, "but, you should know that even though you're always in danger, you'll always have us and your cross of light to protect yourself.  Keep in mind, you're the real reason Elil-rah sees you as a threat; we're just the annoyances sent to keep him occupied."  Silence followed, but then Justin turned to Speedwell.

                "Speedwell, are you ever afraid?"

                "That's a silly question, you young duffer.  Of course!  After all, like I said, every animal and creature, even El-ahrairah, feels fear at some point or other."

                "Well, what do you fear?"  Speedwell had to think about that one before he answered truthfully, "To find out that I'm fighting on the wrong side, to betray a creature's trust I suppose.  In other words, being in the dilemma of having to choose between two people I care for and against one of them.  I'm not good at choosing sides or making first-rate decisions, young one.  That's why I trust Hazel-rah, Bigwig, and Holly.  I mean, Frith in a hole, I'm not a bally leader, I'm a follower."

                Justin gave a sound in understanding, and the two just sat there for a while before the teenager commented with amusement, "Y'know, this is the first time any one of you rabbits has actually hugged me."

                Speedwell gave a small laugh and blushed.  "Well, what can I say, young chap!  I'm a touchy, feely kind of rabbit who always wants to keep everyone's spirits up!"

                "Like Bluebell?"

                "Please, don't insult me."  They both chuckled.

                "I guess I'm a little...surprised yet moved from the fact that you're always so open about yourself and intimate with others.  I mean, some rabbits aren't as trusting and unwary, especially since I'm a human."

                Speedwell scoffed, "Then they, like Blackberry, need to go dunk themselves in a pool of water in order to snap them out of their tharn stubbornness and brought back to their senses!"

                "O Frith and Inle!!" Blackberry groaned aloud, eavesdropping on their conversation while on guard duty, "You're never going to let me off for my previous behavior with Justin, are you?!"

                Speedwell guffawed, "What?!  And give up a prime source of rubbing your nose in the dirt and embarrassing you, you black-eared duffer?!  Frith in the sky, you just said so earlier that you were being too smart and mulish for your own good!  Just think of this as your punishment!"

                "All the embleer sins in the world wouldn't have me deserve THIS as punishment!" joked Blackberry.  As he returned back to sentry duty, Justin stated with fatigue, "Well, I appreciate the talk and the comfort, but I still don't think I'll be able to sleep yet.  I'm still edgy and nervous."

                Speedwell smiled, taking this as an invitation to take the cross-bearer's mind off things.  "How about a story then?  I daresay, a jolly good story should be able to calm the likes of you down!"

                Justin nodded, liking the idea.  "Okay, which one?"

                "Your choice, Justin."  Justin gave it a thought before he smiled cordially.

                "How about your story?  A nonsense story, the one starring you and Lucy from Nuthanger Farm as the King and Queen of all rabbits?"

                Speedwell was quite taken aback; usually, _that_ particular story would be met with groans, complaints and rolling eyes from the others, especially since they thought that it was absurd and ridiculous.  The white rabbit beamed, his heart warming up even more to the small teenager beside him.

                "You're quite sure?"

                "Of course!" chimed in Justin, eyes twinkling, "Even though I've read it many times in 'Tales From Watership Down', it'll be even better hearing it from a real, talking rabbit such as yourself.  And who better to ask than the rabbit who came up with the tale in the first place?"  With such eagerness as that, how could the playful Speedwell refuse?

                "All right!  Well, young chap, as I've said before, this is about an adventure I've had one summer back in the physical world while I was still alive and well back at Watership Down.  It was one day toward the end of summer, and..."

                It went on sometime after that, and though Justin knew the story by heart, he had to admit, it was even better having Speedwell acting it out in a playful charade, making his voice light and feminine to imitate the sky-blue horse to Kehaar's funny accent to deep yet comical voices for the rabbits who wanted to make Lucy and him their queen and king.  As Speedwell's voice droned on and on, Justin could feel himself dozing off, his head craving to drooping down in slumber.  Several times, he jerked his head back up, unwilling to doze because his brain reminded him of the possible nightmares to come, but Speedwell's voice just reassured his nerves and mind, making him wade back into the crevices of exhaustion.  Speedwell, brotherly, lessened the volume of his voice as he lowered Justin carefully onto the ground without disturbing him, all the while, finishing his story with a new twist.

                "So there we were, King and Queen of the rabbits, and Lucy was covered with flowers and I was covered with dandelion leaves!  I dug a nice hole for us to sleep together.  My horse slept too, but his master came looking for him, and the farmer came looking for his Lucy.  He had a whole bushel of hay with him, so my horse didn't go hungry, and my dear Lucy rode him all the way home to the farm, and I promised to come and see her every time it rained.  I kept my promise, but on the sunny days, when it was as clear as water with a slight spring breeze, Lucy requested I take her lonely, younger cousin, Justin, to visit the places only us rabbits knew about.  He was always so sad, ever since his mother died, and he needed a friend.  And so, I carried him on my back to visit the land beyond life while Jesus and Frith showered us with blessings of flayrah and rainbows and candy!  Just for the two of us, and he saw Hyzenthlay and Hazel and all the rabbits of Watership Down in the meadows of Fenlo, always lush and green with grass and flowers blooming out pots of honey and sugar within their petals.  All the rabbits said, 'Look at that human!  He's so sad and lonely!  We'll adopt him and make him a member of El-ahrairah's family!  We'll care for him like he was our very own!'  And from that day on, Justin never knew pain, sadness, or hurt, for he continued to live in the warren, with the Watership Down rabbits as his best and very close brothers and El-ahrairah as his father in the burrows of light and friendship."

                He looked down at the now sleeping form of Justin, resting serenely, before he lay down on the ground next to him, keeping him warm.

                "And that is the end of my story, young one," he whispered, but Justin was too deep under to even hear it.

                                                                                ***

                Justin shivered as he slept uneasily next to Speedwell; even with the warmth of the sleeping mass of bodies surrounding him, Justin's skin was rapidly decreasing in temperature as the weak groans and whimpers actually lefts puffs of fog escaping from his mouth.  The nightmares were back again, and now, Justin just laid on the grass and dirt, completely vulnerable to the attacks on his mind and soul.  Yet, surprisingly, he wasn't the only one.

                                                                                ***

                Speedwell could feel himself floating away before he realized he was alone, lost in the thick fog and mist surrounding him.  He knew he was dreaming, but...it seemed so real.  His senses, his mind felt blurry and he couldn't feel any sensations of touch or pain on his paws.  Yet he could feel the cold, seeping into his bones and flesh, making him weak.  Even the brown tunic and vest he was wearing did not help much in keeping his body warm.  He shivered, muttering, "Well, at least this tharn dream can't get any more bizarre."

                He spoke too soon.  In an instant, the fog and mist melted away under a harsh, white light shining above hi, and before the confused rabbit could even realize what was going on, the light vanished and he found himself in a very strange land.  There were walls, creamy white and built with red brick, cement and alabaster, and they surrounded everywhere, leading into long tunnels, which looked similar to runs, and oddly shaped caves with windows of glass.  Speedwell gasped with realization as he took this all in; he was in a building, a man place!  But what would he find in this building?

                "Speedwell!" he heard an urgent yet thankful voice call out behind him, and he turned to see a confused, scared Justin running up to him, breathless.  Speedwell knelt down and asked with anxiety, "What is it?  What's wrong??  And by Frith, what are you doing here in my dream?!  This is certainly the first time I've ever had a dream think up of something as wild and insane as this!"

                Justin looked at him in confusion.  "Your...your dream??  But, I'm dreaming this too!  I'm surprised why are you here, in my head?!  And at my school?!

                "Your...your school?!" sputtered Speedwell, "The same place where you were always bullied and picked on?!!"

                "Yeah, this is my high school where I'm starting my first year!  This...this is uncanny!  It's exactly like...like I'm back home!  There's the classrooms, the gym, the bathrooms, and I can even see the chain-linked fence and the parking lot with all the students' cars!!  Oh geez, this is weirdest dream yet!  It feels like...like I'm not even dreaming, that I'm here, actually awake and that I'm back in my world!!"

                "Justin, listen to me!" Speedwell said urgently, gripping the teenager by the shoulders, "this isn't a normal dream, or else I wouldn't be here with you!  There's something incredibly outlandish about this place, and I can feel it!  Just try to wake up and get out of here!!"

                "He won't awaken," a disembodied voice growled in the distance, echoing in the hallways, "He won't awaken as long as we're in his dream and get revenge on him for what he and his kind has done to us!!"  Speedwell and Justin immediately looked up, and to their horror, they saw that at the end of the hallway appeared out of this air was a specter, a ghost, of a horrifically injured rabbit.  Though pale and vaporous, it was as big as Speedwell, maybe even slightly larger, but it was powerful in body and form, a fierce fighter and they could see its muscles and brown, blood-stained fur quivering with anger, rage, and blood wrath.  It wasn't an Efrafan, for they could clearly see that it was transparent, had not one single item of clothing, and it didn't wear a telltale medallion of Elil-rah.  However, it was incredibly intimidating and appalling, especially its face, sunken in, distorted and scarred with rotting flesh, cuts, and black, dried blood.  One eye was missing and even the flesh couldn't hide the protrusions of its white skull sticking out, but the other half of its face was warped with abhorrence, loathing, and wrath as it glared at Justin.  In short, it was like staring in the in presence of a rabbit zombie, devoid of anything except hunger for revenge and blood.  Speedwell instinctively got in front of Justin, bracing himself for a fight.

                "Stay away from Justin!" he warned the ghost in front of him.

                "Get out of our way, you fool!!" the ghost growled, "You have no idea what bloody travesties and sufferings I had to endure because of men, and now, I'm forever stuck as a ghost, a phantom with no control over its life and doomed to cycle on until eternity, because a farmer shot my face with a blasted rifle, wounding me so dreadfully, I died of my wounds moments later!!"

                "A...a ghost?!" Justin asked in disbelief, "But...but we're in the land beyond life!  How could you -??"

                "Shut up, you impudent, stupid boy!!  You may the cross-bearer, you know little of what animals such as rabbits went through and had to endure because of your kind!!" the ghost rabbit screamed at him.

                "Even so, that's no reason for you to take it out on him!!  The cross-bearer's innocent!!"

                The ghost rabbit laughed cruelly, "An 'innocent' human??!  No human is ever innocent, and we won't let you stop us from killing him!!  After all the pain and torture we've suffered, we deserve retribution!!  No, we're _justified_ in our actions!!  Even though this human isn't the one who have made our lives a living hell, getting vengeance on him will at least give us some satisfaction and peace!!  Everybody, kill the boy!  We outnumber that Watership rabbit hrair to one!!"  As soon as the ghost commanded those words, other ghost rabbits started arriving out of nowhere, emerging from the ground, the walls, or materializing out of thin air.  Though they were all different sizes, colors, and genders, each one of them were appallingly wounded from the ruthlessness of men, and all were eager and dire enough to murder the cross-bearer.  Speedwell didn't know what on earth to do, but Justin did.

                "TIME, STOP!!" he rang out piercingly, and immediately, his cross flashed in an intense luminescence as it illuminated the entire building and hall where Speedwell and the rest of the rabbits stood.  Justin tightly grasped the cross in his hand as the endless sunlight poured and overflowed the entire location, but to his shock, a red rabbit doe suddenly charged out of the blinding haze and brutally head-butted him in the chest.  Crying out, Justin flew back onto the cold, smooth cement and the golden radiance died out slowly from the attack.  The doe's eyes gleamed as she sneered at Justin, "You fool!  Haven't you guess it yet?!  Your powers won't work on ghosts and phantoms such as us, just like how it didn't work when you were attacked by the Wolfen Gale!!"

                She raised a clawed paw, ready to slash into Justin's neck.  She screamed in fury, "NOW DIE!!!"

                Speedwell immediately tackled her and knocked her back, and before she could claw at him, Speedwell, as taught before by Holly and Silver, immediately fell onto his back and sent his hind feet into the doe's stomach.  She soared backwards only to collide and crash into three bucks behind her.  Speedwell hurriedly helped up Justin from the ground as the red doe cried out, "Hogweed, kill the boy, quickly!!"

                Hogweed, the first of the ghost rabbits Speedwell and Justin encountered, and presumably the leader, charged right at him with teeth bared.  Justin gasped, but Speedwell again came to the rescue by grabbing the teenage cross-bearer out of harm's way, and a swift kick in the rear sent the burly buck sprawling behind.  Hogweed rose up, murder in his eyes as he and the other thirty-odd rabbits advanced towards the two.  Justin was completely lost; he didn't know what to do.  Hogweed said he couldn't wake up as long as they were in his dream, but the powers of his cross didn't affect them at all, so they were practically defenseless.  Even Speedwell alone couldn't handle the group of homicidal and vicious rabbits at once, and since this was a dream, none of the other Watership Owsla could come and aid them, and unlike the Wolfen Gale, there was no possible way he could see in stopping this.  Suddenly, Speedwell turned on him, pity and sadness watering his eyes.

                "Please forgive me for this, cross-bearer," he pleaded and before Justin could ask what, Speedwell unexpectedly drew back his paw and slashed Justin across the cheek, leaving behind three parallel and bleeding gashes.  Justin, feeling the stinging of his claws, reeled back in hurt and offense.

                "Speedwell!" he cried, his eyes filling up with shock, "What the hell are you -?!"  Yet, before he could finish the sentence, Speedwell raked his claws over Justin's shoulders, the blood now flowing freely into his red flannel.  Hogweed and the other apparitions were confused as ever.

                "What in the name of the Black Rabbit is that rabbit doing, Hogweed?!!" asked one buck, his neck torn and broken due to getting caught in a snare from his pat life.

                "Isn't he supposed to be protecting the cross-bearer?!" queried another buck, his midsection of his torso ripped and mangled due to a hrududu running over him one night when he came back from a farm raid on a garden.  They just watched on as Speedwell sorrowfully and lamentably kept attacking Justin.  Speedwell, tears welling up his eyes, sobbed urgently, "Damn it, Justin!  Wake up!!!  Please, just wake up!!!"

                Hogweed then guessed what Speedwell was trying to achieve, and in desperation, he yelled frantically, "NO!!  Stop him!!  Quickly, otherwise we'll lose the boy!!"

                The rabbits ran with full speed, but it was too late.  The pain of the wounds on his face and shoulder, the loud screaming, the crying, took into effect, and Justin could strangely feel himself fading away, as if he was floating out of his body.  Around him, darkness encircled him as a tunnel, and before Justin could do anything, he was yanked backwards away from Speedwell, disappearing into the darkness and away from the brave Watership soldier as Hogweed and the other rabbits tackled him and tried to grab the teenager.  Yet Justin was disappearing much too rapidly for them to lay a paw on him, and as the light vanished from his eyes, Justin cried out in torment, "SSPPPPEEEDDDWWEELLLLLL!!!"

                                                                                ***

                Justin woke up, screaming, and to his short-lived relief, he was back, with the other rabbits in the field of green wheat grass.  At first, he was confused; was it all a dream??  But then, he felt the blood trickling down on his cheek and the lingering stinging of his wounds on his body that Speedwell inflicted on him.  His blood chilled as he realized it actually happened for real.  He was so stupefied, he barely noticed Blackberry, Strawberry, and Silver worriedly hopping over to Justin due to his screams.  They stopped, dumbstruck, before Silver commanded Blackberry to wake up the others.  In a few minutes, Hazel and the other Watership rabbits were gathered around Justin who was blankly looking off into space, not paying attention to what they were saying.

                "It looks like he's in shock, Hazel-rah!" Strawberry put in as he and Silver licked the wounds on his cheek, "He's been attacked by something!"

                "Elil??" Hawkbit gasped out in fright, but Campion shook his head.

                "No, it isn't that, Hawkbit, because the only scent I can smell on him is Speedwell's!  But...speaking of which, where is he??!"

                Bluebell pointed behind him with a forepaw.  "Over there, he's still sleeping, the lazy, laid-back duffer!!  We couldn't even wake him up from his slumber!  He's quite out of it, I daresay!"

                "Then cuff him repeatedly until he wakes up!!" snapped Bigwig as he nuzzled Justin in the neck with his nose, his whiskers and moist nostrils burrowing into the boy's clammy skin, trying to bring him back to consciousness.  At the word 'Speedwell', Justin groaned softly, but with consternation, "Sppee...Speedwell?  Oh no!  OH NO!  SPEEDWELL!!"  He howled out these last two sentences, weeping, and the other rabbits just stepped back, awed and slightly frightened from Justin's strange behavior.

                "Justin calm down!!" Campion tried to reassure the teenager, "It's all right, you're back with us!  You were in shock, and it looks like you were attacked by -"

                "No, it's not all right!!" gasped out Justin as he shakily stumbled over to Speedwell's body.  Before any of the other rabbits could wonder what was going on, Justin was next to Bluebell as he laid his glowing hands on Speedwell's prone, limp body and sent healing light from his cross into him.  Yet to his distraught astonishment, it had no effect!  Speedwell remained as lifeless as before, and upon closer inspection, his entire body was cold as ice, frigid, and his eyes were wide open and glassy, glazed, and lifeless without that familiar, jovial spark of life.  Justin started crying again as he realized the truth; Speedwell was still trapped with Hogweed and the other ghost rabbits in his dream.

                                                                                ***

                "Damn you!!" roared out Hogweed as he sent another cuff into Speedwell's face, the impact of it nearly cracking the soldier's head back.  Once Justin disappeared, the other phantoms were livid with anger at how they were so close and lost their one and only chance at revenge for their pain, and in frustration, they took it out on Speedwell.  He put up a good scuffle, but in the end, they overpowered him, and now, two strong bucks were tightly restraining him, gripping his forepaws forcefully behind his back, allowing Hogweed to beat him senseless.  Speedwell felt the blood escape out of the gashes on his cheek, and his chest was already throbbing painfully from the kicks the rabbits sent into his stomach.  However, he kept his mouth belligerently shut, to spite them.  He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of hearing him squeal in pain.  Worn out from exertion, Hogweed grabbed Speedwell's head by his chin and forced the Watership rabbit to look into his bloodshot eyes, twitching with rage and adrenaline.

                "You think you've won, don't you??" he spat in contempt, "You think that now the cross-bearer is on to our plans, he and the other rabbits from El-ahrairah will find a way to save you and stop us, don't you?!"

                "Oh my," drawled Speedwell in acidic mockery, "Did you figure that all by yourself or did you have to have Elil-rah draw it out for you??"  Hogweed responded in kind by a brutal kick to Speedwell's abdomen, and Speedwell went slightly limp, groaning softly as the bucks continued to prop him up to face their leader's wrath.  The buck growled in Speedwell's face, "You traitorous wretch!!  We're not with Elil-rah!!  We're with El-ahrairah, but he and the Black Rabbit betrayed us by allowing the cross-bearer to come to the land beyond life, a man!!  A creature that heartlessly and mercilessly took our lives for the sport of it or just because we were in their way, and for what?!  What did we ever do to deserve this kind of death?!!  And you, a rabbit and one of the honored defenders of the earthly paradise, Watership Down, are actually fighting us to protect one of the spawn of scum such as men?!!  You...twisted...sick...stupid...traitor!!!"  At that last sentence, Hogweed gave a kick or a cuff at Speedwell's body for every word, his voice punctuated with enough rage for Hogweed to summon strength to give the blows.  Speedwell felt his insides burn with fire as he vomited a little blood, a thin stream trickling out of his mouth as he gasped for air.  He was now so weak from the beating, he sank to his knees as the buck kept their grip on his arms.  Still, he was tough enough to talk scathingly at the ghost rabbit in front of him.

                "He's not evil, you deluded idiot!" Speedwell muttered as the bucks twisted his forepaws painfully, "Justin was summoned to be the cross-bearer because of his light and his kindness and his love for all creatures!  And you're even more irrational and brainless than I thought if you think this will make any difference in what you feel if you kill Justin!!  It's not going to give you peace!  Ever!!  It'll feel like you're evening the score or fulfillment, but it will also give you a stronger thirst of bloodlust, leaving you troubled and agitated for the rest of your embleer existence!!  And if you kill the cross-bearer, you're betraying El-ahrairah!"

                "Shut up!!!" shrieked the red doe as she sent her foot into Speedwell's leg, causing him to sink even lower due to the aching.  Hogweed heartlessly grabbed Speedwell again by the head, snarling, "We're not finished yet!!  We will kill that human, even if he isn't in this dream world anymore!  And we will do it with _your_ help!  It's time you now saw the errors of your ways, Speedwell, and finally saw that you're on the wrong side!"

                "My loyalty lies with El-ahrairah and my friends of Watership Down," growled Speedwell in anger, "And I will never betray them, or Justin for that matter!!"  At these words, Hogweed leered craftily at the Watership soldier as he whispered ominously and chillingly, "You don't have a choice."

                                                                                ***

                "Let me get this straight, young one," asked Hazel in disbelief as he felt a headache emerge from his stress and unease, "Speedwell and you were trapped in a dream where ghost rabbits were trying to kill you, and the only reason you awoke was because Speedwell attacked you??!"  Justin nodded wearily.

                "By Frith, even I think that is a bit far-fetched!" commented Bluebell, incredulous.

                "Fiver, is this even possible?!" Strawberry asked the visionary rabbit, "We're in the land beyond life, so all souls that died in the physical world would have entered here anyway!  So how is it even possible that there'd be ghost rabbits that can enter dreams and try to murder Justin in his sleep?!!  It can't be true!"

                "I don't think this is an accident, Strawberry," Fiver said in a calm, thoughtful tone, "Remember back at Watership Down when Coltsfoot told us the story of the ghost rabbit he saw at the fields close to Nutley Copse?  This is exactly the same thing.  Those rabbits...whatever they, aren't real and they aren't lost souls of the dead!!  They're footprints, leftover reminders of what have happened in the past.  My best guess is, that any rabbits that die by violent means do arrive at the land beyond life to live peacefully in the life El-ahrairah intended for all of his children.  Yet, as they arrive, a strange force still lingers, like our paw prints in the soft earth and mud whenever we go out after the rain, and like Coltsfoot, Stitchwort, and Fescue were in, Speedwell and Justin must have accidentally triggered something in these pools of the past to revive the anger and wrath of the rabbits that died by the hands of men!  When Coltsfoot and I asked El-ahrairah about this, he said we were right, but he also stated that to do such a thing here in the land beyond life is impossible!  Not even El-ahrairah has the ability, nor would he wish it so, to summon and command the specters of the past and pain, to manipulate them and use their blind anger and hatred to do some bidding!  Don't you understand?!"

                "So those rabbits such as Hogweed and the rest aren't necessarily rabbits like us??" Dandelion asked, still a bit confused.  "They're actually ghosts remains of hatred and madness??"  Fiver nodded.

                Fiver began again, "Let me put it to you in a story.  Long, long ago, El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit made an agreement with each other that whenever a rabbit, or any creature of Frith for that matter, died, the Black Rabbit will only take the souls from the body.

                As all rabbits know, the soul is the essence of the spirit, of life, of light and all that is good.  Whenever you feel love for a doe, that feeling is your soul flowing strongly into your heart.  Whenever you feel compelled to fight against elil to defend your warren or your friends, that is your loyalty and courage stemming from your soul and light.  Whenever you remember the promises and stories of El-ahrairah and hope, that is your soul, reminding you because they are linked to El-ahrairah's soul, our Prince and Lord of all Rabbits.

                Now, in the physical world, some rabbits and creatures kill their souls, making themselves lifeless by abandoning the gifts and talents Frith has given them, allowing their heart to be captured by the lures of comfort, sloth, anger, and power.  Such as the fates of General Woundwort or Cowslip and the warren of the Shining Wires.  Where there is light, there is darkness, and from that darkness, all despicable and evil comes forth.

                El-ahrairah knew this, for within every heart, there is darkness as well as light, but he wanted rabbits to enter the land beyond life so that he could have his children live in peace, comfort, love, and joy as all animals and creatures deserve, so he asked the Black Rabbit that whenever an animal dies, to take the soul, the light, from the animal's body and leave behind the darkness, the anger, the evil behind to linger in the carcass where it will rot and fester for all eternity without affecting any innocent animal ever again.  This is why you see so many dead animals rotting and covered with flies and beetles; because the darkness is so destructive to the body, it disintegrates it, but it can never be destroyed.

                Don't you see, Justin??  That wasn't Hogweed and other innocent rabbits you saw; that was the darkness of their hearts that were left behind when the Black Rabbit summoned them into this haven.  It simply took on their forms.  Granted, yes, even when we come here, we do feel anger, pain, and may show a temper or two, but that pales in comparison to the darkness left behind in the physical world.  That is pure hate, rage, and evil, and it has no place here in the land beyond life.  Which is why we now have some evil creatures trying to kill you here in this land, Justin; it's because they allowed the darkness to re-enter their hearts and become devoted to Elil-rah corruption and temptations."

                "But then how did it get here?!" asked Justin breathlessly, "If it was left behind in the physical world, it shouldn't have been able to attack me and Speedwell!"

                "Elil-rah," muttered Hazel in quick realization, and Fiver nodded in agreement.  Hazel continued, "I get it now.  Elil-rah is using a new type of warfare to attack you Justin, and since it is in your dreams, we can't defend you and your cross can't have an effect on phantasms like those and the Wolfen Gale, so it makes it a perfect killer for Elil-rah's Owsla!  But why on earth would it take into that particular form?!"

                Holly then gasped as he realized it.  "It's because Speedwell won't fight rabbits that aren't on the side of Elil-rah, because he would feel guilt and remorse for attacking a fellow rabbit that does not know any better, but he doesn't comprehend that those aren't rabbits!  They're illusions, imitations, false copies, and Elil-rah is trying to use Speedwell's reluctance against him so that he won't put up too much of a fight when they attack Justin!"

                "But why was Speedwell even in Justin's dream in the first place?!" inquired a confused Buckthorn.

                Justin answered, "I think it was because he touched me, back when we were floating on the dead birch tree in the rapids of the canyon!  When he touched me, he must have established...some sort of bond between us so that I wouldn't be alone!  But...but how?!  Since when does Speedwell have that kind of ability?!"

                "It wasn't Speedwell!" Campion realized and with his forepaw, he pointed to Justin's cross, indicating, "It was you, Justin.  Without you consciously wishing it, that jewel must have felt Speedwell's concern for you, so it must have used its power without your knowledge to allow Speedwell to protect you, to follow you into your dream, to let Speedwell know what was going on!!  That would explain why only he knew what you saw when you had that vision hit you!!"

                "But then it's my fault that he's back there in the first place!" choked Justin, putting a hand over his face wearily and feeling compunction and blame fall on his shoulders.  Silver comforted the teenager.

                "No, it's not your fault, and to tell you the truth, if anything happened to you when Speedwell could have been able to do something about it, he would be the one to feel guilty.  He'd protect you if he could, young one.  So, c'mon!  Buck up, chap!  We'll get Speedwell out of this soon enough!"

                "_Sooner than you think, you foolish, embleer turncoats!!_" howled an incorporeal, dead voice, echoing all around them.  Justin gasped as he recognized the voice.

                "It's Hogweed!  He's here!!"

                "Hogweed?!  But...I thought he was only attacking you in your dreams!" Buckthorn called out as he braced himself for a flying tackle towards any conspicuous rabbits.  Yet, a snicker was heard all around them, and with a surprised squeal, Buckthorn was brutally flung back, as if swatted with an invisible, gigantic paw, only to come crashing down twenty feet or so away.  Justin and the other rabbits rushed over to help the veteran while mist and shadows started rising from the grass all around them, swirling into a gray, immeasurable mass of fog and cloudy smoke as the wraithlike voices and cruel laughter continued.

                "_Hee hee hee hee, a rhyme for you cross-bearer!!_"  They chillingly sung the limerick to the tune of "Rain, Rain, Go Away".  "_Ghosts, made of hurt and pain!  Come and try to kill Justin again!  He may try to fight, but we have no fright, for hold his precious Speedwell!_"

                With that, the willowy wisps of fog had now merged and coalesced into a huge form, morphing and shaping into a gigantic monstrosity.  It was like a large, gelatinous blob made of steam, curiously blending into various shades of white and gray, except the blob of ghosts had two dozen powerful arms, each was willowy and blurred from the fog surrounding it, but still extremely dangerous with a set of lethal claws at each paw.  Underneath were four pairs of legs, thick as a tree trunk of an oak and heavy enough to crush any of the rabbits with one stomp.  On the top of the creature were the thirty-odd heads of the rabbit ghosts, each gruesomely disfigured from injury or rage or both, but they all had a wicked gleam in their eyes as they stared down at the seemingly pathetic group of rabbits surrounding Justin.  Justin thought it was eerily similar to the Hydra, the mythological eight-headed dragon in Greek legend.  Except this time, it was a thirty-something headed rabbit ghost with many clawed arms and four legs.  Hogweed smirked as a hole started to emerge in its round belly, gaping and large enough for the Watership rabbits to see through the other side of the monster.  And clearly, they could see a lone, beaten, and semi-unconscious rabbit spirit held in a crucified position in front of the hole, held in place by secure paws of smoke and fog.  Everyone gasped out loud when they recognized the rabbit being held prisoner in the monster.

                "Speedwell!!!" yelled out Silver in alarm, and in response, the spirit of the rabbit weakly raised its head and gave them a feeble, sheepish grin.

                "By the Black Rabbit, why is it we always have to save your trouble-making tail?!!" griped Hawkbit automatically, "You just can't keep your nose out of trouble for one day, can you?!!"

                "Hawkbit!!" every rabbit, except Pipkin, scolded at him, glaring with annoyance.  Hogweed just grinned wickedly as he announced to Justin, "_I wouldn't try anything if I were you, cross-bearer!!  If you somehow manage to find a way to destroy us, you will vanquish us, but you may risk vanquishing your dear, friend Speedwell in the process!!_"

                "Don't!!  Please, don't hurt him!!" pleaded Justin, but the monster roared once and started advancing towards the group.

                "Gee, Justin, whatever happened to 'don't hurt us' instead??!!" quipped Hawkbit in bitter sarcasm.  Yet, to everyone's surprise, Hawkbit was the first to charge directly at the fog atrocity.  With a powerful leap, the blackish rabbit lowered his head as he head-butted the creature in the belly.  Or, at least he _attempted_ to.  To everyone's surprise and dread, Hawkbit passed right through it, rushing by the fog and mist, only to emerge from the other side of the monster.  As if it anticipated this, with a sudden lunge, a claw grabbed Hawkbit painfully, and with a fierce toss, Hawkbit was sent hurtling back towards the group, crashing painfully into Silver and Pipkin, sending all three of them into a heap.

                "O Frith and Inle!" squealed Bluebell, "This isn't good!!"

                "Justin, hurry, time-freeze it!!" urged Acorn, but Justin shook his head in despair.

                "It wouldn't work, Acorn!!  If my time-freeze didn't work on the ghosts in the dream world, then it wouldn't affect them here!!  And that probably goes the same for everything else I can do with my cross!!  I can't even summon and extract Speedwell's spirit!!"

                "Wait, there may be a way!!" Blackberry thought aloud, a brainstorm coming to his mind, as Bigwig, Campion, and Buckthorn were unsuccessfully trying to attack and dodge the frenzied attacks of the ghost abomination.  "Justin, physical beings can't attack these apparitions, but what if we had spirits or ghosts of our own?!  They maybe they can fight and attack Hogweed and the rest of the ghost imposters!!"

                "And how do you propose to do that, you idiot?!!" Hawkbit complained annoyingly, "Need I point out the obvious flaw here?!  We don't have spirits or ghosts here!!"

                "Well, if Elil-rah was able to summon ghosts out of hate and malice, can't we summon and create ghosts of our own?!" Strawberry brought in, "After all, Justin's cross is much, much stronger than anything Elil-rah can do with his dark powers!!"

                "And how shall we do that?!" snapped Hawkbit.  Then he annoyingly sang out with cupped paws in a mocking, derisive voice, "Hello?  Heelllllooo???  Yoo hoo!!  Any spirits out there that aren't made out of darkness or psychotic rabbits, please come here and help us fight this thing and get our friend Speedwell out!!  We'd ever be so grateful!"  He glared back at Strawberry and then rolled his eyes.

                "Well, so much for THAT idea!!  Anything else, you great, big dandy?!"

                "At least I'm trying to help instead of sitting on my loud-mouthed tail, insulting others, Hawkbit!" growled Strawberry.  Then an idea came to Justin; maybe Blackberry and Strawberry had a point.

                "Wait a minute, Hawkbit!!" Justin cried eagerly, hoping with all of his might that this winged plan would be the solution he needed, "It just might work!!"

                Hawkbit was floored as there were sharp cries and Campion, Buckthorn and Bigwig went flying past them, taken to the air by a sudden, powerful swipe of the ghost monster, only to come painfully landing beside them.  "And _how_ do you propose doing THAT, Justin?!"

                "Ooohhhh, is there a reason why there's three Captain Campions lying next to me??" groaned Buckthorn as he shakily got up on all fours.

                "I'll answer that as soon as I stop seeing so many flashes of light," warbled Bigwig, helping an injured Campion get up from his sprawled position on the floor.  Justin just urgently told Hazel, "Hazel, have everyone protect my body, all right?  Don't let them close to it!"

                "But why??" blurted out a bewildered Hazel as the ghosts advanced even closer and closer, sure that victory was near.

                "Just do it!  Trust me!" smiled Justin, and with that, he grabbed his cross and closed his eyes, invoking his light to shine forth from the trinket.

                "Blackberry, what is doing?!" Acorn cried out, "I thought his cross couldn't affect the ghosts!!"

                "I don't know!" stammered an astounded Blackberry, "but whatever it is, we'll find out soon enough!!"

                "_You foolish boy!!_" screamed out Hogweed in magnanimous arrogance, "_You're even more reckless than we thought if you think your light will affect us!!  Soon, you will die and we will get our revenge for what you and your kind have done to us!!  Feel our wrath for you deserve what you are about to experience!!!_"

                "YOU'RE WRONG!!" bellowed a voice, wispy, but loud and strong, echoing the hope and steadfast devotion of his soul.  Hogweed glared and saw that it was Speedwell's imprisoned spirit, immobile but panting with strength as he yelled with all of his might, "JUSTIN NEVER DESERVES ANY PAIN OR TORMENT THAT WAS GIVEN TO HIM!!  HE'S NOT EVIL!!  HE'S ONE OF THE MOST SINCEREST AND CARING BEINGS OF THIS LAND!!  AND I WON'T LET YOU HURT HIM!!!"

                "_Keep that embleer rabbit quiet!!_" Hogweed screamed at him.

                "Leave him alone!" rang out a voice, and to everyone's surprise, the ghosts looked to see Justin standing in front of the rabbits, steely determination and fear etched in his eyes.  His breath was shaking, but he forced himself to walk towards the ghosts and Speedwell with no sign of hesitation or regret.

                Speedwell yelled out, "Justin, don't!!  They'll kill you!!  Please, forget about me!!  Just run for it!!"  He pleaded to Hazel with desperation in his eyes, "Hazel-rah, please, stop Justin!!  Take him and the rest of the rabbits far away from here!!  Get back to El-ahrairah!!  I'm not worth it!!  Stop him, please!!!"  To Speedwell's shock, Hazel solemnly shook his head, and for a moment, Speedwell felt like crying.  The rabbits were giving up, and Justin was sacrificing himself to save him.  Or so it seemed.  Hogweed just gleamed in sickening delight as he bragged, "_Well, well, I knew these rabbits weren't so noble!!  They are sacrificing the human, just to save their own selfish, furry hides!!  Now we will have an easy kill!!  CROSS-BEARER, PREPARE TO DIE!!!_"

                "No, stop!!!" yelled Speedwell but it was too late.  With a sudden swipe, all two dozen claws slashed downward toward Justin, yet before the sharp talons could touch his body, Justin's cross glowed, bathing the teenager's entire body with golden light.  Upon touching him, the monster screeched out in pain, and Speedwell saw why.  Every one of its paws was charred, no longer white and misty, and the instant the ghosts touched Justin, their paws turned into ashes and disintegrated painfully.  Justin, upon seeing this, felt more courage and willpower come to him as he kept walking slowly towards the belly of the monster where Speedwell was imprisoned.

                Hogweed was stunned and the head of the red doe screeched out in vehemence, "_Impossible!!  How in the wonders of Frith did a human achieve that?!!  He will pay for hurting us, the impudent wretch!!  DIE!!!"  _With that, one of the monster's feet rose into the air above Justin's head, ready to stomp him into a bloody mess.  Astounded, Speedwell could only look on as the foot came crashing down, and the red doe howled in anguish as she realized that the light surrounding Justin's body disintegrated the ethereal foot into dust.  And that wasn't all; within seconds, the light spread the charred matter throughout the other three legs.  In an instant, they all vanished into ashes, and the heavy, bulk of the ghost abomination crashed awkwardly to the ground.  In blind rage, the ghosts sent all the arms, flailing, trying to whip the teenager as he kept advancing towards Speedwell.  Unfortunately, they too faded into black dust the minute they tried attacking the light surrounding Justin.

                "_How??  How??!!  How is this possible?!_" screamed Hogweed in burning antagonism, "_Nothing can destroy ethereal specters such as us?!!  Curse you, cross-bearer!!!  What type of foul, dark powers do you have?!!  What did you do to us?!!_"

                Justin glared at him as he said in a calm, yet passionate voice, "My powers aren't dark, Hogweed.  They occur because I care about my friends and those I love, like my family and my brothers.  and the reason you can't touch me is because of the light that comes from astral projection form."

                "_Astral projection?!!_" screamed Hogweed, and to his horror, he glanced back the group of the Watership rabbits in the distance and to his alarm, he saw Silver and Strawberry gently holding Justin's limp body upright with the other rabbits breathlessly, with anticipation, looking on at the sight of the ghosts realizing what was happening to them.

                Speedwell also watched the scene, even more puzzled than ever.  "Justin??  How -??"

                Justin smiled mischievously, "I prayed for the cross to allow me to astral project.  It basically means that I projected my soul out of my body, so while I left my body behind, my soul, my spirit can still move around freely.  And since these ghosts were made up of darkness due to Elil-rah powers and not from actual rabbits, they can't touch me because my soul is radiating the light from my heart.  Speedwell, listen to me!  Those rabbits aren't real!  They're phantoms made from Elil-rah's dark powers, and they can't touch me because the light destroys the dark!  Everything they know is rage, anger, hate, despair, fear, and vengeance."  Justin was now close enough to touch Speedwell, and in an instant, the binds holding him vanished under the warmth of the orange light.  Speedwell weakly groaned as he sank back onto the ground.  Justin knelt next to him as the white rabbit whimpered urgently asked, "Young one, you shouldn't have done that!  You would have been hurt or killed if your plan didn't work!"

                "I don't care, Speedwell," Justin whispered as the ghostly apparition tried to struggle to rise and attack the two.  By now, Hogweed in incredibly furious as he screamed, "_I'm not finished yet!!  We will kill you cross-bearer!!_"

                With that, the monster now dissolved into a fluid, swirling, uncontrollable mass of fog and darkness as the evil vapor surrounded the souls of Speedwell and Justin.  The other rabbits just watched on in dread and agonizing apprehension.

                "We have to help them!" wailed Pipkin as he was restrained by Dandelion from running out into the melee unfolding before their very eyes.

                "No," Hazel said firmly, "we have trust Justin's judgment!  It's all up to Speedwell and Justin in whether or not we can win!  Just keep strong and stay vigilant over Justin's body!"  Meanwhile, Hogweed and the other ghosts were now screaming, ready to slash and engulf the two as their essences continued to encircle Speedwell who was valiantly putting himself in front of Justin.  Even after being nearly beaten within an inch or two of consciousness, Speedwell managed to choke out as he gripped Justin in a fierce embrace, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you any better, young one."

                "You didn't fail Speedwell!" Justin spoke out strongly, and unaware to them, the light from his spirit began to envelop Speedwell additionally.  Justin continued, "I don't care if I get hurt or injured from this because as long as my friends are safe!  And...I don't want you to suffer for my sake because I care about you too much to leave you behind.  So, whether you like it or not, we're stuck with each other.  Don't you remember the promise you made to me at the end of your story?? 'And from that day on, Justin never knew pain, sadness, or hurt, for he continued to live in the warren...'?"

                Speedwell could feel himself getting lighthearted from the joke as the golden sunlight began to radiate from his heart, his friendship, and his devotion.  And before Hogweed and the other ghosts could strike, the rabbit felt the words come out of his mouth, quoting the end of his revised story he told Justin earlier, "...with the Watership Down rabbits as his best and very close brothers and El-ahrairah as his father in the burrows of light and friendship."

With a brilliant flash of gold, Speedwell and Justin were bathed in the light of their affection, their loyalty, their compassion, and their hope.  All the ghosts stopped and screamed and howled in pain as they felt themselves decaying under the power of the sunlight, forever banished to a world of nothingness for all eternity.

"_NOOOOOOO!!!_" howled Hogweed in rage before he and the other ghost rabbits disintegrated into ashes and evaporated into thin air.  In another instant, the light burst into an incredible blaze of gold and orange before flickering away.  Astounded, Hazel and the other rabbits looked up to see that the ghosts of darkness and evil were now completely gone, vanished.  But so were the spirits of Speedwell and Justin.

                "Where...where's Justin?!!" cried out Campion.  "Justin!!"  There was a groan, and Silver and Strawberry turned back to see, to their joy, Justin was back in his own body and regaining consciousness.

                "Justin!  you're all right!!" cried out Strawberry.

                "Thank Frith," muttered Silver in gratitude, and Justin opened his eyes to see that everyone gathered around him happily.  And to his joy, in the distance, he saw Speedwell, back in his body, limping back towards the group.

                "Miss me?" he quipped, and Justin and the other rabbits cheered and chortled as they ran over to the white, spotted rabbit.  Justin knelt down, examining the bruises and cuts on Speedwell's face.

                Speedwell tried to smile, "It looks worse than it actually is young one."  Doubtfully, Justin put a hand onto the white rabbit's bruised and battered cheek, only to have Speedwell wince in pain.  "Owwch!  Watch that part!  Hogweed did a number on it when he kept cuffing me back in the dream realm."

                "Hey, on the upside, you're not the only one injured," beamed Justin as he absentmindedly ran his fingers across the deep gashes Speedwell inflicted on him in order to wake him up.  Speedwell blushed in awkwardness and embarrassment, but Justin just gracefully stopped the tension with a hug around Speedwell's torso, and touched, Speedwell just embraced the teenager, patting his head.

                "By the light of Frith, must you always give me a hug every time I get injured?!" he grunted in mock annoyance.

                Justin laughed as he threw Speedwell's own words back at him.  " 'Well, what can I say, young chap!  I'm a touchy, feely kind of rabbit who always wants to keep everyone's spirits up'!"

/*

Next: BUCKTHORN in "Bobstones n' Buckthorn"

I also have a little preview of this chapter since I've gotten it halfway written.  Expect this in two weeks!

                "Don't feel too bad," Buckthorn chuckled as he faced Justin, "I've was bobstone back at Watership Down and Vleflain three seasons running!  You can't really expect to beat me on your first try!"

                "Hazel!  Buckthorn!  Help me!!" hollered Justin in dread from his thorny prison.

                Suddenly, all over the fields, green vines appeared out of nowhere, as if taking a life upon their own, only to fly straight into the group of the Watership Owsla.  The rabbits tried to avoid the leafy tentacles, but they were everywhere, outnumbering their group of fifteen.

                "Hey!  Let me go!!" shrieked Acorn as the vines wrapped themselves tightly across his torso and paws, cocooning him, before violently hoisting him up along with Hawkbit and Fiver.

                "I never back away from a challenge, especially when my friends and Justin are concerned!" growled Buckthorn, "I accept your challenge!  And if I win, you let all of us go!!"

                "So be it, you fool!!" snarled Hufsa in arrogant glee as he smirked knowingly at the brown, brash Watership soldier in front of him.  "You have no idea what you are about to get yourself into, you naive duffer!  For you will suffer a lot more than Justin's life if you lose this!  Prepare yourself, Buckthorn, for this is no ordinary game!!"

Makes you more eager to read the next chapter, huh? =)  REVIEW please!  All constructive criticisms on this chapter are welcome!

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	18. Bobstones n' Buckthorn

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Author's note: Enjoy this chapter of Buckthorn!  Sorry about being late for a week!  Oh, and yes, thanks to the sharp eyes of my reviewers, I'm going to make the changes to the grammatical errors and spelling errors (i.e. "most sincerest", "balmy", etc.) by the next update.  Thank you to those who have reviewed.  Any other stuff that needs correcting, just review!  And now, enjoy Buckthorn (YAY!) versus Hufsa (BOO!)

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CHAPTER 18 

                "Bobstone guess," challenged Justin as Buckthorn stared at his hands covering the rocks shrewdly, his mind and brain rapidly and efficiently turning and contemplating.  The brawny, brown buck them smiled.

                "Bobstone guess...is two, small, dark, and smooth," he said confidently.  Justin's face fell good-humoredly as he removed his hands.  There, on the dusty ground, were two, black-colored stones as smooth as the surface of water.  Justin winced in agreeable defeat.

"Don't feel too bad," Buckthorn chuckled as he faced Justin, "I was bobstone champion back at Watership Down and Vleflain three seasons running! You can't really expect to beat me on your first try!"

"First try??  This is the eighteenth, uh hrair, game I've lost to you in the past hour!"

"By Frith, if you think I'm good, you should see El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit play!" Buckthorn stated humbly, but with a wide smirk, "El-ahrairah can play as well as any rabbit who carries a cast, and the Black Rabbit, by the ear and paw, could play without the least haste, ponder, or speculation!  He is quick to guess, but mysterious in his nature, his aura never allowing a rabbit to estimate for he causes such deep cold and fear, forcing the playful nature of any rabbit to leave him in an instant!"

"Remind me never to play with the Black Rabbit around," Justin said uncertainly as he turned around to allow Buckthorn to choose a new cast of stones to test the teenager with, all the meanwhile still speaking, "I remember that story, when I was young, on how El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle tried in vain to trade their lives to the Black Rabbit, just so he could save his warren and his children, brothers, and sisters.  He must really love all of you to be willing to sacrifice so much for."

Buckthorn's eyes went soft at the reminder.  "Which is why we, all of us from Watership Down and the warren of our Prince, are willing to go through so much to get you, Justin.   After all he had done for us, this is only the least we could think of to help him."

"But...why couldn't he send other rabbits with you?  I mean, if he really wanted to protect me, he could have sent the whole warren to get me and look after me from Elil-rah's minions."

Buckthorn looked troubled at this question as he tried to shuffle the stones underneath his paw, hiding them into obscurity.  "I really don't know why, young Justin, but rest assured, we are very capable in defending and watching you."

"Hey, I didn't mean that the way it sounded!  Of course I'll always have faith in you for helping me!  You, all of you, helped me so much during this entire journey back to El-ahrairah, and I'll...I'll always have faith in you guys and that God will help me live through all this."

Buckthorn smiled at the young teenager's endless camaraderie; it wasn't hard to grow fond of Justin, especially since he didn't act all egotistical, haughty, and arrogant because he was the cross-bearer.  It wasn't easy to remain humbled and dependent when you were given power, but apparently, Justin was always willing to treat the rabbits of Watership Down as equals, as companions, as friends.

"Justin, that may be all well and good, but you have to be more confident in yourself and your own abilities if you ever face a bleak situation.  And...I won't lessen the fact that yes, there will be tests, possibly demanding and seemingly insurmountable, that you may to face alone, without us.  There's a rabbit proverb that says, 'Grass and flowers may die, but the ever hopeful rabbit continues to silfay when hungry'.  So try to have a little faith in yourself too, Justin.  The cross of light may be a part of you, but it is not you in entirety.  What matters is the fact that you force yourself to carry on, to continue no matter how difficult things may be, to never give up.  That was what kept all of us alive when we left Sandleford and came to Watership Down, because we wouldn't abandon our mission, our hope, and our dreams.  So, come on you young bucko, chin up!  Try not to worry so much and have some faith in yourself too!  Bobstone guess."

Justin faced Buckthorn, but with slightly downcast eyes.  "It sometimes hard to believe in yourself when so many people discourage you and tell you otherwise repeatedly."

Buckthorn nodded in understanding, but he didn't say anything.  He was always straightforward, but silent, an attentive, reliable rabbit with a will of rock and a good listener.

"Then maybe someday, you'll find out and discover that they were wrong and that you just need to open your eyes and see the truth."

Justin wasn't nearly as persuaded, but he replied simply, "Maybe, and bobstone guess is two, rough, and large."

Buckthorn chuckled as he lifted up his paws, to reveal that they were two large stones, but their surfaces were as smooth as pools of water.  Justin winced agreeably.

"Maybe I can hope to someday win a stupid game or two," he muttered sheepishly.

"Then you're going to need far more than hope to even consider beating me, young one!" grinned Buckthorn.

                                                                ***

"So, why did you leave Sandleford?" Justin asked Buckthorn as the two gathered strawberries and hazelnuts from their surroundings for Justin's dinner.  As they traveled north-northeast, the land became lusher, the soil moist and dark, perfect for the growth of a forest of delicate plants and fruit.  "I remember in the stories that you were likely to make the Owsla when you reached full weight, but you still left with Hazel and the others."

Buckthorn's eyes became sorrowful at the reminder, but he spoke openly, "I left because I never had many friends at the warren.  I never felt the compassion of friends or felt that the other rabbits understood me and cared how I felt.  I even had a doe I had truly loved with all my heart, but she left me in the favor of a stronger buck that was already in the Sandleford Owsla at the time.  And regardless, rabbits did admire me for my ferocity and strength, like Bigwig, but...but that was all they seemed to see me as.  They didn't care if I wanted to tell a story, didn't bother themselves with talking and understanding how I felt about things and such.  I can honestly say, other than my family at Watership Down, Vleflain, and with Hazel-rah and the others, I never felt the companionship, understanding and love I wanted back at Sandleford."

"But you did find it at Watership Down, though," offered Justin optimistically.

"Yes, that's true, and – OOF!!"  With a sudden thud, Buckthorn felt something fling him back forcefully, and to his horror, a vine, a green, leafy creeper, appeared out of nowhere and forcefully lassoed around Justin's waist and upper body painfully before hastily dragging him away into the forest.

"Justin!!!" hollered Buckthorn.

"Buckthorn, help!!!" Justin yelled as he disappeared into the thick growth.  Hazel and the other rabbits, hearing the commotion, ran towards Buckthorn and saw Justin being abducted out of sight.

"Are you all right, chap?!" Campion and Bluebell helped Buckthorn up.

"It doesn't matter.  Follow that vine!!"  They all raced, following their strong, sharp senses of smell, wildly snaking around the trees and plants until they came to a mysterious clearing of grass and flowers, heavily overwhelmed by strong boughs of ivy.

Hazel and the other rabbits looked around wildly, until they saw Justin, barely visible in their range of sight, confined in a towering, prickly column of vines and twisted wood, each barb sharp and painful.  The teenager himself was incarcerated in a spherical imprisonment at the top of the column, cleverly designed with vertical, distorted, broad roots to act as bars, almost like a circular cage.  With flustered realization, the rabbits grasped that there was no way that they could climb up the pillar without getting gravely injured, and they wouldn't be able to get the young cross-bearer down from his predicament.

"Justin!!" yelled Buckthorn in alarm.

"Hazel! Buckthorn! Help me!!" hollered Justin in dread from his thorny prison.  Pipkin, in distress, shrieked as loudly as he could to his friend.

"Justin!  Use your cross and give me my wings!!  I can fly up there and help you escape!!"  But Justin called out in distraught disappointment, "I...I can't!!  The vines took my cross when they ambushed me!!  I can't use my powers!!  I'm trapped!"

"WHAT??!!" chorused the rabbits simultaneously in alarm and sinking concern.  Now they were truly in a sticky situation; without Justin's powers, they were all easy targets, Justin's very life was endangered, and even if they did make it out unscathed, Hazel and the others would most likely fall victim to another attack by Elil-rah's minions or they wouldn't be able to heal El-ahrairah back at their warren, thus failing in their mission.  Speedwell called back encouragingly, regardless of the tight, painful clench in his gut.

"Don't worry, bucko!!  We'll get you down from there, so just sit tight, and don't make a bally fuss!  We're not giving up, and we won't leave you behind!!"

"Oh please," grumbled Hawkbit, rolling his eyes at the pathetic attempt for blind faith, but the other rabbits were too bust searching and planning for an clever plan or trick to free Justin to even snap back at their griping comrade.

"Is it possible we can climb up the roots and get Justin down from there??" Silver gasped out in anxiety.  Blackberry shook his head while yelps of pain came from Bluebell and Acorn, apparently learning the hard way that ascending upwards on thorny vines was not something to dismiss lightly.

"No, Silver!  It would be too high for us to scrabble up upon, and even if we did avoid the thorns and spikes, it would be too much of a risk for us and for Justin to bring him back to solid ground!  We could fall or worse yet, we completely helpless to any attack made from Elil-rah's Owsla!!"

"Couldn't we gnaw and chew at the vines to weaken the structure of Justin's prison?" Campion suggested earnestly.

"It would take us hrair days and nights to even be able to make our way through those thick plants!" Strawberry groaned, "And we don't have time to do that before elil come!"

Realization came to Holly in a flash.  He hissed urgently, "Hazel, wait!!  Then they may already be here!!  Don't you see?!  It's a trap, for all of us!!  Whatever abducted Justin brought him here so that we'd come and rescue him, putting ourselves as a convenient target!!  We're all in danger!!"

"Well, I'm NOT scared!!" growled Bigwig lividly as he faced the deserted, surrounding areas of weeds, overgrown crabgrass, and wild shrubbery, all the meanwhile calling out in battle fury, "Listen, here you foul-smelling, flea-infested pieces of filth!!  Show yourselves!!  We're taking Justin back right now, and we're not afraid of some half-witted eli, so unless you want to make things bally easier for us, try standing up and fight, you cowardly puffballs!!"

"Bigwig, what are you doing?!" Acorn snapped hysterically, "By Frith, you want to us to just lie down and not put up a fight as well while we're at it then?!!  You're certainly not making things easier for us by giving us away like that!"

                "Acorn, now is not the time to panic," Buckthorn said calmly, yet forcefully, already putting himself into a defensive position without budging an inch, waiting evenly for the slightest signs of an approaching ambush.

Suddenly, all over the fields, green vines of ivy appeared out of nowhere, as if taking a life upon their own, only to fly straight into the group of the Watership Owsla. The rabbits tried to avoid the leafy tentacles, but they were everywhere, outnumbering their group of fifteen.

                "_This_ isn't the time to panic?!" shrieked Hawkbit rhetorically, gallingly, at Buckthorn while he expertly leapt over two writhing tendrils, cracking harshly in the air like whips, as they tried to grab and ensnare the blackish, dodgy rabbit.  "Frith above, you have a VERY warped sense of disasters, Buckthorn!!"  The brawny, cool, brown rabbit was too busy dodging the arms of ivy to even bother answering, yet as Justin watched the scene above with worry, he noted oddly enough, Buckthorn and Hazel were the only ones remaining calm, well as calm as could possibly be while being attacked by killer plants.  At least they aren't running around screaming loudly enough to wake the dead, Justin noted with ironic humor as he helplessly noticed Bluebell and Hawkbit screeching while running aimlessly, trying to lose the half-dozen or so vines that were snaking behind them at an alarming rate.  With dread, Justin could only gasp as he saw several vines succeeding in capturing Fiver, and immediately, no matter how much the small buck tried struggling and fighting, the green, pliable plants wrapped the rabbits tightly around the waist and midsection, pining his paws painfully to his sides.  With a powerful move, the vines lifted Fiver into the air, suspending him above in an inescapable prison.

                "Fiver!!" yelled Dandelion, then to the vines, "Put him down this instant!!"

                "Dandelion, no!" warned Fiver , but the golden rabbit just recklessly charged at the mass of vines holding his friend captive, and started to gnaw on them as hard as he could.  He managed to tear two of the thick plants with his teeth before an unsuspecting vine instantaneously whipped around his hind legs and hoisted the Watership soldier up into the air.  A few more vines binding his front paws together to his waist kept him safely contained, much to the fury of Dandelion.  The other rabbits weren't faring much better.

"Hey! Let me go!!" shrieked Acorn as the vines wrapped themselves tightly across his torso and paws, cocooning him, before violently hoisting him up along with Dandelion and Fiver.  Within minutes, the plants had fully succeeded in imprisoning nearly all the rabbits of the Watership Owsla.  Even Bigwig, who valiantly brawled and actually achieved in ripping a half-dozen of the vines into pieces with his strong claws and stout teeth, was encapsulated securely in an enveloping shell of twisted stems and leaves.  The only ones who were lucky enough to go unscathed were Hazel and Buckthorn, yet as more and more vines sprung out of the moist soil and dry hay grass, Hazel was worried that they couldn't keep up much longer.  He was so busy trying to think and contemplate on what to do next, the vexed Chief rabbit of Watership Down didn't noticed the dirt forming small cracks underneath his foot paws, rising and crumbling, as if a huge force was building, multiplying, pressuring the very soil Hazel was treading on.  Buckthorn, thankfully, did.

                "Hazel-rah!!!" he bellowed, and with a rushed dash, the brown rabbit tackled Hazel away from the spot, his heavy weight nearly sending his leader breathless from the impact.  A split second later, the very area of sod and earth erupted in a stinging shower as a mass of green, leafy creepers burst open, flailing wildly, as if angered that it wasn't able to ensnare anything from its surprise attack.  Had Hazel remained there a bit longer, he would have been captured.  Buckthorn, panting, looked over his shoulder at the scene while Hazel, a bit shaken and dazed, just smiled back at his faithful Owsla rabbit.

                "Thank you."

                "Thank me later, Hazel-rah, we're not out of the thick of danger just yet!" warned Buckthorn sensibly, and immediately, without any hesitation, rose on his hind feet and put himself between his Chief rabbit and the vines that were already starting to crawl on the ground towards the two lucky warriors.  All around, the lianas slithered and moved with impressive fluidity and with the faintest of rustles as their bodies and leaves brushed against each other and the ground.  Still, Buckthorn didn't move or falter the slightest bit; he didn't even twitch an eye as he stared down at the incoming threats.  Hazel worriedly didn't know what to do; they were truly stuck, but then, a strong, firm, yet slightly erratic voice rang out in the night air.

                "ENOUGH!!"  On the command, the vines stopped moving aggressively towards Buckthorn and Hazel, but they all pointed their very tips straight at the two Watership rabbits, poised and ready for the slightest chance to attack and entwine.  Buckthorn and Hazel turned towards the origin of the sound, and there, a few feet away and standing on a ruined tree stump, sneering with scornful glee and crossed paws, was a large, broad-shouldered, multi-colored rabbit, his fur gleaming white and splotched with wild regions of orange, black, and brown, like a calico cat.  His uniform was daunting however.  The mysterious rabbit wore a black vest, entwined with strips of steel at the seams, gleaming slightly under the moonlight.  On each of his forepaws, he wore several bracelets of steel and metal, strapped and tied in place with thongs of dark leather, and strapped to the back of his vest was a lethal-looking, wicked, black saber.  The dark, obsidian blade was longer than a dagger but significantly shorter than a sword, and it was curved and widened at the end, like a machete.  Yet unlike a machete, from the looks of what Justin could see, the tip and its edges were razor-sharp.  As Buckthorn's eyes scanned the stranger, his breath caught in his throat as he saw what was around the rabbit's neck; it was Justin's cross, still glowing in a faint, orb of sunlight, still visible in the darkness.

                "His cross!" gasped Buckthorn, and then he growled menacingly to the rabbit, "Give it back!!"

                The strange rabbit just snickered, "Oh come now, Buckthorn, is that any way to greet the cross-bearer, your new master??"

                "Justin is the cross-bearer, not some embleer rabbit traitor who deflected to Elil-rah!"

                "My, my, such a temper, and quite impatient too!" the rabbit mocked derisively, "And just when I thought El-ahrairah couldn't get any more desperate and pathetic when he sent you lackeys to guard and protect the human boy!"

                "You..." growled Hazel, so completely mad that he couldn't finish the insult, but before he could step forward, the vines immediately snapped to attention and aimed themselves right at Hazel, ready to tear and rip apart his body if he dared take another step.  Buckthorn immediately rushed in front of his Chief Rabbit, shielding him again wordlessly and stone-faced.  The rabbit guffawed at the simple, display of loyalty.

                "Ha ha, ho ho, hee hee hee!!  You rabbits from Watership Down are always so predictable, always willing to sacrifice yourselves for the sake of your friends and family!  Still, quite shameful, to even consider a man, a boy no less, as someone to trust and show compassion towards."  He glared maliciously at Justin still entombed in the cage of thorns and vines, and Justin just looked back blankly, unsure of what to feel.  Bigwig roared at the rabbit, "Leave him alone, you dirty, little beast!!"

                Bluebell also put in an insult.  "By the Black Rabbit, Justin's more of a trustworthy rabbit than you, you piece of filth! No, wait, I take that back!  At least filth has _some_ standards!!"

                "Silence!" snapped the rabbit, and immediately, two thin, green, yet sturdy vines immediately appeared and muzzled the two rabbits, encircling their snouts and clamping their mouths tightly shut.  Enraged, Bigwig and Bluebell could only snort angrily at their captor, while the other rabbits, seeing this, kept a begrudging silence.  Hazel then looked at the rabbit again; he seemed so familiar, as if something about the devious wretch reminded him of El-ahrairah's past.  Then it hit him.

                "You're Hufsa, aren't you?" Hazel asked quietly.  The calico rabbit was taken quite back, and Buckthorn, though still keeping a strong, defensive motionless position, slightly widened his blue eyes at the rabbit.  The other rabbits just stared at their revealed enemy, while Justin tried to remember where he heard that name before.  In "Watership Down", there was a story called "The Story of the Trial of El-ahrairah", in which after El-ahrairah was able to trick King Darzin and escape banishment from the marshes of Kelfazin and live in the meadows of Fenlo, Prince Rainbow, determined to prevent the rabbit prince from outwitting anyone else, sent Hufsa to live with the rabbits as a spy to regal information back to Prince Rainbow so that he, in turn, could warn farmers and men when El-ahrairah was going to raid a farm, a vegetable garden, or anything of the like.  El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle, resolute to stop Hufsa, raided Prince Rainbow's carrot garden while bringing Hufsa with them, and when Hufsa snitched on El-ahrairah, Prince Rainbow put the rabbit leader on trial.  Yet, due to a very clever ruse with several of the animals and trickery on Rabscuttle and El-ahrairah's part, Hufsa's testimony was declared invalid by the jury, making the poor rabbit look like a fool and an insane lunatic.  In the end, El-ahrairah and his warren were able to feast on Prince Rainbow's carrots while Prince Rainbow, unable to do anything, took Hufsa away from the warren in Fenlo.  It was clear now that Hufsa was sent by Prince Rainbow and Elil-rah as another attempt to stop the mission to save El-ahrairah.  Hufsa just stared coolly at Hazel.

                "Hmph, you're more intuitive and clever than I anticipated, Hazel," he scoffed resentfully, dropping his teasing charade, "So what if you guessed who I am?  It makes no difference!  You all lost, Justin will die, and I will be welcomes again as Prince Rainbow's faithful servant, not to mention finally having my revenge on El-ahrairah for what he did to me, making me look like a fool and humiliating me out of my Lord's graces!!"

                "You did that on your own, you traitor," Hazel stated coldly, his light brown eyes now flashing.

                "Details, minor details," dismissed Hufsa, and with a wicked gleam, he added, "Besides, I am quite eager to see what sort of miraculous wonders I can do with the golden cross of light and God!  And I think I'll start with your precious Justin!"

                "You wouldn't!!  You can't – AAGGHH!!!" screamed Hawkbit, already losing his self-restraint, as the vines around his torso tightened excruciatingly as a comeback.

                "I ordered you rabbits to be quiet," reminded Hufsa, sadistically enjoying the torment he was inflicting, "Keep in mind, you dense duffers that Prince Rainbow and Elil-rah granted me the powers to control the vegetation around us, free to obey whatever my mind thinks up of!  I don't think I need to show you how painful I can create the situation for you hrair rabbits!"

                "Leave them alone, Hufsa," growled Buckthorn in a low voice, his eyes becoming glacial, his body stiffening.

                "And why should I even bother and listen to you, Buckthorn?" sneered Hufsa, "But, I daresay I admit I _am_ a bit bored, and seeing how you and your 'Hazel-rah' are not going to give up until I return this cross and free your precious cross-bearer, I might as well have some fun.  If you are daring enough, Buckthorn."

                The brawny rabbit gritted his teeth in frustration, saying nothing, but he gave a slight nod with his head, and Hufsa continued, "The only way I would even be willing to give up this cross and sacrifice my chances of being one of the most powerful and prevailing rabbits in all of the land beyond life is that if I lose to you in a little tournament of bobstones."

                "Bobstones??" asked Hazel in disbelief.

                Hufsa ignored the query and continued, "I've heard of you Buckthorn, and not only are you the proverbial rock of calm, common sense and loyalty of the group, but you are quite the bobstone player.  Rumor even has it that you have even won against the Black Rabbit of Inle!"

                "What?!"  Hazel turned sharply in shocked surprise to Buckthorn who still made no movement or facial expression to indicate if Hufsa was telling the truth.  He still remained stationary, an unfeeling cloak covering his face, but poised for attack and strike.  The other rabbits were also watching the scene with a stunned silence, their hearts beating, and Justin felt his skin crawl as he had a sinking feeling in his stomach what was coming.

                "Naturally, a chap like me will always be superior in every way from you sorry bunch of misfits," bragged Hufsa, completely delusional and lost in his pig-headedness, "Yet, I must confess that I am greatly vexed that such a substandard, mediocre at best, disgraceful, child of El-ahrairah could even accomplish such a task.  Not even your great Prince of Rabbits could achieve such a thing!  So, here is my proposition: we play bobstones, just you and me, rabbit to rabbit, and if I win, I take the cross of eternal light and keep it for myself, not to mention having the satisfaction of killing your human friend up there.  If you win, Justin's life will be spared, and I'll return the cross and your friends back to you and all hrair of you can set off on your merry way back to Fenlo."

                "How do I know you'll keep your word?" asked Buckthorn with dark suspicion.  He trusted the embleer messenger of Elil-rah about as far as he could kick him.

                "You don't."  Hufsa's smile became even more sadistic and vicious, his black eyes now gleaming with sick insanity under the light of Justin's cross.  Buckthorn fought the resentment and anger boiling inside.

                "And if I refuse??"

                Hufsa didn't say anything, but simply waved one of his forepaws with a sudden flick.  Almost immediately, two thorny, spiked vines whipped out of nowhere and wrapped themselves around Silver and Pipkin's throats, like snares, and to the Hazel and Buckthorn's horror, the plants started strangling them, drawing forth blood from their flesh, causing Silver to choke and gurgle while Pipkin screamed and wailed as loudly as he could with the creeper noose cutting off his airway.  At the same time, Justin saw the thorns on the bars of his cage growing larger and sharper.  Alarmed, the teenager backed away, but he realized the barbs were appearing from all around his prison, on the ceiling, the bars, the walls, even the floor!  There was nowhere Justin could walk and stand on without avoiding being gouged by the large spears, and already, several tore into his jeans, scratching him.  A few more minutes, and Justin would most likely be dead from the rapidly growing, dangerous pricks expanding wildly in every direction.

                "Stop it!  Please!!" yelled Justin as a thorn grazed painfully against his arm, drawing blood.

                "Leave him alone!!" cried Blackberry, "Stop it!!"

                "You heartless monster!!" howled Speedwell, "If I wasn't up here, I'd kick your treacherous tail up along this mountain range, you despicable, embleer furball!!"  Unfortunately, both Blackberry and Speedwell piqued Hufsa's annoyance, so Blackberry was immediately snared with another telltale thorny vine, while Speedwell got muzzled for his outburst.  The rabbit then turned to Buckthorn expectantly.

                "Your choice, Buckthorn.  Face me, or because of your cowardice and insecurity, your friends and Justin suffer the consequences!"

                "Buckthorn," Hazel begged, trying to convince him to not play into Hufsa's tricks and treachery, "don't endanger yourself like this!!  He won't keep his promise, and you'll be playing yourself into a trap!!  Even if you do, by some miracle, win, you'll be winning by his rules, and chances are, he made them so that he'll always remain the victor!!  Buckthorn, don't be stubborn!"

                "No, I must do this," Buckthorn said, quietly, but with resolve.  Hazel's voice then became firm and hard.

                "Buckthorn, I am ordering you: do not pursue this."

                "Hazel-rah, I'm sorry...but I'm disobeying that order."  Buckthorn gave him a look of conflict and sadness, yet determination, stunning Hazel.  He then turned to Hufsa, his anger and loyalty churning under his fur, making him snap, "I never back away from a challenge, especially when my friends and Justin are concerned!  I accept your demented contest, Hufsa! And if I win, you let all of us go!!"

"So be it, you fool!" snarled Hufsa in arrogant glee as he smirked knowingly at the brown, brash Watership soldier in front of him, and then to himself, the conspirator thought, "You have no idea what you are about to get yourself into, you naive duffer! For you will suffer a lot more than Justin's life if you lose this! Prepare yourself, Buckthorn, for this is no ordinary game!!"

"So how do we play this contest, Hufsa?" Buckthorn groused lowly.

"Quite simple, actually.  I start first with a cast, then after your guess, you cast, and we alternate our turns from there on.  We keep playing, regardless how many you lose, until you are quite willing to surrender and give up.  If you win once, even ONCE, and succeed in deducting the cast underneath my paws, out of the fairness and goodness of my heart, I'll return Justin's cross and set him and the rest of your Watership clan free.  Of course, I can say now with confidence that you might as well give up now, chap.  You're outmatched by _my_ superiority."

"More like your idiocy," Buckthorn thought to himself, but he nodded in resigned agreement.

"But I warn you, Buckthorn," Hufsa threatened with a hint of hostility, "Attack me in any way, and Justin _will_ die."

Buckthorn advanced to the tree stump as Hufsa jumped, did a half-flip in the air, and expertly, flashily, landed on his feet, smirking.  Hazel just watched behind, unsure what to do, but he knew nonetheless that Buckthorn was right, that this was his fight to deal with alone, that Hazel could only just observe and not meddle, and that he could do nothing but wait.  He just wished, desperately, that there was another way to spare Justin's life and powers without endangering Buckthorn or the others.  Meanwhile, up above, Strawberry, Holly, and Campion conversed in hushed tones as they watched the scene from the dizzying height.

"Campion, can you move the slightest?  Maybe somehow find a way to gnaw the restraints binding you??" Holly whispered, hoping Hufsa wouldn't notice them.  Campion shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying his best to bow his head and reach the vines with his teeth while at the same time, pulling on the vines wrapped around his numb paws.  Little by little, Campion was able to lessen the tension on the plants wrapped around his chest and paws, and even though it was extremely awkward and tiring, Campion managed to bend and crane his neck far enough to nibble the vines, bit by bit, before falling back from the developing ache on his neck.

"Don't rush it," advised Holly, murmuring, "Don't strain yourself, old chap.  Just do the job slowly, to ward off Hufsa's suspicions.  Strawberry, I think it's time we increased the chances of making out of this situation unscathed and getting the chances and fates to favor Hazel and Buckthorn.  The plants pinned my paws behind my back, and I can't reach them, but I daresay you can."

"I know what to do, Holly," Strawberry agreed mellifluously, mischief and eagerness in his eyes as he leaned over discretely and started chewing on Holly's fastenings.  It was slow work, with the vines being extremely pliable, rubbery, and awful tasting, but Strawberry was as making as good of headway as he could.  Meanwhile, Dandelion was doing his best to reach over and tear away the tight, prickly creeper wrapped around Blackberry's neck with his teeth, hoping he could try to ease his friend's suffering a bit.

"Can you breathe easier now, bucko?" Dandelion asked breathlessly, spitting out a thorn that painfully clung to the inside flesh of his mouth.

"Slightly," gasped out the black-eared buck, panting slightly as shredded tatters of the plant snare were still hanging loosely around his neck.  Then his eye caught Fiver, shivering and trembling.

"By Frith, look at Fiver!" Blackberry gasped as Fiver sensed what his mysterious power-that-be wanted him to foretell.

"Stones of the past, a friend that appears to die, only then will the sword of trust prevail, through Buckthorn's destiny lies.  The pattern is in the stones," and with a final quaking, cry, Fiver snapped out of it, panting and his face soaked with sweat and tears.  Acorn and Hawkbit looked at Fiver oddly while Blackberry tried to ponder the cryptic vision.

"A friend that will die?!  But...that...that means...!" Dandelion trembled as he cast a glance at the incarcerated Justin, still trying to view the game Buckthorn was risking to win his own safety and the well being of his friends from Watership Down.  Hawkbit was less concerned as he muttered at Fiver in impatience, "Embleer Frith in a hole, couldn't you have warned us this BEFORE being captured by Elil-rah?!!  If your second sight was here right now, I'd give it a bloody cuff around the ears and a sore nose for its 'good' timing!!"

"Hawkbit, shut up!" ordered Acorn as he gnawed at the vines surrounding forepaws in front of him, "If Justin is going to die, we best be ready to do all we can to prevent that, so instead of using that big mouth of yours to snipe and rant, try using it to free yourself from the tharn creepers!"  Hawkbit, irritable and grumbling, obeyed while down below, Buckthorn had his back to Hufsa while his opponent was choosing stones as a cast underneath his paw, the seconds seemingly acting as hours for the warrior.  Buckthorn forced himself to stay as calm and composed as he could, stomping down on the anxiety and worry.  He needed his mind and body to be clear and stress-free if he wanted to beat Hufsa and save everyone.

"Bobstone guess," challenged Hufsa, as Buckthorn turned to see the deriding rabbit, smiling knowingly, both of his colorful paws pressed down on the ground.  It took all of Buckthorn's self-restraint to not grab the rabbit's head and slam it onto the ground.  He looked astutely at Hufsa's paws with narrowed eyes, thinking to himself, "Hmmmm...the wretch's paws aren't cupped and slightly over the ground, so the stones can't be that large if he can lay the entire surface of his forepaws flat on the dirt, and there must be four since he needs both paws to cover his cast.  That means..."

"Bobstone guess...is four and small," Buckthorn spoke with grim resolution.  Hufsa's sneer grew even larger as he exclaimed, with mock pity, "Oh dear me, I'm sorry, but you're wrong, you duffer!  The correct answer was eight, large bobstones!"

"What?!!" chorused Hazel and Buckthorn, and Hufsa lifted his paws from the ground, revealing that he spoke the truth.  It wasn't possible, but somehow, as if magic, the dark minion managed to hide eight light-colored, large stones, four under each paw, and the stones were each as large as a rabbit's head.  Buckthorn nearly reeled from the loss, but he didn't let his face show it, feeling numb, while Hazel objected angrily, "What in Frith's name is 'eight'?  That cannot be a valid cast!  You're not playing fair, you dark, conniving, paw-licking, pellet chewing embleer rah!!"

"I never said that this would be a fair game to begin with!" Hufsa chuckled in insane glee, enjoying the looks of helplessness and frustration on the rabbits' faces, "The word 'eight' is a suitable cast, for it is a number that men use past the number 'four', and since Prince Rainbow, in his glorified wisdom, taught me the numbers of men, I can count and understand words past 'hrair'!!  If Buckthorn can't, well, that is HIS problem!!  And you both have no choice but to accept it, unless if you wish to forfeit this match and send Justin off to be executed by my paws!!"  He indicated to the dark saber strapped to his back with his head, and Buckthorn felt his heart wrench even more.  Hazel tried to snap him out of it.

"Buckthorn, please, don't risk this!  He'll..."

"Let's play!  It's my turn now you filthy cheat," interrupted Buckthorn hastily, his face still stony and determined.

"As you wish," sniggered Hufsa, "But first..."  He waved his forepaw again.

"AAAAAAA!!!" screamed Hazel in pain as he nearly sank to the ground in unbearable agony, wincing as he clutched one forearm.  By the Black Rabbit, his blood in his body felt cold, colder than the Black Rabbit, so icy it was burning his flesh and bone, and to Buckthorn's horror, Hazel's entire right arm was bathed with a dark glowing haze.  Hufsa was attacking Hazel.

"Hazel-rah!" Buckthorn cried in worry as he rushed to Hazel's side and propped him up by firmly clenching him by the waist, carefully and tenderly, but with a final, soft crackling noise, to the dreadfulness of all the rabbits and Justin, Hazel's right paw and forearm turned to stone!  Now, instead of a furry appendage, was a mass of messily formed rock, piled upon each other in a wild, chaotic configuration, covering Hazel's fur and flesh.

"HAZEL-RAH!!" screamed Acorn, Pipkin, and Holly.  Justin, Campion, Dandelion, Blackberry, Strawberry, and Silver were stunned, the sight leaving them wide-eyed and speechless, while Bigwig, Speedwell, and Bluebell, all still muzzled, glared at Hufsa with promises of a very painful retaliation for doing such an act on their Chief rabbit.  Fiver was crying and Hawkbit just said numbly, "It can't be!"

Hufsa giggled again.  "Oh, I'm sorry, Buckthorn.  Did I forget to mention that each time _you_ lose a cast, a piece of Hazel turns to stone??  The more games you lose in this gala, the more Hazel will be encased until he is in an unbreakable tomb of rock, forever trapped with no way out!  For that will be his future, to live the rest of his existence in the land beyond life as a statue, forever marking the day when he and the precious Owsla of Watership lost against me, the wonderful Hufsa!! Aha ha ha ha ha!!"

"You...!!!" Buckthorn felt the tears of anger, rage, and vulnerability already spill as he turned to Hazel, still gasping for air to quell the burning pain in his body.  He could swear he could still feel his arm underneath the shell of granite.

"Hazel-rah, I...I'm so sorry," sobbed Buckthorn, cursing himself for losing and endangering Hazel, but then, unexpectedly, he promised with loving loyalty, "I won't give up, Hazel!  I promise, I'll win this and beat that dirty, little cheat for you Hazel!  I promise, just don't give up!  El-ahrairah won't let this happen, I know it!"

Hazel didn't know what to feel, but he nodded with comforting assurance.  Buckthorn's face was clouded from the shadows as he let his leader slowly lie on the ground, and smoothly, the dark-brown rabbit rose from his knelt position.

"Giving up, Buckthorn??" laughed Hufsa, but what Buckthorn said next shocked him.

"For what you did, for Hazel-rah, for my friends and family, for Justin, for myself, I WON'T EVER GIVE UP!!!" bellowed Buckthorn, snapping his head to attention and his eyes now glaring at Hufsa with such rage and power, the Elil-rah messenger actually felt a little fear enter into his heart, "WHAT YOU DID, YOU EMBLEER, LOW-LIFED, CONTEMPTIBLE WORM, ONLY STRENGTHENS MY RESOLVE TO DEFEAT YOU!  AND FOR HURTING HAZEL-RAH, I WILL NOT HAVE ANY MERCY ON YOU WHEN I WIN THIS SICK CONTEST FOR POWER!!!  FOR I'D RATHER DIE THAN LET YOU WIN!!!"

Hufsa took a step back, but forced himself to remember that he had the upper hand in this fight.  He glanced coldly at the Watership soldier, "Hmph, you're actually more stupid and deluded that I thought if you think you can beat me!  Well, if you wish it so, be prepared to lose Hazel and Justin in this game!!"

"No," Buckthorn said, with steel in his voice, "we're going to increase the stakes in this game, you furry wretch."

"Oh?"  Hufsa cocked his head, "What are you proposing?"

"Leave Hazel-rah alone," proposed Buckthorn without hesitation or regret, forcing himself to continue, "and strike me instead.  Every time _I_ lose a cast, turn a piece of _me_ to stone.  Leave Hazel and my friends alone, and I will take all the torture and pain you planned to inflict on them."

"Buckthorn!  No, you mustn't!!  Don't do it!  Please, don't!!  You stupid duffer, what are trying to prove?!!" Hazel and the other rabbits from above shouted down.  Hufsa paid them no attention as the idea actually took root into his pleasing; this was certainly a surprise.  Buckthorn went on.

"I know you can't resist such an offer, especially since it will make your defeat against me even more glorified and treasured.  After all, what's the best way to commemorate and remember this defeat?  So what will it be, Hufsa?  Find little satisfaction in attacking the lesser Watership rabbits and turning Hazel to rock, or humiliating and defeating me, Buckthorn, to the ultimate loss, the only rabbit that your consider a possible, equal adversary??"

"Very well then," Hufsa agreed with even more enjoyment as he contemplated how he was going to relish his triumph, "Your turn to make a cast, Buckthorn."

And it went on like that, but as the games flew by, to the shock and apprehension and fear of Hazel, Justin and the rest, Buckthorn was losing heavily.

"Bobstone guess," dared the Watership rabbit.

"Three, one dark and two light."  Buckthorn hissed in pain as his left ear turned to rock, but he didn't say anything.  It was uncanny how he was able to guess what was under Buckthorn's paw without the slightest hesitation or show of faltering.

"Bobstone guess, Buckthorn."

"Three, large and rough."

"You lost this cast.  Twelve, dark, and small."  Now Buckthorn's left hind foot was encased with the stone husk.

"Bobstone guess."

"One, large, dark, and smooth stone."  Hufsa's accurate prediction now painfully grew the stone crust to climb from his foot and cover his entire left haunch.

"Give up now, Buckthorn, and after I kill the cross-bearer, I'll take pity on you and Hazel," ridiculed Hufsa as Buckthorn turned his back to allow the enemy to choose his cast.

"Just play the damned game," growled Buckthorn, "Four, large and light-colored."

"Fine by me, but just remember, you'll never win against the powers of Elil-rah.  And you're wrong again, you slow-witted fool," Hufsa crowed as he lifted his paws to show sixteen, large, light-colored stones. Now Buckthorn's other ear was transformed.

"Buckthorn, stop now!!" Silver cried as best as he could with the vine wrapped around his neck.

"Stop it, please!!" Pipkin wailed.

"Please, Buckthorn, you can do this!  Don't give up, old chap!!  We believe in you!" hollered Strawberry.

"That's right!  Even though that conniving, perfidious, flea-ridden creature is cheating, you'll still better than him!!" Holly rang out.

"ENOUGH!!" roared Hufsa in annoyance, "One more word from any of your tharn rabbits, and I'll make all of you suffer!!"

"Blackberry, any way you can decipher the message from Fiver?" Dandelion whispered, conversing with the black-eared inventor.

Blackberry struggled to make sense of it as he spoke, "Not really, I'm sorry!  Fiver said something about the pattern being in the stones, but with Hufsa being able to use cursed numbers of man for bobstones, no one, not even El-ahrairah would be able to guess and play against him!!  None of us knows how to even use the expressions and vocabulary of the human language!!"

"Wait, but one of us can!" gasped out Hawkbit and all three of them, with realization, turned their gazes to Justin, who was still trapped in his prison of thorns and plants.

"Justin!!!" Dandelion called out urgently, getting the teenager's confused, yet attentive concentration.

Blackberry continued, "The pattern!!  Fiver said the pattern in the stones!!  It may be a way to defeat Hufsa and save Buckthorn!!  The pattern of the stones, the numbers and way Hufsa's playin-"

"SILENCE!!!" yelled Hufsa, at his wits end, and immediately, vines appeared out of nowhere and muzzled both Dandelion and Blackberry's mouths shut, and then Hufsa had the vines gag the rest of the rabbits as well.  Now they couldn't speak or chew their way out of their bindings.  Justin just looked on with sickened feelings of dread and uncertainty.  If Buckthorn needed help, it would be now, or else the loyal rabbit would be nothing but a statue and Justin would be doomed.  Hufsa then looked back at Buckthorn's maddening look.

"I think this game would be more enjoyable now that your friends can't interrupt us or give you such foolhardy words of encouragement, don't you Buckthorn?" Hufsa scorned ruthlessly at Buckthorn.  Buckthorn growled, but didn't say anything as Hazel just looked on at his rabbits with worry.  Justin, meanwhile, ignored gratefully by Hufsa, was thinking and pondering what Blackberry told him.  All right, so Fiver said there was a pattern in the stones, and no doubt that it was from a vision from his second sight, it must be pivotal in helping Buckthorn.  So what pattern?  There was no way to see how it could help Buckthorn by telling him to cast things he had no idea how to describe besides as "hrair", but...could it possible there could be a way to calculate which move Hufsa was going to cast next.  He recalled the moves again in his mind: eight light-colored, large the first time, second was twelve dark and small, and lastly sixteen stone, all light-colored and large.  Mathematics leading, Justin then realized it.  Hufsa was alternating between light and dark, and the numbers of stones he was casting were all multiples of four!  His heart beat excitedly, but Justin forced himself in control, knowing Hufsa would kill him if he dared to speak aloud.  But, how was he to send the message to Buckthorn?  He was without his cross, and his prayers wouldn't call forth his powers.  He then remembered Buckthorn's words from earlier: _So try to have a little faith in yourself too, Justin.  The cross of light may be a part of you, but it is not you in entirety.  What matters is the fact that you force yourself to carry on, to continue no matter how difficult things may be, to never give up.  That was what kept all of us alive when we left Sandleford and came to Watership Down, because we wouldn't abandon our mission, our hope, and our dreams.  _Justin gave in; it was better than nothing.

Below, Buckthorn cursed himself in vain and disappointment as Hufsa had his back turned to him.  No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't win or even make Hufsa worry the slightest bit.  Reason told him to give up, but with as much willpower as he could muster, Buckthorn covered his cast with his paw again.  Without even realizing it or knowing why, Buckthorn cast a glance at Justin, whispering, praying, "Justin, please...if you really are the cross-bearer, please...give me strength to win this, for everyone."

"Bobstone guess."  Buckthorn's voice slightly wavered with fatigue and dread, and Hufsa turned back knowingly.  Just several more victories, Buckthorn would be finished!  Prince Rainbow and Elil-rah would highly reward him for his success and cunning to defeat him and the Watership Owsla!  And when the inevitable happened, Hufsa would kill the cross-bearer, turn the rest of the Owsla of El-ahrairah to stone, and finally, he would bask in the light, glory, and power of the cross of light, power that was so richly deserved!  Of course, he thought craftily to himself, it doesn't hurt that I'm using the boy's own powers against Buckthorn.  For that was how he was winning.  Lord Brock had the right idea to use the holy cross jewel to harness and control the terrific powers with his own will, and that was what he was doing now.  With the dominant light, Hufsa was scanning Buckthorn's mind, reading without the buck's knowledge, the move the rabbit cast underneath his paws.  After all, why leave room for the possibility that he could lose and Buckthorn could win?  But he wouldn't, Hufsa smiled inwardly as he used his power to read Buckthorn's mind once again, and once he is out of my way, no one, not even El-ahrairah, will be able to stop me.  And now, let's see what is in the fool's mind!  Be prepared to lose, Buckt-.

"NO, I WON'T LET YOU!" boomed a voice, and Hufsa gasped as he felt a strong presence throw him back violently, his aura and mind's eye cast away from the psyche of the Watership soldier, drawing attention from a confused Buckthorn and Hazel.  Hufsa fumed.  It was impossible!  How could something cast him out like that?!  Buckthorn couldn't possibly have that much brainpower to fight and resist the powers of the cross-bearer.  Snarling, Hufsa tried again, only to feel his invading presence halted again forcefully, and no matter how hard Hufsa tried, some protective barrier from all around Buckthorn's mind stopped him.

"Impossible!" thought Hufsa in building, increasing rage, "What could possibly be stopping me?!  I can't read Buckthorn's mind, so I can't cheat and look to see what his next move is!!"  Then, suddenly, with a flash of golden light, Justin's cross around the rabbit's neck stopped glowing, and Hufsa, to his horror, found he no longer could mentally use the power of the cross-bearer to inflict his opponent.  It was as if the cross was now refusing to work with such evil, as if it was alive and had a mind of its own.  Hufsa was stunned; what in the name of Elil-rah was happening?!

                Then, for a final time, as a cruel, twisted joke, Hufsa, in his mind, saw a galling scene.  There, Buckthorn was squatting patiently, with serene tolerance and fortitude, his paws still covering his cast, but in front of him, was a transparent, ghostly specter of a praying Justin, kneeling on one knee and eyes closed, his astral projection!  It was in front of Buckthorn, and the presence was shielding Buckthorn from Hufsa devious tricks.  It was the force in the mental world that was keeping him out and preventing him from cheating by reading Buckthorn's mind.

                "That's impossible!" Hufsa screamed inwardly, in his thoughts, while Hazel stared curiously at the troubled rabbit, lost and confused, "You...you don't have your powers, your cross!!  You shouldn't even be able to stop me!!  The powers should make me able to overwhelm you and torture Buckthorn, reading and hearing his thoughts!!!"

                "Not anymore you won't."  Now the projection of Justin's friendship, his resolve, his devotion, snapped to attention as the astral projection opened its eyes and glared at Hufsa.  "Buckthorn taught me that loyalty and determination will always prevail, to never give up!  Even without the cross, true power comes from faith, from hope, from friendship, and it's a separate power than can never be taken away and misused!  The power knows Buckthorn is my friend, and it won't let you cause anymore harm with it!  Now get out of Buckthorn's head and STAY OUT!"

                "Noooooooooooooo!!!" howled Hufsa, now screaming aloud and holding his head painfully with his paws.  At first, Buckthorn was floored, but then he sensed...something comforting, something reassuring, something...that told him that he would never be alone.

                "Justin??" Buckthorn realized softly, with astonishment.  A moment later, he understood, and his face grew even more resolute, steadfast, and bold than ever.

                "Well, Hufsa?" he asked in a calm, knowing tone that the enemy rabbit didn't like, "what is your bobstone guess?  Remember, if you refuse to play, you forfeit this contest in its entirety and I win, meaning you let all of us go and return Justin's cross."  Hufsa, now trembling, was at a loss.  He still didn't know what was underneath Buckthorn's paw, and because of that damned human, he now had to guess wildly.

                "What is ever the matter, Hufsa?" drawled Buckthorn, continuing in a cold voice, "Can't cheat like you did before?  Realized that you are not as great and extraordinary as you once thought?"

                Hufsa snarled, "Shut up, you!!  Bobstone guess...er...is four!"

                Buckthorn, without showing any emotion on his face, lifted both paws to show, to Hufsa's dismay, that he guessed wrong.  It was one, large, smooth,  dark-colored stone.  Hufsa was beside himself with anger and hatred, but he knew that Buckthorn hadn't won yet.  He still needed to guess _his_ cast, and as the buck's back was turned, Hufsa felt so sure the rabbit would never be able to guess the correct answer as he laid down the stones underneath his paw, using his dark powers given by Elil-rah to shield them completely underneath the fur.

                "Bobstone guess!" Hufsa nearly screamed with demented rage and distraught disturbance, but Buckthorn, without showing any fear, said calmly as he turned around as said in a strong, firm voice, "Bobstone guess...is twenty stones, all of them dark and small."

                Numb with shock and disbelief, Hufsa just stared at Buckthorn intently with wonder as he stepped back, taking his paws off the cast and showing to Hazel, to his joy, that Buckthorn guessed correctly.  There, on the ground, were twenty miniscule pebbles, all blackened with soil, dust, and dirt.  Hufsa had lost, Buckthorn has correctly guessed the cast, and by promise, Hufsa had to release all of them and return Justin and what was rightfully his.

                "Buckthorn!!" Hazel cried, ecstatic with relief, "How in the name of the Black Rabbit were you able to even guess?!!"

                Buckthorn smiled mysteriously, replying, "A messenger told me, or, to be more precise, an _astral projection _messenger told me."

                Hufsa was now livid as he reached behind and drew out the dark, obsidian short sword from behind his back, the blade gleaming with viciousness and evil.  He will not return to Prince Rainbow with news of defeat; he was close, so close.

                "You embleer Watership rabbits haven't won yet!!" he raged in intense antagonism, his insane thirst for blood and death infusing his mind and blood, "I will defeat all of you!!  And as for you, Justin...!!"

Hufsa left the threat unsaid as the prison magically withered away, and a strong, green vine with thick leaved of ivy suddenly encircled around Justin tightly, pining his arms to his sides.  To Hazel and Buckthorn's alarm, the vine brought Justin down to the ground and held him securely in front of Hufsa as the minion raised his weapon, ready to stab it into Justin's heart.

With a cry of rage and battle, Buckthorn, as best as he could with stone appendages, tackled Hufsa as hard as he could, and both rabbits sailed away from Justin, brawling, wrestling, and cursing on the ground, with Buckthorn trying his best to bite Hufsa's neck while keeping a strong paw over Hufsa's weapon, preventing the foe from using it to stab him.  While Hufsa was occupied with fighting for his glory and life, the vine holding Justin firmly started to untangle and unravel its iron grip on Justin's body, due to the loss of concentration of Hufsa's willpower, allowing Hazel to easily free Justin.

"Justin, are you all right?!" Hazel asked worriedly, hugging the human tightly.

Justin broke out of the embrace, nodding.  With a squeal of pain, Buckthorn lost his hold as Hufsa sank his teeth into the rabbit's shoulder, and with a powerful kick into the soldier's stomach with his hind legs, Hufsa sent Buckthorn flying back several feet.  Buckthorn skidded for a distance in the dirt, bleeding and badly scratched as the dark, crimson blood ran down his fur and onto the cold, hard rock covering his body.  Yet Hufsa wasn't unscathed either; one eye was nearly scratched out, making it blind, and there was a gruesome hole in his neck where Buckthorn buried his teeth in, and the blood dripping down on his suit of armor made it shine even more with the wet surface.

"You'll pay for that, you embleer..." but then Hufsa realized that he was no longer wearing the trinket he stole from the human.  He could no longer feel the familiar, cold chain of metal around his neck, but with his good eye, he noticed, with wrathful bile, Buckthorn, panting, was gripping the cross by its chain in one paw.  During the scuffle, Buckthorn managed to rip the cross off Hufsa's possession, and if he managed to give it back to Justin, the battle would truly be over.

"Prepare to be turned to stone, you troublemaking, cursed annoyance!!" Hufsa shrieked with all of his ire and might, and with a fling of his forepaw, he hurled the dark sword straight at Buckthorn's heart!

"BUCKTHORN!!" yelled Hazel, as the sword flew closer and closer to the exhausted Buckthorn.

SPUCK!  The sword embedded painfully and grotesquely into flesh and skin, drawing forth blood.  But to Buckthorn's horror, it wasn't his blood.

"No..." he whispered in infinite sorrow, grief, and blame, tears already welling up in his eyes, as Justin, with the blade of Hufsa's sword embedded into his back, sank into Buckthorn's strong arms, heavily injured.  The rabbits, still bound with the vines and muzzled, could only sob silently to themselves as they saw Justin throw himself in front of Buckthorn, allowing the weapon to kill him rather than affect Buckthorn.  The sword disappeared out of Justin's body, only to materialize back into Hufsa's paws.  At least he succeeded in one part of his mission.  Buckthorn cried openly as he cradled Justin's prone form in his arms, Justin's blood already soaking his dark-purple tunic and vest and the cross Buckthorn still held in one paw.

"I'm sorry, Buckthorn," Justin whispered weakly as he closed his eyes, his body growing cold, and despite the pain racking his body, he managed to squeeze Buckthorn's paw affectionately and smiled before Justin turned to stone.  The venom and evil from Hufsa's weapon had done its work, and now, Justin's entire body was encased with rock, a fate that was intended for Buckthorn.  Yet due to Justin's intervention, he spared his friend from that outcome.  Buckthorn, at a loss, just squatted there, holding a stone statue, frozen, dead, and unfeeling while Hazel just bowed his head and wept quietly.  Justin appeared to be dead, and they had all lost.

"NOW DIE!!!" screamed Hufsa as he charged speedily toward Buckthorn, raising the blade, ready to decapitate Buckthorn before turning him to rock.  Buckthorn, with heavy misery and woe, found it difficult to care, feeling his hope and will break.

"Buckthorn!"

The Watership rabbit now opened his eyes in amazement.  He heard Justin speaking..._in his head_ as if his spirit was still alive and with him.  The voice continued.

"Heavenly Father, please, I trust Buckthorn with my life!  Let him use the cross to save everyone!!  Please, help him!"  The cross immediately began to glow again with life and love as Hufsa got closer and closer, the blade of his weapon starting to descend on Buckthorn's head.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" screamed Buckthorn as he raised his head with might, with anger, with faith.  The cross flashed once and transformed right before Hufsa brought his weapon within inches to Buckthorn's head.

CLANG!  Hazel and the rest of the Watership rabbits glanced back up to see a truly, wondrous sight.  Buckthorn, fortitude and hope highlighting his angry, facial expression, had prevented Hufsa from striking his head by blocking it with his own sword.  Hufsa was surprised beyond all comprehension, and no matter how hard he pressed down with his weapon, Buckthorn showed now sign that he was giving in.  The sword was truly beautiful and stunning.  The blade was longer that Hufsa's weapon, and slender, double-edged with a sharp tip, shining in silver metal.  Yet the blade was strong, solid, as wide as a forepaw and as thin as a leaf, but rigid like the hardest stone.  The handle of the sword by which Buckthorn was gripping the weapon was a pure, flawless, golden cross, the long part wrapped with soft, brown leather, with its top counterparts attached to the blade, and the cross arms cleverly sticking out like any traditional sword handle.  At the bottom of the cross was a purple crystal of amethyst embedded at the tip, its tone and shade matching the color of Buckthorn's clothes, and from the crystal hung an attached chain of gold with a pendant ingeniously shaped as a rabbit holding Justin's cross, still glowing with golden light.  Now the battlefield was evenly matched for Hufsa.

With a snarl, Buckthorn pushed Hufsa away from him, and the two weary rabbits faced each other in a tense standoff.  Even with Buckthorn's left haunch and both ears turned to stone, he showed no indication that he would be at a disadvantage as he expertly gripped the sword.  With no choice, Hufsa charged, and the two rabbits flung themselves into a heated swordfight, move matched for move, metal striking metal, sending hot sparks to emit out of the blades.  As Hazel and the other stupefied rabbits looked on, they saw Buckthorn expertly dodge, parry, and counterstrike Hufsa, regardless how hard the dark rabbit tried to hurt him.  Hufsa, on the other hand, was tiring quite quickly, and regardless how much power Prince Rainbow and Elil-rah gave him, his strength seemed to leave him as he tried every sword skill he could come up with to stab Buckthorn.  Yet, as if by magic, Hufsa could not even graze Buckthorn's fur as the golden sword flew, swift and sure, chipping the black blade, and sending powerful vibrations to ring painfully through Hufsa's paws.  Every time Buckthorn's sword swished by, Hufsa felt the burning sensation on his flesh as a severe cut sliced through the soft tissue as easily as a hot knife through butter.

"How...how can this be?!!" Hufsa gasped weakly as Buckthorn, with a new fury and seeing that his opponent was tiring out, let loose a vigorous sequence of swipes and twirls with the sword so rapid, the wretch could barely see the blade anymore as he was forced to do nothing but shield and block the blows as best as he could.

"I said I would take no mercy for what you have done to Hazel and my friends!!" growled Buckthorn, "And at the expense of Justin's life, the cross-bearer had entrusted me to use the cross as I see fit to fight and defeat you!  _This_ is the true power of the cross!!!"  With a mighty roar, Buckthorn brought the blade down on Hufsa's weapon as hard as he could, and to Hufsa's horror, the dark weapon shattered into thousands of pieces, like brittle glass, before they disintegrated and vanished into thin air.  Hufsa, heavily wounded, fell down on his back as Buckthorn, to his slight relief, felt the stone shell around his body fade away, leaving back his fur and flesh renewed.  With the weapon of Elil-rah destroyed, all the stone spells Hufsa cast on Hazel and Buckthorn faded away.  Hazel felt his arm pleasantly restore back, and then he realized if he and Buckthorn were turned back to normal, then that meant...

A groan from Justin answered his question as the teenager shakily propped himself from his sprawled the ground using his hands, feeling slightly woozy and dazed, but at least alive.  As Hazel hurriedly rushed over to the cross-bearer's side, to his joy, his back showed no mark or injury from Hufsa's weapon.  More of less, Justin was alive and unhurt, his wounds completely disappeared.  As Hazel helped Justin recover, Buckthorn pointed the sword to Hufsa's face.

"It's over, Hufsa.  You have lost."  At this, Hufsa got a wicked gleam in his eye.

"Oh really?" he muttered, and with squeals and groans of pain, Hazel and Justin saw that the vines entrapping the thirteen rabbits above now began to secure around their bodies even more excruciatingly.  Holly, Speedwell, Campion, and Pipkin each had vines painfully snare around their throats, tightening and strangling them slowly, draining them of oxygen.  Fiver, Blackberry, Hawkbit, and Acorn had now thorns embedded into them, drawing forth blood as the barbs sank deeper and deeper into their flesh.  Silver, Strawberry, Bluebell, Bigwig, and Dandelion directly had vines wrapped around their torsos and hind feet, pulling them harder and harder in opposite directions, like a sick game of tug-of-war.  If they pulled any harder, the five unfortunate rabbits would likely be split in half.  Since they were all bound and muzzled tightly, they could only wince and utter muffled whimpers as the vines continued to flail at them.  Hazel and Justin just looked on in shock and dread before facing Hufsa.  Justin could feel Hazel's arms envelop around him securely, protectively, as Hufsa gave a perverse laugh.

"You see, you fool?!  I'm not finished yet!  Now, either let me free, and surrender that cross to me, or else your imprisoned friends are torn apart!"  Buckthorn's eyes just narrowed.

"You're in no position to compromise and negotiate," Buckthorn said with a distant voice as he brought the tip of the golden sword to Hufsa's throat, its sharp edge touching firmly against Hufsa's multi-colored fur.  Buckthorn's eyes were now frosty with anger and coldness as he spoke with authoritative resolution, "Release my friends now, Hufsa."

"Hurt me, and they will suffer," Hufsa snarled.

Buckthorn pressed the tip harder into Hufsa's throat, drawing blood.  "Release them, Hufsa, or so help me, I _will_ push this weapon into your throat."

"I can't die, you duffer."

Buckthorn pressed harder, his voice low and deadly, "Neither can they, and unlike you, Justin will be more than willing to restore to them back to full health with his powers once I'm through with you."  Hufsa didn't answer, and instead, he widened his eyes meaningfully.  At once, the vines became more vicious, and all the rabbits screamed even harder.  Strawberry felt the bone on his right hind leg snap and break as the vine dislocated his limb, ripping his muscle and cartilage.  Campion was being choked so intensely, blood was already starting to dribble out of his sealed mouth and nostrils.  And Blackberry and Pipkin and Fiver all passed out from the pain as the vines increased their torture.  Hazel and Justin were fretful.

"Stop it!!" Justin yelled, crying.

"Let Buckthorn do what he feels is right, young one," Hazel whispered, still holding him reassuringly and with trust, despite the uneasiness he had in his heart, "Trust him, he knows what he's doing."  Indeed, the cries of his suffering friends fell on deaf ears as Buckthorn showed no sign of weakening, wavering, or vacillation, his face a mask of stony vehemence, and with a simply flick of his paws, Justin and Hazel saw Buckthorn push the blade of the sword through Hufsa's throat and exit out of the other side, making a serious, bloody, gaping hole.  Hufsa burbled weakly as the metal singed his flesh and bone, setting it to the pain of a thousand fires touching his body.  Buckthorn mercilessly extracted the sword, now covered with blood from Hufsa's neck and then let the tip hover again over Hufsa's chest, positioning it skillfully over the heart and ribcage.

"That was a foolish move," Buckthorn said austerely, "Now, I'm telling you again, you dark, traitorous wretch, release my friends, or I use this and send the sword into your heart.  And before you try anything again, let me say that I am not easily broken.  Hurt my friends even more, and I hurt _you_ even more.  Question is, who will break first?"  With a quick movement, he sent the blade of the sword into Hufsa's chest without giving him a moment to think about it, and Hufsa squealed in pain again, feeling the sword now burn painfully into his lungs and heart, filling all his senses with burning, excruciating inferno.  Justin's eyes filled with sorrow, and Hazel, in understanding, drew the boy closer to him, letting the teen bury his face into Hazel's furry torso, unwilling to continue watching the gruesome scene.  Hufsa was now profoundly wounded, but Buckthorn again drew the sword up to the soft spot right between Hufsa's eyes.  Before Buckthorn could gouge him again, the dark rabbit now broke, sniveling and screaming.

"Don't!!  Please, I surrender!!  Have mercy!!  Please!!"

"Then release my friends," Buckthorn rumbled menacingly, and with a nod, Hufsa whispered pitifully, and without hesitation, the vines released their painful hold on their hostages, setting all of them very gently on the dirt ground, leaving many of them moaning, gasping, and couching.  The creepers then backed away in defeat, submerging themselves back into the ground, disappearing from sight.  The Owsla of Watership Down was all horrifically injured, but still alive.  Hazel and Justin, still and motionless, just watched Buckthorn lower his sword as he snarled at the pathetic enemy.

"I give you a chance to now flee for your own well-being, you cowardly, hraka scum!  You've lost, but I give you my word that if you leave now, I will not mar you any further.  Now go, leave, and never come back!"  Buckthorn then turned swiftly, his back to Hufsa as he limped back to Justin and Hazel.  Hufsa's eyes darkened, and with a gleam, the traitor tried one last trick.  Before Hazel or Justin could understand what was happening, a sharp, green vine appeared out of nowhere in front of Hufsa, popping out of the soil, and immediately tore into the air, ready to stab Buckthorn into his back.

"Buckthorn!" gasped out Justin and Hazel simultaneously, but the rabbit was in no danger.  With years of Owsla training and sharp reflexes, Buckthorn twirled around and flung the sword at the incoming plant.  The blade sliced through the plant, rending it harmless, while continuing past directly at Hufsa's head.  With a soft noise, Hazel and Justin saw the powerful blade of the sword had completely gorged through Hufsa's forehead right between the rabbit's eyes and into his brain.  The rabbit fell back, twitching and frothing at the mouth in a gory mess as blood and gray matter now leaked out of his wounds.  With a flash, the sword disappeared and reappeared into Buckthorn's hands, reverting itself back into the crystal, cross necklace.  Buckthorn said forlornly, "I gave my word, Hufsa.  I said I would not hurt you any further if you left.  But you did not take heed, and now, it is your own foolishness and arrogance that led to your downfall."  Buckthorn then approached Justin, who was white in the face, and knelt down and placed the cross gently into the human's hands.

"Justin, look at me," Buckthorn said softly, compassionately, and Justin glanced into his light blue eyes of the clearest, crystal ponds, no longer angry and wrathful, but kind and dependable.

"Justin, it had to be done.  If I didn't do it, he would have killed you and tortured the rest of us, without a thought of guilt, remorse, or mercy.  It had to be done.  Do you understand?"

Justin's eyes went soft with gloom, and his mouth formed a sad smile, but he nodded with understanding, empathy, and care.  "I understand, Buckthorn, and I...owe you my life.  You...you injured someone, a living creature, for my sake, and...and I know that can't be easy."

Buckthorn felt his heart ache with feelings of angst and expected rejection as he forced himself to speak his fear from this whole ordeal, "Are you afraid of me now...because of this?  Because of what I did?"

Justin's eyes became even more softhearted and sympathetic, and before Buckthorn could move, Justin shook his head with a bittersweet smile as he, despite the rabbit's fur and tunic being coated with dirt and blood, wrapped his arms around Buckthorn's neck and gave him a soft, reassuring hug.  Buckthorn, thankful from the display of loyal affection, closed his eyes gratefully and wrapped his paws around the human's body.

"I'll never be afraid of you, Buckthorn, for I'll always trust you, for you're my friend."  Buckthorn finally then knew what it felt to have real devotion, affection, and fondness, something he never had back at Sandleford.

After all the rabbits were fully healed with the powers of Justin's cross, Holly indicated with his head towards the twitching, conscious, body of Hufsa.  "What about him?"

They all stared at Justin expectantly, and Buckthorn said simply, "It is your choice, cross-bearer.  Whatever you decide, we won't argue with you."

"I think it's a given _what_ he's going to do," quipped Hawkbit, earning a cuff on the head from Strawberry and Dandelion.  Justin then walked over to the trembling, powerless Hufsa while the rest of the rabbits watched.  Justin whispered as he let the light spill forth on the enemy rabbit, healing him, "Just rest now, Hufsa.  You will be fully healed, but...I want you to sleep and remain here, away from Elil-rah and Prince Rainbow.  Sleep, and you won't awaken until we reach El-ahrairah and heal him.  No one, not Prince Rainbow, not even Elil-rah, will be able to wake you up, but when you do, you will be fully healed and it will be when El-ahrairah's warren is safe.  Just rest now."  The look of surprised gratitude on Hufsa's face made the act all worthwhile, and soon, the group galloped into the north, following the mountains, and leaving Hufsa to sleep peacefully on a bed of soft, supple leaves of ivy, away from the influence of evil and Prince Rainbow.

As Justin rode on Buckthorn, Dandelion, with a curious and shrewd look in his eyes, asked Buckthorn, "So, you lucky duffer, is it true??  Was Hufsa right??  Did you _really_ beat the Black Rabbit of Inle in a tournament of bobstones???"

All the other rabbits listened keenly with great interest as Buckthorn gave a mysterious, inscrutable smile, but to their annoyed disappointments, he said simply, curtly, but teasingly, "I won't say."

Everyone else groaned, but Justin said in supportive, snickering, perception, "Oh, come on!  Leave him alone!  It wouldn't be the first time a rabbit in this group has kept a secret or two.  Besides, he's not hurting anyone!"

"Easy for you to say, Justin!" Bluebell whined, rolling his eyes, "After the pain we just endured, us chaps have a right to know!  You can't tell us we just got snared by embleer vines, mauled, pulled apart, and whatnot all to have Buckthorn keep his mouth shut!"

"You know, Bluebell," Buckthorn grinned in jest, "I think it would have been better had Hufsa kept you muzzled!  Frith knows what a blessing that would be to hear nothing from you for one day!"

"You don't need a vine!  My paw should jolly well do!" Bigwig barked as he cuffed Bluebell on the head light-heartedly, and everyone laughed.

/*

Next: FIVER in "The Witch Rabbit Trials! Fiver and Justin Must Die!"

Enjoyed this chapter? Suggestions? REVIEW! =)

*/


	19. The WitchRabbit Trials! Fiver and Justin...

/*

Author's note: I know, I know, I'm really going all out on this, but please forgive me! I have a project due on Thursday and finals are NEXT WEEK, so I don't have much time!  Besides, surprisingly, this is the longest chapter I've written yet!  It's only halfway done, and it's already 20 pages (that's almost twice as long as any chapter I've written so far!).  Well, it's been nearly a month since I last updated, and I didn't want to leave you WD fans hanging!  So, I'm breaking this chapter into two parts!  The second part will be up in TWO weeks (since it will be Spring break and I'll be on vacation by then!).  I promise I'll write as soon as I can.  Until then, be patient!  Oh, and for all TRUE fans of Richard Adams work, there's a certain character in this chapter that ANY fan of his novels WILL recognize (and NO, he's not a WD character! =) ).  But, boy oh boy, I just know I'm gonna get hate mail for leaving Fiver in such a bleak situation! (that or not putting everything into one chapter!)  Well enjoy the angst and suffering of FIVER!

*/

CHAPTER 19 

                "My Lord, General Woundwort, my Prince," Vervain and Mallow bowed in respectful obedience in the dark, murky chamber where Elil-rah, Woundwort, and Prince Rainbow with his two, flanking guard dogs waited for news in the deathly darkness, "Our sources have revealed that the cross-bearer along with his protectors are near the border which separates the Land of Yesterday and the Land of Tomorrow.  Your orders, sire?"

                Woundwort had a sudden gleam of surprised gratification in his good eye while his white, dead, blind eye remained cold and lifeless as always.  "The border between the Land of Yesterday and Tomorrow?  You're quite sure?!  So Elil-rah have your hides if you bumbling, incompetent fools have made yet another mistake!"

                Mallow, the lesser fearful rabbit of the two quaking creatures, repeated with conviction, "No, we are quite sure, my General.  Our scouts and spies have traced them heading northeast into the areas where the two kingdoms reside.  We await orders for another attack."

                "Do nothing of the sort," Prince Rainbow commanded in a cold voice, his dogs staring hardheartedly at the two Efrafan rabbit without a sound, "Have the scouts and spies keep watch, but do nothing to alarm the rabbits or prevent them from entering the lands."

                "My...my Prince??  But...but why??" Vervain asked, confused and lost from the odd request.  But the voice of Elil-rah echoed in the gloomy run, snickering to itself aloud, "**THE INSTANT JUSTIN SETS FOOT INTO THOSE LANDS OF YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW, HE WILL DIE LIKE THE FOOL HE IS!!  FOR REGARDLESS OF THE PROTECTION OF HIS CROSS AND HIS FRIENDS OF THE WATERSHIP DOWN RABBITS, HE WILL FIND HINSELF IN DANGER GREATER THAN ANY ELIL CAN EVER PRESENT!!!**"

                                                                                ***

                Justin just stood at the edge of the grassland clearing, with eyes closed and his open palms in front of him, on which was lying the golden cross of Justin's necklace.  The other rabbits watched silently as the cross shimmered in a golden aura and levitated several inches from the teenager's hands, slowly hovering until it firmly, making the silver chain taut, pointed in the direction of north-northeast in front of the group, the direction which would lead them into the fields of the meadows of Fenlo where El-ahrairah and his warren was waiting.  Hazel, Buckthorn, Holly, and Bigwig were right; they were heading in the right direction, and the compass abilities of the cross further strengthened that conviction.

                "Anyone have the slightest idea what the lands are like up ahead on our journey?" Hazel asked the three scouting experts.  Holly sniffed the air a few times, his sharp senses identifying moist soil, wet grass, and a variety of trees, yew, laurel, and prunus, to name a few.

                "Well, whatever it is, it isn't too dangerous.  From the smell of it, it contains a variety of plants and abundant amounts of grass, enough to feed all of us and sustain Justin's hunger.  It will be nice to have a pleasant area to rest."

                "I know," commented Buckthorn wearily, "it has been three days since I have fought with Hufsa, and with us getting so close to El-ahrairah's warren, we've been pushing ourselves non-stop, spending less and less time to rest and silflay.  By the Black Rabbit, I don't think I can ever recall a time when we were so burdened with fear and fatigue!  Not even when we traveled from Cowslip's warren and made our way to Watership Down have we been _this_ weighed down!"

                "It was for a good reason, Buckthorn.  We didn't want to risk Justin's safety anymore," Bigwig muttered warily as he stared at the unknown terrain.  They were now following the paths parallel to the mountain range they had recently crossed after the battle with Nekas and Lord Brock, and since their escapade on the floating birch tree in the rapids, they realized that they had sidetracked south a lot more than they had anticipated.  Apparently, it would be two, maybe three more weeks, before they would even reach the borders of Fenlo.

                "Then we best be moving," commented Hazel and he, Justin, Bigwig, Holly and Buckthorn turned to make their way back to the group.  Meanwhile, with the remaining rabbits, Pipkin and Silver were questioning Fiver.

                "Fiver, are you sure you can't sense anything yet?  Elil-rah may be close by right now, and the sooner we can get a warning on his messengers' whereabouts, the better," Silver gently pestered.

                "No, I can't.  I'm sorry, Silver, but if my visions can't appear and inform me on anything of the sort, then we might not be in trouble as of yet," Fiver admitted resignedly.

                "Not likely, you little liar," Hawkbit muttered under his breath, but unfortunately, Silver and Campion heard him.  By Frith, now there was going to be some harsh words thrown about.

                "What was that, Hawkbit?" Campion growled in riled shock, low, penetrating, and deep, almost animalistic and feral.  "Care to say that little tidbit a bit louder??"

                Hawkbit at first looked as if he was going to back down and keep silent, but three days of little rest and food made him incredibly cranky and short-tempered, fueling the annoyance and exasperation that spewed the words out of his mouth.  "By Frith, I think I will!!  I can't believe you, all of you, keep depending on Fiver for his embleer visions when they never arrive in time to prevent us from meeting with Elil-rah's minions!!  No matter what, every enemy and dark messenger we've ever faced, every battle we have fought and brawled in, every injury, pain, and bloodshed could have been avoided if Fiver had his mystic second sight take into effect sooner!!  But no!!  Like idiots or blind rabbits, we trudge through rough and impassible terrains, get attacked at every chance and every moment Elil-rah finds, and suffer through horrible, ghastly wounds inflicted by the dark Owsla!!  If it wasn't for Justin and his cross, we'd all be so horribly disfigured and injured, we wouldn't even be able to come back to El-ahrairah's warren!!!"

                "And just what exactly are you saying, Hawkbit?" growled Silver evenly, his tone becoming more hostile towards Hawkbit's outlook on Fiver.

                "I'm saying that all the attacks that have happened to us so far have been Fiver's fault to begin with!!"

                "But...but, it's not my fault, Hawkbit!" Fiver defended weakly, his voice breaking, "I don't know when or why I can see things, but I have no control over such visions or when they come!!  I can only see what is given to me!"

                "Yes, and it's all because of the tharn fact that you can't see things before they happen like before when we were able to escape the destruction at Sandleford, we are always putting Justin at risk!!  By the Black Rabbit, I wouldn't be surprised if the real reason you have those visions is because you're the one who causing all the bloody trouble we've been having!!  After all, if you were any kind of rabbit of El-ahrairah, you'd be more concerned and worried about your lack of visions rather than keeping such a tharn, nonchalant, blasé attitude."  Fiver stepped back, his mind and soul now troubled from the words, and unbeknownst to all of them, Hawkbit's words hurt Fiver far more than anticipated but he forced himself to not show it underneath his composure.  Bigwig, seeing the look of hurt and angst on Fiver's serene face, got in front of Hawkbit and forcefully growled, "That's enough, Hawkbit, or else I'll rip you apart!!"

                Speedwell, a bit uneasy, silently sided with Hawkbit by putting in softly, "Bigwig, please, don't be angry, but Hawkbit has a point.  Every time one of Elil-rah's minions arrive, we could have easily avoided them if Fiver had his second sight come warn us sooner, and that way, we wouldn't have to constantly go through all this danger.  Yet, he hardly does alert us in time, and you can't help but wonder, that's all."

                "Speedwell!" admonished Strawberry, shocked that the wily rabbit felt the same way.

                "Not you too, you loud-mouthed, jumped-up-never-to-come-back-down, tharn buck!!" complained Bigwig.

                "Bigwig, come now!  Don't get riled up over this! You know they're right!" Acorn tried to bring in convincingly, and Bigwig nearly lost his restraint, his paws and feet quivering with antagonism.  Fiver felt more and more at a loss as he saw more and more rabbits concur with Hawkbit's sentiments.  Strawberry tried to break it up and keep the peace.

                "Look, we all are having had a particularly, grueling time, but now is NOT the moment when we can have a bally argument breaking us apart and distracting us from rest!  Please, all of you, drop this right now!!"

                "Please, Hawkbit!" pleaded Pipkin, tugging slightly on the blackish rabbit's green and gold tunic, "Please, let's just rest now!  I'm sure some silflay and sleep will do you a world of good!  Please don't make a fuss!"

                But Hawkbit wouldn't drop it as he said angrily at Fiver, his frustration and want of keeping Justin safe making him blurt out the accusation, "Maybe you don't really want to have Justin come back to heal El-ahrairah, Fiver!!  Maybe you've been keeping back on your visions all along for as certain as Elil-rah, you aren't helping much with keeping the cross-bearer safe!!  Embleer Frith in a hole, it's as if you actually _want_ Justin to get killed!!!"

Everyone, Speedwell and Acorn included, was staggered from the declaration; not even Bluebell and Bigwig were _that_ uncharitable.  Fiver just stood there, looking at Hawkbit with a dazed, shaken look in his brown eyes, glazed with hurt and humiliation, his body golden-brown body stiff and quivering.  Then, without a word, he bowed his head, turned abruptly, and ran, faster than he ever could, nearly stumbling as he vanished into the thick cover of the forest.

"Fiver, wait!  Come back!!" Pipkin pleaded, but the visionary was gone.  Awkward silence loomed over the group.

                "I'll go see if he's all right," murmured Justin in concern as he jogged after Fiver.

                "Justin, wait!  It's dangerous to go there by yourself!!" Hawkbit broke in, but before he could charge after the teenager, Hazel leapt in front of his path.

                Hazel glared at him, his eyes now with a reddish tinge and his fur bristling, and Hawkbit could honestly say he had never seen his Chief rabbit appear so hostile, so angry, so wrathful...so hurt.  He realized then that Fiver was Hazel's younger brother, and ever since the two were alive back at Sandleford warren, Hazel was always loving and devoted to his brother's well-being and care.  Hawkbit then recognized that he went too far.  The Chief growled in a voice not unlike his own, icy fury and offense boiling madly in the timbre of his normally calm voice.

                "I have never laid a paw on you, Hawkbit, but Frith help me, right now, for what you just said, I've half a mind of bite you in the throat and scratch your eyes out myself.  But as of currently, I need all of my mind to ease my brother and make up the damage you have done."  With that, Hazel quickly, worriedly, hopped over toward the thicket where Fiver and Justin disappeared, leaving Hawkbit to wallow in slight remorse with ears drooped.

                                                                                ***

                Meanwhile, Justin has caught up with Fiver, and the two were amongst a bed of ferns and weeds.  The rabbit had stopped running, and now, he was facing away from Justin as he squatted there, on all fours, looking down on the ground.  He didn't even bother to look at the cross-bearer.

"Fiver, c'mon, please don't be like that.  C'mon, please, at least answer and let me know you're OK," pleaded Justin encouragingly as he tried to give Fiver a comforting pat on his slim shoulders from behind.  The small rabbit just coldly, emotionlessly, moved himself out of Justin's reach while his back was still turned to the cross-bearer, his head lowered despondently and his face obscured and hidden from view.  Justin was lost; he didn't know exactly what to say that could help Fiver, particularly since the Watership rabbit didn't want company right now, and regardless of all his abilities as the cross-bearer, Justin didn't think it was physically possible, nor desirable, to change a person's mind or heal emotional wounds.  What Hawkbit said opened several emotional scars, and not even the trinket was the best way to heal them.

                "Justin, let me," Hazel broke in softly, yet without warning, and Justin turned to see Hazel, standing firmly on his hind legs, yet worry and unease etched his kind face, making him appear worn out and old, as if he wasn't immortal in the land beyond living.  Justin, as he quietly stepped back, letting the two brothers have a private moment, could see that Hazel was extremely troubled about Fiver, but then again, he reminded himself that Hazel had always loved Fiver.  Out of their entire litter of five, Hazel and Fiver were inseparable, always looking out for each other, unwilling to leave one another behind.  Justin, a bit shamefaced for being selfish, then wished he knew what it was like to have someone look out for you in such a caring way, like an older brother.  Fiver still didn't turn to face Hazel as the rabbit leader spoke with sincere angst and devotion from his heart, calling Fiver by his Lapine name affectionately.

                "Hrairoo...I'd be lying if I said that Hawkbit didn't mean it, or that no one else in the group agreed with his views...But, everyone, us and El-ahrairah included, knows deep down that we'd never be here or have gotten this far without your intuition.  What was said shouldn't have been said, but it wasn't the truth.  It was just Hawkbit being bad-tempered because of a lack of rest or food for the past days."

                Fiver still didn't show any indication that he was listening.  Hazel felt his gut wrench slightly as he continued, all the meanwhile walking closer to his sibling.

                "Hrairoo, it's not your fault.  None of this is, and no one, not Justin, not El-ahrairah, not even Prince Rainbow and Woundwort, is at fault.  Everything that has happened so far has been due to Elil-rah and his influence, not from your visions or second sight.  You aren't to blame...and you aren't a burden, to me or any other rabbit.  You never were a burden."

                Justin then saw Fiver's body stiffen a bit at that last statement.

                Hazel spoke, "You may always be distant because of your sense of the mystic, because of your 'gift', because you bear an enormous responsibility that you never asked for, and because it asks too much of you to help us with your visions.  But regardless how distant you feel, you will never be too far from us, too far from help, too far from the ones who care about you."

                Fiver slightly trembled as Hazel placed a paw on his younger brother's shoulder from behind.  "Hrairoo, you may try to shun everybody away, but please, remember, every time you do, it hurts me.  Do you honestly think that I don't know??  That I don't notice??  That I don't understand??"

                Fiver was now visibly shaking, tears threatening to leak out as Hazel whispered, "Remember, Hrairoo, I will _never_ leave you or forsake you.  I didn't leave you behind at Sandleford, at Cowslip's warren, at Nuthanger Farm, at Efrafa, and at the siege on Watership Down.  You can try shunning everyone else, but you can't shun me for I will never abandon my brother, my family.  And I _won't_ let you abandon them either."  Fiver was now sobbing as he finally broke his silence, turning to face his brother with a mixture of outrage, panic and frustration.

                "EMBLEER FRITH, WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?!!" he sobbed, half screaming with self-loathing.

                "Because I won't," Hazel said firmly with convicted compassion and benevolence as he squatted on his hind feet and touched his nose with Fiver's, softly and carefully, while keeping a firm paw on his shaking younger brother's shoulder, "Because you're my brother, because I care very much for your sake...and because the times when you want to push me away will be the times you need me the most.  Just like how I always needed you in my life and in the lives of our friends, our comrades, our family."

                "You could be better off without me!" cried Fiver, whimpering and looking down on the grassy soil, "Every time someone gets frustrated with me, you always have to put yourself in the thick of it to defend me, even though it always gets you in trouble, or worse yet, hurt!  And Hawkbit's right!!  How do I know I'm not the cause of all this, that my visions don't cause the trouble that has been happening to us?!"

                "Fiver, that isn't true," Hazel said, troubled.

                "And how would you know?!" Fiver now was crying piteously, "You don't know what it's like to never have a life without worry, trouble, vexation, and responsibility!!  Even life as a Chief rabbit pales in comparison to the fact that the second sight took my life from me, my sanity, my control, ever since Efrafa tried to attack Watership Down!!  I never asked for this power, this insight, and it asks so much from me, consumes me!!  Why can't I just be a...a normal rabbit?!  Why couldn't I just forsake this power when I want to, so that I wouldn't always be troubled from painful premonitions, the screaming horrors, the ability to feel the pain, wrath, and destruction of death and war and danger?!!  Every time I see a vision with my second sight, I can feel it, everything, the emotions, the anger, the hurt, the impeding doom, and it takes so much out of me!!  It's just...it's just no one knows what I undergo!"  Hazel couldn't truthfully answer back, but Justin then spoke softly as he knelt next to Fiver.

                "I know," the teenager said simply, and Fiver, whimpering, raised his head and look at the sad face of his human companion.  Justin went on, trying to put in a smiling tone and making his voice a bit light-hearted.

                "Hey, you're forgetting who you're talking to," he smirked as he raised his cross necklace in plain view with his thumb, but then spoke in a more solemn tone, "Fiver, I know what it feels like.  Remember when you guys first found me, when I was being chased by Mallow and Vervain?  When Dandelion told me the story of Elil-rah and the prophecy??  I acted exactly how you are now, and trust me, I don't think _any_ human would be in their right minds if they actually wanted to be chased around by Elil-rah and his Owsla, to live every day and night in fear and caution, and to constantly worry about using and learning powers to protect yourself and the ones you care about.  I mean, I didn't ask to be the cross-bearer and I didn't ask for any of this, but...I have to do it.  Just like how you have to always use your visions, to deal with them and interpret them, to protect us.  We don't know why we're chosen, but we do know that crying and contemplating it isn't gonna get us anywhere.  And besides, it would be better if we bore the responsibility rather than someone else who might not be able to handle it.  I mean, could you imagine what would happen if Bigwig or Hawkbit had to be the ones with the visions in this group??"  Both Fiver and Hazel couldn't help but smile at that last statement, Fiver a bit more shakily, picturing the potential disasters that would arise if _that_ happened.

                Justin broke in gently, "But Fiver, you _are_ helpful, for all of us.  You always gave us a hint or a clue to figure out what was going on, to find out a weakness, to find a solution!  I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for your visions, for your premonitions, for your intuition.  So don't beat yourself up over this!"

                "But it's never before we could do anything to avoid it!" Fiver choked, the reminders now bitter and churning in his stomach and heart, "And it doesn't take much for the rest of the group to forget that!  If something goes wrong, I'm usually the one to blame, and regardless how many times I've have been right, there's always the odd rabbit to doubt me and wonder whether or not I've been mistaken, delusional, or plain silly!!  It's as if no one cares about me, only my 'gift', and it just reminds me how I'm always alone!!  Alone, and no rabbit can ever truly understand how I feel!!"  At this, Fiver started quaking and sobbing again, his tears now flooding out and dropping onto the ground.  Unable to say anything more, both Justin and Hazel softly, warmly, embraced him, and the three just remained there, a human and a rabbit, wordlessly holding a shaking, distraught, bawling rabbit between the two, lovingly but with heavy hearts.

                                                                                ***

                "Wow, so this is the Land of Yesterday and the Land of Tomorrow," commented Justin in awe as he looked around the surroundings while he rode on Buckthorn's back, traveling with the horde of sixteen.  Justin remembered the scenery from the stories of El-ahrairah in "Tales from Watership Down", where the Land of Yesterday was the home of the spirits of animals who have become extinct and the Land of Tomorrow was the home of animals that were still subsisting in the physical real world.  In fact, El-ahrairah traveled to these lands to gain the sense of smell for his children and his legacy of all rabbits; Justin was still amazed that such a place was even real, but then again, he wasn't sure what to believe anymore.  Right now, they were all hopping slowly on the border that separated the two regions, with the Land of Tomorrow being gloomy, with dark green vegetation, a misty, depressing, foggy atmosphere, and an overcast, cloudy sky.  It was completely dim, dank, and murky compared to the forests of the Land of Tomorrow, with their ripe, fragrant flowers and various trees bursting with the wild colors of autumn, but never shedding one leaf over the endless fields of grass and clover shining with dew in the sunlight.  It was like the border was a contrast between two lands, one of the cheerless, lifeless Yesterday and one of the bright, sunny Tomorrow.  The rabbits were now in between the two realms, taking some time to enjoy the walk and sights and smells.  Fiver was still a bit traumatized, so he gloomily, yet silently, hopped around near Hazel.

                "These lands are so different.  They're like completely opposite of each other," wondered Justin out loud as they passed by.

                "Well, at least once we head further into the forests, we'll have better cover from any attacks," commented Holly, "and then we can rest a bit."  Unfortunately, Bigwig and Silver both halted abruptly, and Silver held up a paw, warning the rest of the group to be silent and stand still.  Bigwig strained his ears at the trees; apparently, he heard some sort of rustling noise from the walnut trees above, and Justin, uneasy, placed a hand over his cross necklace.

                "All right, you crack-brained fool!  Come on out!!" barked Bigwig roughly, bravely, anticipating anything, "Either state your business or prepare to fight!!"  Nervously, and with dread, the rabbits saw emerge from the think, green, leafy branches were...a trio of tree-dwelling animals, two red squirrels and one raccoon.  They weren't elil, and it was a false alarm.  However, as the rabbits slightly relaxed, relieved, the three animals were staring at Justin, mouths agape and eyes shiny with fear and bewilderment.  Justin was uncomfortable, but he gave a small smile as he slightly waved at the three.

                "Hi there," he said softly, but it was as if he threatened them, for the three terrified creatures suddenly darted back into cover, leaping among branches, with the raccoon going into the Land of Tomorrow and the two squirrels bouncing aimlessly into the Land of Yesterday, all the meanwhile, screaming and shrieking loudly enough to wake up the dead, "ALARM!! ALARM!! WARN THE KINGS!!  WARN THE KINGS!!!  MEN ARE HERE!!  MEN ARE HERE!!  MAN HAS COME TO INVADE OUR FORESTS, OUR LAND!!  THEY'RE HERE!!  THEY'RE HERE!!  A MAN IS HERE IN THE LAND BEYOND LIFE!!!"

                "Uh-oh," groaned Bluebell as roars of commotion, shock, surprise, and anger immediately resounded forcefully amongst the trees, multiplying every second as they could see more and more animals, perhaps hundreds, rushing over to the border where the Watership Owsla was grouped currently.  Now, they were surrounded by a whole pack of animals, ranging from the extinct potoroo, the Kenai wolves, to the timbleers, antelopes, groundhogs, and various numbers and multitudes of birds, perched on the branches.  Even the nearby fiords and streams were choked with fish, their stationary eyes now bursting towards the sight of a human teenager with rabbits.  Yet, what made the sight more daunting was the fact that every animal surrounding them was large, larger than Justin remembered in his world.  Now, in the land beyond life, each animal seemed to have increased in size three-fold, and most of them were tall enough to loom over the rabbits and Justin like towering infernos of hate and malice.  Bluebell glanced at Justin with an upsetting look in his eyes, "Justin, I don't think you should have done that."

                "But...but all I did was say 'hi'!" Justin protested.

                "By Frith and Inle, and you rabbits think _I_ have a big mouth!" muttered Hawkbit warily as he kept scanning the tight circle of animals muttering and gaping at Justin back and forth.

                "It wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway, chap," Dandelion tried to defend Justin, "The minute those animals saw us, they would have screamed as if the embleer Elil-rah was coming after their tails!  Justin's not at fault!"

                "Well, at least these creatures aren't elil, so they won't hurt and attack us," Speedwell said optimistically, despite the unnerving feelings in his skin and fur.

                "Somehow, Speedwell, that does NOT make me feel any more at ease," emphasized Silver as Justin and the rest of the rabbits could hear bits and pieces of the frantic conversations all around them.

                "By the fur and paw!!  Those misfits weren't lying!!  There really _is_ a human here in our land!!" exclaimed an antelope, her eyes bulging with fear and disbelief.

                "How can it be possible?!" shrieked a koala bear, shielding her two cubs in her arms by hugging them fiercely to her chest, "How could a man enter our haven?!!  We were supposed to be safe, free from such troubles and persecution!!"

                "I don't know, but I don't like it!" growled a panther, his claws already drawn out and ready for attack.

                "Is he dangerous??" asked a New Zealand grayling to his neighbor, a Blackfin Cisco.

                "He's a human boy, of course he's dangerous!!" the fish snapped back heatedly with terrified urgency.

                A golden eagle snapped furiously at Justin, "What in the name of Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Frith are _you_ doing here, you stupid, trouble-making human?!  Haven't you ruined the lives of innocent creatures enough, you trouble-making, despicable slime?!!"

                "Yes, get out of here!!  You're not wanted!!  Leave this place before we use force!!" snarled a dodo bird, his red eyes narrowed and his beak snapping angrily.

                "Leave him alone!" growled Acorn at the eagle, but this was to no avail.  The entire crowd was restless and began to panic even more, yet anger and vehemence was already starting to rear its ugly head towards the rabbits and the human.

                "You...you embleer rabbit traitors!!" howled a burly, large otter as he pointed one, webbed paw directly at the group, fury causing his to shake and quiver, "What are you doing, protecting a human?!  Have you no decency for fellow creatures or for Frith himself?!!"

                "How could you even side with the boy?!!" screamed a potoroo.

                "Huh!  They are acting no more like his servants, obeying his every whim!!  Look at them, they're all even wearing colorful clothes and fabrics, acting like humans themselves!!  And just when I thought that the English rabbits could not sink any lower!" scoffed a spotted wildcat.

                "Disgraceful!" agreed a hedgehog with contempt.

                "I'd rather die a thousand deaths than serve some human, like a common dog, always trying to please the master like some fool!!" a hare chipped in.

                "Please, at least dogs have some standards!" growled a coyote, "These rabbits serve the human because they want to, not because they have to!!  They forsaken the universal code and oath of all animals to help that...that menace!!"

                "I agree!!  Look at that one rabbit, carrying the human!!  As if he's too good to walk on soil!!  What disgusting arrogance!!" sneered a tiger to his companions, several lions and two panthers.

                "They're traitors, that's what!!" a wood pigeon cooed wrathfully.

                Hazel tried to take control peacefully, raising his voice over the commotion, "Please, none of us want any trouble!  We just wish to pass through the lands!  We don't want to cause any chaos!  Please, just let us through!"

                "HA!  A likely story!!" retorted the eagle, spreading his wings, displaying his anger, "If we let all of you rabbits escape here with the human, you'll only cause destruction and mayhem somewhere else in the land beyond the living!!  We've only seen it too many times to not deduce otherwise!!"

                "I agree!!  The man will wreck everything we've all worked so hard to cherish and protect!!" roared one of the lions.

                "He would never do that!!" yelled Pipkin heatedly, defending Justin, "Justin's here to save El-ahrairah, our Prince!!  He would never hurt a living thing here!!"

                "'Justin'?!!  Oh, so now, you're on a name basis with that child?!!  How revolting!!  How disgusting!!  How wretched!!" mocked a heron.

                "As if we believe you, you sniveling, filthy rabbit!!" the otter snarled as he stood upright, now over six feet tall, ready to pounce on them.  "Quickly, everyone!!  We must defend our home!!  Kill the boy!!  The rabbits can't fight all of us!!!"

                "YES!! KILL THE BOY!!  FIGHT THE RABBITS!!  FIGHT THE TRAITORS!!  KILL THE HUMAN!!!  DEFEND OUR HOME AND OUR HONOR!!!" chorused the rest of the crowd with howls and rumbles of rage, hate, prejudice, and spite as the circle began to draw closer and closer to the close-knit group.

                "By Frith, this is certainly _not_ good!!" gasped Campion as he stood upright, unsure whether he was up to tackling several animals at once.

                "I think I would prefer it if one of Elil-rah's minions attacked us!!  At least it would have been easier!!" warbled Blackberry as the bloodthirsty crowd got closer and closer, but before Justin could try to time-freeze the animals, a booming voice echoed across, stunning everyone into a shocked silence.

                "ENOUGH!!  HALT!!  ALL OF YOU!!  STOP, IN THE NAME OF THE KINGS!!!"  It was so deafening, every animals could hear the authority sending shivers of fear and confounding tremors through their blood, and Justin could have honestly said that it rivaled the volume of Lord Brock's voice when he tried to attack Pipkin and himself at the mountain summits.  Everyone, the animal horde, Justin, and the rabbits of Watership Down turned to an awe-inspiring sight.  There, with the sunlight shining radiantly behind them, was a large, brown grizzly bear, flanked on either side by a mammoth, wooly, Oregon bison and a majestic, strong stag.

                All three of the animals had a mysterious yet commanding aura of respect and nobility surrounding each of them.  The large grizzly was formidable, over nine feet tall, with shiny brown fur neatly in place and huge, black claws, thick, stout, and sharp, with equally dark eyes and a black snout.  Yet, despite his fierceness, he had a look of wisdom and comprehension, almost like he was human.  Justin also noticed that patches of his fur were badly singed, blacked, and revealed tender, pink, exposed patches of injured skin and flesh, as if he was horribly injured in a fire.  In spite of that, the bear obviously didn't seem to think that they were a bother for he moved fluidly, gracefully, without showing the slightest indication that he was in the slightest pain.  To add even more ambivalence to the demeanor was the fact that there was a crown of violets sitting on top of his head between his ears.  Though Justin had no idea who the bear was, he certainly was able to recognize the buck and the bison from the descriptions in the El-ahrairah story, "The Sense of Smell" from "Tales from Watership Down".  The Oregon bison was the King of Yesterday, the ruler of the land where all animals who have become extinct, like the dodo bird or the potoroo, come to live the rest of their lives; it was basically a heavenly haven for the creatures that have been wiped out, mostly by the hands of humans.  Even the King of Yesterday himself was hunted until his clan was obliterated from the face of the physical world.  He was a heavy, powerful animal, taller than the full height of any human, with large legs, heavy, strong dark hooves, thick, curved black horns, and a dense, wooly, shaggy pelt of long, brown fur, forming lengthy strings of twisted hair all over the King's body.  The king's face was equally bushy, with a moist, wet snout and vast, solemn brown eyes that were glaring acrimoniously at the sight of Justin.  The stag was as striking and refined as the bison was hirsute.  The buck had obsidian colored eyes, but despite the dark wildness, the eyes were warm, judicious, and radiated a sense of reliability and finality, as if no one dared questioned his decisions.  His eyes, black hooves and black nose were only parts of his body contrasting his perfect, golden hide; not a single hair was out of place, and the entire pelt was shiny, lustrous, and atop the stag's head were sharp, large, yet intricately-designed amber antlers, each bearing eight, spiked prongs.  This was the King of Tomorrow, the ruler of the Land of Tomorrow and the animal who actually gave El-ahrairah the sense of smell under the condition that El-ahrairah and his children use the gift to raid farms and cause devastation to all men.  Now, the King of Tomorrow was staring coolly at Hazel and the rest of the Watership rabbits while the King of Yesterday was glaring venomously at Justin, and the grizzly just looked on without any sign of emotion.

                "Come forward, Hazel, leader of the rabbits of Watership Down and fellow soldier of the Owsla of El-ahrairah," the stag commanded in a booming, yet smooth voice, and Hazel, with the eyes of many bitter, irate animals following him, separated himself from the fellowship and hopped over cautiously, yet decisively towards the two kings and the bear.  The rest of the rabbits watched nervously, unsure what was going to happen.  Justin, who by now had slid himself off Buckthorn's back, asked Silver, "What's going to happen to him?"

                "I don't know, but I hope no danger comes about because of this," replied Silver, half praying.  Bigwig shushed them both as the kings addressed to Hazel.

                "What were you and your party doing on the borders of the Land of Yesterday and Tomorrow?  Why did you not enter out lands and request permission to pass through with possible aid from our communities??" asked the King of Tomorrow.

                "More importantly, why are you siding with a human?!!" bellowed the King of Yesterday, "Have you rabbits and El-ahrairah gone mad?!!"

                Hazel spoke openly, "We were just passing through, your majesty.  The reason we didn't want to enter the lands and enter your kingdoms was because we didn't want to arouse notice that Justin, the boy, was traveling with us because Elil-rah is trying to murder him.  We didn't want to take the risk."

                "If Elil-rah wishes to kill the boy, it's because he knows what a menace the human is to all of us in the land beyond life!" roared the otter in the crowd, and plenty of the animals gave heated noises of agreement.

                "ENOUGH!" yelled the bear, temporarily silencing the crowd, and shrewdly, the stag looked at Justin who was standing silently, respectfully.

                "Justin, come forward," he said, and Justin, after blinking with surprise and with a few nervous glances with his friends, slowly walked forward until he was under the gazes of all the animals, side by side with Hazel and his heart pounding with anxiety.  The bison was glowering none too friendly at the teenager, but the bear, after analyzing the scene, recognized what was going on.

                "You are the legendary cross-bearer, are you not?" he asked gruffly, and Justin, at a loss for words, simply nodded apprehensively.  This, in turn, set off a new round of mutterings and whispered outbursts of shock, dread, and resentment among the tide of creatures, and the rest of the Watership rabbits grew even more edgy and tense.  The bison narrowed his eyes even more at Justin while the stag actually appeared disturbed from the confirmation, nervously twitching his hooves back and forth on the moist soil and tender grass.

                "If you are the cross-bearer, then that means you have unspeakable power, power that could destroy your enemies or harm innocent creatures in the land beyond the living!!" snarled the King of Yesterday, "I should have known that you rabbits were up to no good!!  You're actually helping the cross-bearer cause destruction and mayhem in our paradise!!"

                "No, that's not true!!  I would never do that!!" protested Justin, yet the other animals didn't share his sentiment.

                "You liar!  We know what all men are capable of, and especially with your powers, we have even more reason to hate and mistrust you, you foul miscreant!!" yelled one of the lions.

                "By the Kings of time and Frith, why are we even letting them walk on our hallowed soil?!  They should all be punished!!" put in a groundhog.

                "You think we actually trust you, just because you're the infamous cross-bearer?!!" cawed a woodpecker angrily, "All of us have been mistreated, caged, or hunted down by humans, only to come and arrive here in the land beyond life!  There has not been one of us who hasn't felt the pain and brutality of the hand of man, creatures that have selfishly destroyed our homes, killed our children, trapped and sold us as objects for pleasure and entertainment, and for what?!  What did we ever do to deserve such treatment?!  What gives men the right to act as the ruler of all animals?!!"  Justin, hearing this, couldn't answer back.

                "Your majesties, you cannot seriously be listening to the rubbish this wretch is telling us!!" complained a warthog, snorting angrily.

                "We demand that they leave now and that the teenager dies!!  He is a threat to all of us!!" screamed the antelope.

                "We have a right!!!" called out the otter defiantly.  The grizzly was done in, his patience starting to break.

                "SILENCE!!!  THAT IS ENOUGH!!!  THE NEXT ONE WHO DARES SPEAK ANOTHER WORD WITHOUT CONSENT...!!!"  The animals fell silent; it was uncommon for the bear, who had always been a gentle, advisory creature, to make any threats of punishments.  The stag gave the bear a grateful look before turning to Justin.

                "I have heard about you, Justin, and I know everything, the tale of Elil-rah, the fallen angel, the prophecy of the light and hope of the cross carried by one man who exhibits a pure heart and sincere love.  Yet..." and at this, he gave a dark look.  "I also know of what you have done with the cross during your presence in the land beyond life: you have destroyed weapons of metal and iron within a moment, nearly set a forest aflame with the intensity of the light from your jewel, transformed your rabbit companions into unnatural creatures like dogs or given them wings of flight, acting as if you yourself were Frith, created a vast army from thin air, summoned rain and thunder in order to cause a flood, and you have used such powers to fight creatures such as the Ilips and King Darzin."

                "You're completely misinformed!" bellowed Holly, unable to keep silent any longer, "The reason Justin even used his powers was to protect himself and us from danger!!  All those events you have just described were because Elil-rah sent them to kill Justin!!  He was just acting in self-defense!!  He never attacked a creature in the land beyond life without cause!!"

                "And you seem to be forgetting that there are also creatures that Justin had healed with his light of the cross!" objected Strawberry, "He never showed unnecessary force!  Every enemy we ever faced was never killed or obliterated!  When King Darzin and his cat followers were injured, after we got away, Justin used his prayers to heal them!  When the weasel leader Volgnamass ruthlessly disemboweled two of his own soldiers, it was Justin who took mercy on them and helped them!  And I think you know as well as I do what the cross-bearer did with Scry-rah and the hawks!!  Every use of his power was not to destroy and wreck havoc, but to heal and make peace!!"

                "He really is the cross-bearer, and he is NOT a threat!!  Can't you see that?!" shouted Buckthorn as he stood on his hind feet, "Justin doesn't treat any of us like lesser servants, but as friends, equals, partners!  He is NOT like other men you know of!!  Elil-rah knows this, and he also knows that Justin is the only hope we have our saving our Prince!!  El-ahrairah has been severely attacked and wounded by Elil-rah's dark powers, and Justin was summoned by Frith and God so that he could help us heal him and save our warren, our home, our future!!"

                "That problem is of little concern for us!" snarled the King of Yesterday.

                "That's what you think!!" Bigwig raged, "Once Elil-rah destroys our warren, what makes you think that he won't hurt and destroy other creatures in the land beyond life as well?!  Elil-rah is the evil one, not Justin!!  He won't stop until he takes over this land with his dark, wicked ways, and then all of you will be under greater danger than you could ever imagine back in the physical world!!"

                "Don't listen to them, my lords, it is a trick!!" accused the potoroo.

                "They are just trying to dissuade you, making fools of us all before the human destroys our home and slaughters all of us!!" shrieked the wildcat.

                "PEACE, EVERYONE!!!" ordered the bear, and he said it so dangerously that spittle gleamed on his white, bared teeth.  As the assembly begrudgingly kept quiet, the stag made his decision, irrevocability and decisiveness underlying his tone.

                "I have made my decision: you, rabbits of Watership Down and El-ahrairah, and you, Justin, cross-bearer of legends past, will remain here, in the Land of Tomorrow while the King of Yesterday, our councils, and myself, debate the situation."  The instant these words rang out, the crowd immediately went into an uproar of fuming protest, but before it could become chaotic, the King of Yesterday then spoke, his voice hard and offensive.

                "However, to make sure the clan of Watership Down will remain here and not try to escape with the human before we have made our decision, you rabbits will be accompanied by guards from both of our respective kingdoms, for our protection and for yours."  He emphasized that last bit with a bit of malevolence, and Hazel wasn't sure this was going to bode well for their sakes.  The bison continued, and at this, a small sneer showed on his face, "And also, as collateral to ensure you rabbits not try any of your devious trickery on any of us before the decision is made, we hereby revoke the sense of smell from all of you."

                "WHAT?!" chorused the Owsla of El-ahrairah.

                "You can't do that!!" seethed Acorn.

                "You're treating us no better than prisoners!!" cried out Bluebell in disbelief and stinging affront.

                "We haven't even done anything!" griped Hawkbit, "This is completely insane!!"  
                "This isn't fair!!" yelled Dandelion.

                "Please, just listen to Hazel-rah!  We're not here to cause trouble!!  We're not the enemy!" pleaded Pipkin.

                "My decision is final!" declared the King of Yesterday, clearly enjoying himself, and with a flash, in horrified incredulity, Hazel and the rest of the Watership warriors all felt something warm and whole emerge our of their bodies.  Immediately, white orbs of light and transcendence emerged in front of them in thin air before flying towards the bison and embedding themselves into his body, vanishing underneath his thick, wooly fur.  To their terror, they all found that the King of Yesterday spoke the truth; now, there was only a numb feeling in their noses, bland, lifeless, dead, and instead of the hundreds of various odors infusing their senses and minds, they sensed nothing.

                "I...I can't smell anything!!" Blackberry squealed in dread, both of his forepaws holding his nose in shock and amazement, "It's...it's as if my nose is frozen!"

                "This can't be real!!" squealed Dandelion in fright and helplessness.

                "This is not justified!" Hazel dissented evenly at the bison, anger threatening to get the better of him, "You have no grounds of reason or cause to even do this to us!!"

                "My decision is my word and my word is law in this land, a land that you and your precious human happen to be guests on," growled the bison dangerously, "Don't force me to revoke my hospitality, rabbit."

                "Wait!" broke in Justin, respectfully but frantically, distressed at seeing his friends suffer, "Please, don't do this to them!  Please!  What if...what if I give you my cross as collateral?!  As a token of assurance that we won't do anything?!  I'll give you my cross for safekeeping if you return the sense of smell back to my friends!!  Please, I give you my word!"

                "Justin, NO!" Hazel shouted vehemently, partly touched at Justin's concern but mostly cross at his lack of insight.  If he surrendered the trinket for their sakes, the teenager would be putting himself at risk and danger from the other animals, if not one of Elil-rah's minions.  Sacrificing the only thing that could ensure his safety and their Prince's well-being was far from noble in Hazel's present mind.

                "Justin, you mustn't, please!" Fiver begged, running up to Justin's side, earning several scoffs and looks of repugnance from the crowd.  The bison's smile grew even more.

                "That false display of devotion is hardly touching, human," the King of Yesterday replied scathingly, "yet I am glad you brought up to me of the other condition I wanted you and your fellowship to abide by!!  Cross-bearer, with the cross being the source of your powers, you are a threat to all of us and we cannot risk the chance that you may befall some harm to one of our subjects in the forests of Yesterday and Tomorrow!!  Therefore, you _will_ relinquish your cross of light and power to our bear advisor, and he in turn, will give it to the King of Tomorrow.  Both the cross and the sense of smell will be returned to you and the rabbits of Watership Down once we have finalized the decision."

                "_Decision_?!  Decision in what?!!" demanded Hazel furiously.

                "It is none of your concern," the bison shot back condescendingly before addressing to the bear beside him, "Shardik!"

                "Shardik??" whispered Justin to himself before staring at the bear; he had heard that name before, but for the life of him, he had no idea why it sounded so familiar.  The bear literally showed no emotion as he stood on his hind feet, soaring over teenager, and Justin wasn't sure whether he supported the decisions or if he was against them, yet...the bear had a look in his eyes as if he understood, as if he knew how he felt, as if he was aware that this didn't seem just to him at the moment.  However, it was evident the grizzly, brown bear would always be loyal to his kings.

                "Justin, hand over the cross," the bear ordered in a deep, throaty, gruff bass, and the other rabbits immediately rushed over in remonstration and dispute.

                "You can't!  Justin, don't, you mustn't!!" Speedwell gasped as he appeared by Justin's side.

                "Justin, hand over the cross; I promise you that no harm will happen to it."

                "You cannot be serious!!" Bigwig snarled at the King of Yesterday, rebellion and tantrum bristling his fur and making his ears stand upright, "If Justin cedes his powers, he will be defenseless if one of Elil-rah's minions attack him!!  And how do we know you'll even return it to him or stay true to your word and let us leave?!"

                "You dare question my authority?"  Now the voice of the King of Yesterday was low, hazardous, and prickling as he glared at the cheeky rabbits, and the rest of the animals in the crowd were now hating the rabbits with even more malice, if that was even possible.  Bigwig still stood firm.

                "You haven't exactly given us reason to believe your good intentions!" the Owsla veteran spat out in contempt.

                "Bigwig, that's enough!" Campion warned as he put a cautionary paw on his friend's shoulder; it wouldn't be any use to them if the King had even more of a reason to dislike them and make their stay as cumbersome as possible.  The bison then warned to Justin, "Justin, I will not repeat myself for a third time.  Give the cross to Shardik immediately or I have it removed from your possession by force and your rabbit protectors will never regain their sense of smell."

                Justin, at a loss, apprehensively looked at Shardik, then at his friends, before he numbly unhooked the clasp of his necklace and torpidly, with trembling hands, laid the golden, crystal cross in the huge paw of the bear advisor.  Nodding his approval, the King of Tomorrow ambled forward and the bear carefully attached the chain around the stag's neck.  Now, Justin was completely defenseless and the King of Tomorrow possessed his cross necklace for the moment.  Unfortunately, Justin couldn't stop thinking the frightening possibility that the king would never return it.  Or worse.  Though it felt silly, Justin also felt naked without the familiar, comforting feeling of the jewel around his neck, and it was a bloodcurdling reminder that he was at the animals' mercy now.

                The King of Yesterday had a sadistic tone in his voice as he savored the events, "We will let you rabbits know our decision in this matter after a day or two.  Until then, I suggest you not wander far from Shardik or the assigned guards.  It may prove to be dangerous for yourselves and for your precious human friend if you try leaving."  Holly and Hazel and Bigwig could understand the threat beneath that suggestion.  As the King of Yesterday and Tomorrow both ambled off, disappearing in the thickets, Shardik and several other animals, notably lions, panthers, lynxes, and other dangerous predatory, strong animals remained close to the presences of Justin and the rabbits.  The mob of animals started to disperse into their respective kingdoms, but the rabbits and Justin weren't able to ignore the sneers, the dirty looks, and the obscene curses thrown their way.

                "This is certainly not good!" groaned Dandelion.

                "By Frith, you _just_ figured that out?!" snapped Hawkbit aggressively.

                                                                                ***

                "Hazel, I think we're in more danger than ever before," Holly whispered to his Chief as a moose passing by scowled spitefully at them, "Things do not appear to be very encouraging at this point."

                "By the Black Rabbit of Inle, Justin, did you have to open your big mouth with the suggestion of surrendering your cross to the King of Yesterday?!" Hawkbit griped as he ravenously gobbled down some clover and bluegrass at a speed that rivaled Silver's.  It wasn't easy to silflay when you were worried and anxious, especially since so many animals were either afraid of them or giving them an incredibly, grueling time, but they had to do something other than squatting around, doing nothing.  And despite the bleak outlook of their situation, none of them could deny that they were all incredibly starving from two days of hasty travel and fatigue.

                Bigwig was furious and scolded Justin, who was seated on the grass, none too gently, "By the fur and paw of El-ahrairah, why in Frith's name did you even do it?!  Now you're completely defenseless, you can't invoke your powers if there's trouble, and to make matters worse, you had to give it to one of the kings no less!!  As if one of those stuck-up, tharn, stubborn, old scalawags even _needed_ more power to begin with!!  Couldn't you have frozen time and stopped all of them?!!"

                "Bigwig," Blackberry chided softly, defending Justin, "if Justin didn't hand over his cross, it wouldn't have made our situation any easier, not to mention that the King of Yesterday would have no qualms with injuring Justin in order to force him to give up the cross of light and that would be even worse for all of us.  And if Justin did freeze time, it wouldn't look good to the other animals, and that would give them just cause to mistrust Justin, perhaps kill him even more."

                "And these animals aren't with Elil-rah.  They're just very intimidated and bothered that Justin is even here in the land beyond the living," pointed out Fiver.

                "Blackberry and Fiver are right, Bigwig," Speedwell remarked as he tried to nudge the bullying rabbit humorously, "I wouldn't feel right if we had to do battle against the likes of them, especially since they're not elil.  And I know you wouldn't either."

                "By the way those bally tyrants keep treating us and Justin, I wouldn't be too sure on that if I were you, bucko," Bigwig growled, glaring back at a passing by beaver who sniffed as she went, trying to be disdainful.

                "Bigwig, I...I'm sorry," Justin apologized sorrowfully, almost close to a sob as he replayed the events in his head again while burying his face as he hugged his knees.  "I just didn't want you guys to suffer, and if I didn't do it, he would have never returned your sense of smell back.  Besides, what choice did I have?  Everyone here isn't an enemy sent from Elil-rah; they're just creatures who don't like the fact that I'm even here, so if we fought them, we'd be attacking animals who aren't on the side of the bad guys."

                "Justin," Acorn said softly, gently, as he placed a comforting paw on the teenager's head, "our sense of smell we can do without for the time being, but you, without your cross, we cannot afford.  Now, there's no telling what will happen to us now that the King of Yesterday has our gift of smell and the King of Tomorrow has your jewel of light and potential."

                "At least they said that they would discuss it," Justin offered hopefully, "It's not that much of a problem to just wait, and all of us, especially you guys, could use the rest."

                "Add the fact that the Kings, along with every other animal in these lands, wouldn't mind seeing you dead, and I think you've just described the problem quite well, young one," groaned Dandelion.

                "Not to mention it will be a great hindrance to us without the sense of smell to guide us around the dark and to identify any strangers we come across.  It will practically leave us confused and lost, like an ant in an endless burrow," Strawberry remarked as he accidentally bit into a slug crawling onto the grass.  He made a face, disgusted, since he couldn't use his smell to detect his food until he actually bit into it and tasted it.  Considering that the rabbits _never_ did without the sense of smell, this was going to be very, very challenging.  He continued, "However, we're not that much at a disadvantage than we thought.  I suspect that the King of Tomorrow is more lenient and understanding that the King of Yesterday, so he may be an ally to argue for our defense before their Council of animals.  He may be the only thing that's giving us a fair chance and whatnot!"

                "Fair?  _Them_?  Ha!  Not bloody likely!" snapped Dandelion.

                "Ugh, I wish we could find some cowslips or some type of greenstuff to chew on!" complained Pipkin, changing the subject, as he accidentally chewed on some mud and grime, "This is quite awful!"

                "And we still need to gather some food for Justin," Fiver commented worriedly.

                "It's OK," Justin assured as he stood up, "Why don't I just look around and try to find some food?  I think I saw some apple trees around here, and I'll bring back as much as I can so we can all share some."

                "You're not going alone," Buckthorn brought up quickly.

                "Somehow, I think it would be loads better if he _was_ alone," mentioned Bluebell agitatedly as he pointed a forepaw at the guards assigned to watch over them, the lions and the panthers especially muttering dark thoughts as they glared forebodingly at Justin at every second.  Still, it was later agreed that it was better that everyone would accompany Justin, especially since no one wanted to be left under the hating looks of loathing from the watchful eyes of the guards.  Still, as they left to walk towards one of the many apple trees in the orchard, its branches bursting with plenty of ripe, yellow fruit, it was as if every animal in both kingdoms was trying to be close by so that they could make the detention of Hazel and the rest as miserable and disconcerting as possible.

                "Phew, that human reeks even worse than the rabbits!!" mocked a nearby yona, covering his nose with a paw in scathing disrespect, "No wonder Elil-rah is always succeeding in finding them!  All he has to do is order his Owsla to track the stinking odor!"

                "Maybe it explains why the rabbits are even with him!  The human's scent rubbed onto them so much, they were all probably kicked out of their warren for being such sordid, nauseating wretches!!" laughed a lynx aloud.

                "Just ignore them, Justin," Buckthorn whispered heatedly, "They're just trying to get your attention."

                "Don't give these poor chaps the satisfaction," Silver muttered grimly, though a part of him would like nothing better than to beat the living daylights of those jerks.  It certainly would have been worthwhile.  He wasn't the only one, as most of the party was trying with great restraint to not give in to their anger and humiliation.  Unfortunately, the animals continued their cruel banter, and Justin could have sworn that it was exactly like being in high school again in his world.

                "Look at that sight, the rabbits following their master, like mindless dogs!  How utterly revolting!" teased the hare.

                "Slaves!  Human's slaves!  Walk faster or Justin will be angry!" scorned a squirrel, tailing behind them as he chattered the wounding words.

                "Whatever is the matter, you rabbit traitors?!  You need to the consent of your 'master' to go and fight?!  Or are you all cowards?!!" sneered a raven.

                "If there is one out of that vile party that is a coward, it is that human, the one called 'Justin'!" snarled a panther, "Look at him, hiding behind the company of those rabbits!  He can't even fight for himself!  He truly IS selfish, always allowing his rabbit protectors to be hurt while he goes away unscathed!!"

                "By Frith, El-ahrairah must have been absolutely desperate and rash to even think of the notion that a lowly human will even be of use!" shouted a cow.

                "You mean absolutely mad!" quipped one Kenai wolf, "But then again, I always knew that the English rabbits were a miserable lot!  And this proves it!!"

                "I always said it takes a fool to find another fool," ridiculed a bullfrog.

                "No, comrade, you mean a wretch finding another wretch!" laughed a woodpecker.

                "These rabbits have truly descended to the most lowly animals in all of the land beyond life!!" derided the tiger, and Bigwig, Hawkbit, and Acorn finally lost their tempers.

                "How would you like a jolly good scratch across that loud-mouthed muzzle of yours, you embleer, striped puffball?!!" snapped Bigwig as he, Hawkbit, and Acorn prepared themselves to tackle and fight any animals they could, their visions brimming with fury, offense and crimson temper.  In response, glad for the invitation to cause more trouble and make the rabbits look bad, the tiger and several other animals advanced towards them, growling.

                "Bigwig, stop it!" Hazel shouted and he, Holly, Speedwell, Buckthorn, and Silver restrained the three soldiers from doing something rash.

                "It's just going to lead into more trouble!  Stop this now, Thlayli!" commanded Holly sternly as Bigwig fought against the firm hold Silver and Holly had on his body.  Bigwig, refusing to listen, kept muttering, "I don't care!  Just let me at the blighters!  Let me go!  They're going to get what they have been begging for!"

                "Please, old chap, don't!  Fighting certainly won't help matters, and we can't let them win!!  You'll just give all of them more reason to mistrust us and hate Justin!" Speedwell urgently told Acorn.

                "They still have no right to treat us or Justin like this!" growled Acorn.

                "What's the matter, rabbit?!" teased the antelope, "Scared to fight?  Afraid of leaving the human's side?!  If El-ahrairah ever hoped that you lot would be enough to protect the cross-bearer, he's even more pathetic that I ever imagined!!"

                "HA!  Those rabbits won't even speak on their behalf, can't even say a single word, much less fight!  What a sad troupe!" spat out the heron.

                "I'll give _you_ a few words, you..." Hawkbit started, his ears perked up and his whiskers twitching furiously, but Buckthorn hastily clamped a paw over Hawkbit's mouth, shushing him.

                "That is enough, all of you!  Let's just help Justin get some food!" Hazel commanded sternly, though there was little hope in his heart that his friends would listen to him for long.  Resentfully, grudgingly, Bigwig, Acorn, and Hawkbit allowed themselves to turn away, yet the animals, disappointed, continued jeering.

                "HA!  Those rabbits really are cowards!  They won't even fight!  Useless pack of dolts and deluded fools!" sneered a mouse.

                "I hate them," muttered Hawkbit stormily.

                "I hate them, too, chap," growled Bigwig, and Bluebell looked up, slightly amused.

                "By Frith!  You know, this is the first time you two have ever agreed on anyth-" he started, but both Hawkbit and Bigwig whipped back fiercely and shortly, "SHUT UP, BLUEBELL!!"

                "Just trying to make light, buckos," Bluebell said, resigned and snubbed.  By now, though it felt like an eternity, they finally reached the apple tree.  Justin was about to reach up and pick one, but suddenly, the otter appeared in front of his face and shoved him back quite roughly.

                "Don't even think about touching one of our treasured fruits!" he snarled, bristling, "It already has enough parasites on it!"

                "Why you -!!" began Campion, turning red from seeing Justin being mistreated, but Justin stopped him, pleading, "Don't!! Campion, please!  It's all right, I'm not hurt!!"

                "No, it's not all right, young one!" Campion snapped back, completely livid and irate, "Why do allow them to continue on like this?!  Don't you get mad at such stupidity and rude behavior?!!"

                "No, I don't," Justin replied, softly yet strongly, emphasizing each word, and Campion was floored.  Justin continued, "It's OK, I'm not that hungry anyway.  Let's just go and get back to the clearing."

                "I agree, it would be safer to get away from _this_ company," advised Strawberry, but as the group tried to retreat back, a burly otter, a different one from the first and obviously a daring friend, purposely and defiantly got in front of Justin's path, blocking him.  Knowing this routine from the jocks back at his high school, Justin tried to step around him, but the otter moved and blocked the teenager's path again.  Apparently, he wasn't going to let the boy pass.  Silver narrowed his eyes as he warned gravely, "Get out of his way.  Let him through."

                "And if I don't??" challenged the otter, a playful smirk dancing across his face.  Buckthorn and Silver growled as they raised their forepaws, ready to cuff him, but Justin lightly touched Buckthorn's shaking fur.

                "Look, let's just look for another path out of here," he pleaded.

                "Easier said than done, young one," Blackberry gulped, and Justin then saw why.  All around them, surrounding and barricading their way out, was a circle of twenty or so otters, standing upright, taller than any of the rabbits, with crossed arms and mean, bold, insubordinate grins.  It was clear that they wanted to cause more trouble.  Holly snapped at the lions and panthers assigned to watch over them, "Aren't you even going to do anything to stop this?!!"

                "Why should we?" one of the panthers spat out, drawling, "After all, if the cross-bearer is so powerful, he should be able to get out of this!  And besides, we're not going to risk injury, fighting over a worthless scum such as man!  That is the job of you embleer rabbits!"  Holly angrily made a mental reminder to never trust the guards that the kings assigned as the first otter they met with, presumably the leader, scoffed at Justin as he advanced near him.

                "Not so high and mighty now, are you Justin?!" he mocked as he rudely, intentionally gave Justin a small shove again, hoping to intimidate the human into breaking down or attacking.  Justin just numbly faltered back, but didn't do anything to defend himself, so the otter decided to shove him again.  Yet unfortunately for him, Bigwig, with a cry or rage, rammed himself into the otter at full speed, stunning the beast as they both sailed away from the teenager.  The response from the crowd was automatic.  Another otter tried to grab Justin, yet Strawberry and Pipkin both head-butted the otter at the same moment, their combined weight nearly crushing the animal.  Speedwell, Buckthorn, Blackberry, and Dandelion started to get in a brawl with six other otters, and already, several scratches have been given back as both sides rolled amongst one other on the soil, cursing, cuffing, and bleeding.  It looked like the remaining otters and the animals were about to join into the ruckus too, but then Shardik's voice rang out above the entire commotion, "STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!!!"

                Everyone ceased as Shardik, his sides heaving with anger and his eyes blazing, stomped into the middle of the scene.  He roared stridently, "ENOUGH, ALL OF YOU!!  STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS RIGHT NOW OR YOU'LL FEEL THE BOTTOM OF MY PAW ON YOUR HEADS!!!  NOW, WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR STARTING THIS?!!"

                "It was the human, Shardik!!" the otter leader whined raucously, pointing a claw at Justin who was next to Campion, "He started the whole fight!!  It was all his fault!!"

                "Yes!!" chorused the rest of the otters and the animals, as if on cue, "Justin is to blame!!  He attacked us first!!"  The rabbits were mad with gall and scandal.

                "They're lying!  Justin didn't do anything!!  The otters tried to attack him first, and Justin never laid a paw on them!!  WE were the ones who attacked them, not Justin!!" protested Holly.

                "The cross-bearer's innocent!" protested Bluebell.

                Hazel then approached Shardik as he listened to both sides, "Shardik, please, listen to us!  We, the rabbits of Watership Down, take responsibility for the mess and chaos for we were only defending Justin!  Be mad with us if you must, but leave Justin out of it!  He didn't do anything to start this!  He didn't take any part of the fighting!"

                "_We_ say otherwise, rabbit!" snapped the otter.

                "And _we_ say it is the truth, otter!" barked Bigwig.

                "Strength in numbers," the antelope scorned as she indicated with her head to the crowd of animals who were all ready to testify and validate the otter's testimony.  More than enough to counter the witness of the Watership rabbits, and helplessly yet furiously, Hazel and the others knew it.  The animals were winning again, and as a result, Justin would pay.  Shardik then turned to Justin and growled, "I think it be best if you and the rest of your rabbit protectors come with me to a more secluded area where you can't cause anymore trouble to any other creature."

                The rabbits immediately opposed, jabbering, "What?!  By Frith, are you blind?!  Justin didn't do anything!!  Please, listen to us!  This is unfair!!"

                "SILENCE!!!" the bear roared, giving each one daggers of death before his eyes fell on Justin, "Justin, come."  Justin, knowing this wasn't going to get anywhere, fought the bitter feelings of sulkiness he had for the rest of the animals as he solemnly marched towards the bear with the rest of the Watership Owsla were about to accompany the grizzly down the path.  Yet, before they left, the bear turned back and scolded harshly to the lions and panthers and wildcats assigned to guard the group, "And if you miserable lot did what you were supposed to do as the kings commanded, this wouldn't have started in the first place!!  It does not take much to see you weren't performing your duties!!"

                "Don't use that tone of voice with us, Shardik!!" a wildcat hissed forebodingly, "Just remember that there's only one standpoint in this entire matter!!  You had just better be on the right one!!"

                "Don't tell me you are actually falling for this human like those stupid rabbits?!!" accused a panther.

Shardik rumbled in automatic response, "Your concern is hardly necessary, for my loyalties always lie with the King of Yesterday and the King of Tomorrow!!  I don't need a reminder of what I should be fighting for or what side I should be on, but that doesn't stop me from giving you duffers a well-deserved clout for your insubordination and indifference!!"  The animals just resentfully glared at Shardik, Justin, and the rabbits as they all retreated back to the clearing.  Justin tried to speak to the bear, who, even on all fours, still towered over him by several feet.

                "Thank you...Shardik."  However, the bear wasn't very receiving as he hurriedly cut him off.

                "I said silence, young one!!  And save your attempts to convert me to your side!  It won't work!" he snapped roughly, and Justin just kept quiet sadly, feeling that there was truly no other animal in this land who would ever be accepting, except El-ahrairah.  Tomorrow seemed so far away, and every minute was incredibly torturous.

                                                                                ***

                "You see?!" crowed the King of Yesterday to his only companion, the golden stag, as both of them watched from a distance the events that led to the brawl in front of the apple tree orchards, hidden in the obscurity of the leaves and weeds and trees.  "Already, the human has caused chaos and destruction and war in our peaceful sanctuaries!!  He poses a threat to all our subjects!"

                "However, the rabbits spoke the truth, the human did not do anything of the sort to instigate the fight.  The human was merely hungry, and you saw as well as I did that he only wished to get some food.  He didn't even attack any of the otters when they pushed him nor did he turn on the animals for their mockery," the King of Tomorrow said thoughtfully, though he stared at Justin and the Watership rabbits with serious, studying eyes.

                "Despite that, you know this will continue on if the human keeps wandering wherever he wishes, and it were not for his presence, then our loyal comrades and subjects would not even act in such behavior!!  If this remains, our land will constantly be in turmoil, and there will be dissention among our kingdoms!  Do you want our communities to forever be ruled by this constant fear and mistrust caused by the cross-bearer?!"

                "No, I do not," the King of Tomorrow conceded, "Very well then.  The cross-bearer, for his own safety and the safety of his rabbit companions from El-ahrairah and for the sakes and well being of our kingdoms, will be immediately placed in isolation, under guard by Shardik and several other individuals in the Web of Thorns.  The rabbits of Watership Down may stay close by during certain times, but they must not be allowed to remain with him, in fear that they may try to help him escape.  In addition, I suggest we, and the Council, discuss and resolve this matter quickly before any more trouble arises."  Unfortunately, neither of them had any idea how much more trouble was going to befall.

                                                                                ***

                "I see everything is going well according to your plan Elil-rah," commented Prince Rainbow as he, his dogs, Woundwort, and Elil-rah gazed in the pool of water, prognosticating the events by showing images of Justin and the Watership Owsla being mistreated and led away by Shardik, on the pool's smooth surface.  Elil-rah chuckled in a sinister way.

                "**YES, AND IT WILL BE THE CAGINESS AND DEEP HATREDS THAT WILL BRING THE DOWNFALL OF THE CROSS-BEARER, AS WELL AS HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH THE RABBITS!!  NOW, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO HOW THE VISIONARY RABBIT, FIVER, BROTHER OF HAZEL-RAH, ACTS AS I SPREAD A FEW PLAGUES AND CURSES IN THE LANDS OF TOMORROW AND YESTERDAY!!!  THE SEER WILL FINALLY BE OF NO TROUBLE AFTER THIS, AND NO LONGER WILL THAT CURSED RABBIT BE A THORN IN MY SIDE ANYMORE!!  HE HAS RUINED MY ATTEMPTS COUNTLESS TIMES WITH THOSE VISIONS AND SECOND SIGHT OF HIS!!!**"

                "And exactly how will that help us, my Dark Lord?" muttered Woundwort darkly as he glared at the image of Justin in the water with the deepest loathing and detestation.

                "**JUST BEAR WITNESS TO WHAT SHALL HAPPEN, WOUNDWORT!!**" Elil-rah boasted.

                                                                                ***

                "I cannot believe this is happening!" growled Blackberry as they all followed Shardik to the clearing, under watch of the many animals that still decided to follow them in order to throw insults and taunts at the rabbits and at Justin.  "Frith and Inle, these animals all need to stop this silly ignorance and comprehend what fools they are all being!"

                "Sort of like you were with Justin during Nekas's attack?" quipped Speedwell as he gave the black-eared buck a sly twinkle of his eyes.  Blackberry blinked, then blushed as he brought his head down, muttering, "You couldn't bally resist, could you Speedwell?"

                "No, old chap, I'll be doing this to you every day and night!" Speedwell chortled.  Hazel was trailing behind Shardik, next to Justin and Fiver, deep in his thoughts of uneasiness and apprehension, when he slowly noticed that Fiver didn't look well at all.  His eyes were half-closed, as if he was fatigued and drowsy, his breathing lowered to short pants and rasping mouthfuls of air, his fur and tunic were already starting to become moist with sweat.

                "Fiver, are you all right?"  Fiver didn't answer as he started to actually wobble in his walking, almost dizzily as his body started to shake.  No longer was the rabbit hoping, but ambling aimlessly in a crooked, unsteady, sickening line.  Justin noticed this too, and he suddenly called out to Shardik, "Shardik, wait, please!!  Something's wrong with Fiver!!"

                Shardik, curious but annoyed mostly, stopped and glanced back as the rabbits who were gathered by Fiver.  The other animals noted this too, and the crowd, inquisitive and probing, stopped and fell silent as they all watched on, partly eager to see what sort of dilemmas would befall the group this time.  Fiver was so disoriented, lightheaded and shaky, he nearly fainted, and if it not for Bigwig catching him in his strong paws, Fiver would have sank to the grass.

                "Hazel, what's wrong with him?!" gasped out Justin as Fiver started frothing at the mouth, jerking wildly as Bigwig struggled to keep him still.

                "I don't know!" Hazel cried, greatly vexed and troubled.

                "Is he ill?  Could he have contracted some strange sickness?!" Campion asked breathlessly, but Fiver then screamed appallingly, crying as sharp spears of pain embedded themselves into his skull, forcing him to hold his head in his paws.

                "AAAAA!!!  It hurts!  It hurts!!"

                "Fiver!" screamed Pipkin as the rest of the rabbits all nearly went tharn from the visionary's howling, "Stop it!  You're scaring us!!"  The last time Fiver acted like this was when they were all back in the physical world, and Fiver had a liberating vision of a dog being loose in the woods during the time Woundwort tried to attack Watership Down and kill the warren, allowing Hazel, Dandelion, and Blackberry to come up with the plan to lure the dog from Nuthanger Farm into attacking the Efrafans and driving them away from their warren.  His screams caused the baby offspring in the crowds surrounding them to squeal in fright and hold protectively to their parents while the otters, the lions, the birds, and the rest of the subjects stared at Fiver with the utmost confused, traumatized expressions.

                "Fiver, wake!  Wake!!  Fiver, for Frith's sake, wake please!!" Hazel choked urgently as he tried to shake his brother into consciousness.  Yet Fiver couldn't stop as he screamed, "Destruction!  Death!  The shaking of the earth and trees!  It's happening!  Zorn!  Zorn!  All dead!  This land will be under disaster!!"

                "Fiver, what are you talking about?!" Bigwig questioned hoarsely, but his queries were soon answered for at that instant, all hell broke loose.  Immediately, the ground started to shake violently, a deep rumbling echoing across the Land of Yesterday and the Land of Tomorrow, violent tremors causing the earth to crack and the soil to fly up into the air like birds taking flight during danger.  Strong, thick trees, eons old, due to the earthquakes, fell and toppled over with resounding crashes, leaving messes of splintered wood and dead leaves.  All the animals gathered around each other in fear and terror, howling and squealing, and Shardik could only just stare in woe at their home, their haven, their world, being torn asunder as easily as a bird picks an insect from the ground.  The King of Yesterday and the King of Tomorrow both immediately appeared out of the thickets in alarm, only to their lands in a desecrating frenzy.  One squirrel and a opossum with seven children were violently hurled into air when a mighty oak was knocked down, and heroic compassion, both the King of Yesterday and the King of Tomorrow rushed forward and caught both of the animals by breaking their falls on their soft bodies.

                "Has that rabbit gone mad?!!" The bison bellowed in anger and fear.

                "For the sake of Frith, make him stop!!" the stag called out urgently, "The buck will put innocent animals in grave jeopardy!!  Cease this now!!"

                "IT'S NOT HIM!!  MY BROTHER IS NOT DOING THIS!!" shouted Hazel vehemently, but the tremors got stronger and stronger, drowning out his words in the mist of the devastation, screaming, and cracking.

                "Frith in a hole, I've never seen this happen when Fiver has his intuitions!!" gasped out Buckthorn.

                "Fiver, stop this!!  You're going to get the whole lot of us in danger!!" squealed Hawkbit.

                "Hawkbit, it isn't him!!" Hazel snapped heatedly, wishing he didn't have to repeat himself, "Whatever it is, it isn't because of Fiver's visions!  Everyone, just beware of any immediate danger that could be fatal for Justin!"  Before long, too long, the animals feared, the shaking and rampage ceased as suddenly as it appeared.  Now, with the threats gone, the wary animals could only stare and gape in anguish as they saw a once beautiful, fruitful, fertile grove now flattened to a mass of broken trees, uprooted dirt, and irregular cracks and ditches.  They were all extremely lucky that no one was hurt.  Fiver was gasping with exhaustion and fatigue as he lay against Bigwig, firmly propped upright in his paws, yet he was still conscious and no longer seemed to be in pain.

                "Fiver, are you all right now?!  Are you better?!" Holly asked anxiously, and Fiver nodded, unable to answer for his entire body and mind felt like it was on fire.  Hazel just muttered a prayer of thanks to Frith, seeing that his brother was all right.  Unfortunately, the entire fiasco left the animals in the kingdoms, along with the King of Yesterday and Tomorrow, fully shaken, troubled, and distressed, only to soon melt away in anger and reproach.

                "By Frith, our homes, our lands, our trees!!  The area all around us has been completely annihilated!!" cried the eagle, sobbing at the sight of such destruction.

                "It can't be!  It can't be!" whispered a groundhog over and over in amazement and denial, unwilling to believe that his sheltered world was ruthlessly torn apart, no longer depicting the peace and serenity offered in the land beyond life.

                "How can this be possible?!!" screamed the beaver, "How could this have happened!!"

                "You fool!!  Can't you see?!  It was the human!!  He's to blame for all of this!!" shrieked the koala, pointing a paw at Justin.  The rabbits' heads perked up, realizing what was coming with dread.

                "That's impossible!" Campion yelled, trying to defend Justin, "Justin doesn't even have his cross!!  He surrendered the cross to the King of Tomorrow, so he doesn't even have any of his powers!!  He wasn't the one who caused this!!"  Yet it was to no avail; the animals all around were now muttering with accusations and threats as they all started the hold Justin accountable once again, like the proverbial scapegoat.  Even the King of Tomorrow and Yesterday were staring circumspectly at Justin and the rabbits of Watership Down as if they were possessed.

                "No, he's right, chaps!  It wasn't the human directly!" a bull roared, indicating with his head towards the limp, drained, semi-conscious body of Fiver, still being held protectively by Bigwig.  "It was that embleer rabbit, that visionary, the one called 'Fiver'!!  He's the one who caused all this!  You all heard him!!  He foretold these exact same events, right before they struck our peaceful homes!!  He saw everything before it happened!!  Well, how did he know?!  How could he have seen such a prediction?!!  The human and the rabbit both must be the ones responsible for this mayhem!!  They're both the cause of all this!!"

                "He's right!" screamed the panicked woodpecker, "None of this had ever happened until those two set foot into our lands!!"

                "No, you're wrong!" Pipkin yelled, but the other animals wouldn't listen.  Even Shardik and the kings looked as if they were ready to agree to the same conclusion.  Pipkin pleaded again, "Please, listen!!  This is not what it appears to be!!  It was all a misunderstanding!!  Fiver and Justin didn't cause all this!!  Please, believe us!!"

                "Silence, you lying wretch!!" yelled the coyote, tears of upset and umbrage watering his eyes after seeing his beloved home destroyed, "We should have killed Justin when we had the chance!  I knew that trusting you English rabbits would lead to no good, but NO!  Like fools, we allowed you despicable scoundrels to stay in our land, treated you with hospitality, and how do you repay us?!  Your visionary seer rabbit summons a terrible plague and wrath to ravage our lands and homes!!"

                "Hospitality?!  By the Black Rabbit, if that was being hospitable, I would hate to think how you treat your enemies, you rude, obnoxious duffers!!" snapped Hawkbit, and everyone from El-ahrairah's Owsla wished than and there that Frith had made Hawkbit mute when he was born.

                "What on earth is that rabbit?!" accused the yona, indicating to Fiver.

                "He's a witch-rabbit, that's what the wretch is!!" charged the hare, "I've heard of such things before!  Witch-rabbits are evil, evil creatures, born out of chaos and madness, drawing unmentionable powers from the world of the mystic and numinous to cause suffering on pure innocents!!  They practically feed off dissention, turmoil, and upheaval!!  It would even explain why the cross-bearer is here with him!!  Both Fiver and Justin are evil!!"

                "Are you sure??" asked a Thicktail Chub gasped breathlessly.

                "The human boy has incredible power, doesn't he?!" snapped the cow, "Don't you remember anything?!  Humans are always evil, and when they have such power, they're even more ruthless, cold-blooded, detrimental and brutal!!"

                "Power and might always corrupts the weak-minded, short-sighted men, and this proves it!!  We should have never allowed them to enter, and to have the rabbits still side with the boy, that's an insult that is too insolent to even tolerate!!" indicted the moose, snorting angrily at Justin.

                "He must be punished!!" roared a panther, "Both Fiver and Justin must be punished for their crimes against all animals in the land beyond life!!  We must stop them from hurting any other creatures and wildlife here!!  This must end now!!"

                "YES!!!" they all howled as one, the combined screams and rages of the hundreds of animals gathered near them matching the volume of the previous earthquakes, "THEY MUST BE PUNISHED!!!  JUSTIN AND FIVER MUST BOTH DIE!!!  PUNISH THE MISCREANTS!!!  PUNISH THE CROSS-BEARER AND THE WITCH-RABBIT!!!  THIS MADNESS ENDS NOW!!!"

                "No, stop!!" Speedwell and Strawberry cried out, but Holly shook his head in hopelessness.

                "It's too late, chaps!!  They won't listen to reason now!!  They've all gone mad!!"

                "**ENOUGH!!!**" resounded the voice of the King of Tomorrow, and all the animals stopped and stared, stunned by the outburst.  Never before have they seen the stag so irate, so mad, so thoroughly consumed with impatience and at wits' end.  He gave off such a powerful aura, even the King of Yesterday was amazed at the radiating fervor of his words as the King of Tomorrow now spoke with a severe, chastising tone, "This insanity and folly has gone on long enough!!  I will not allow this to continue on any longer!!  Hazel-rah, you and the rest of the rabbits of Watership Down will prepare to fight for your seer's defense!!  All these occurrences have not been encouraging for your behalf, so you leave us no choice for us to take matters in our own hands!!  Here, in the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow, if an animal has caused any grievance, he or she will be put on trial, judged by both the King of Yesterday and I, along with a jury of animals from both terrains.  If any animal who wishes to side with the accused party, they must fight to a battle with an assigned duelist of our choosing!!  Therefore, both Justin and Fiver are accused of causing the destruction of our forests, and in order for you to be able to prove to us that they are innocent, all hrair of you and your group assigned to protect the cross-bearer, will take part in a contest, one rabbit each fights one opponent we choose, and the side that wins the most battles will decide the fate of Justin and Fiver!!  If you and rabbit Owsla win, then Fiver and Justin shall be set free, along with the Sense of small and the cross of light and power, but if you fail, Justin will be executed, and Fiver shall remain a prisoner here in the Web of Thorns for the rest of his existence in the land beyond the living!!!"

                Hazel was beside himself with frustration and bleakness while the crowds cheered.  "No, you can't!!"

                "How is _this_ even bally justice?!" Bluebell demanded, unwilling to let Justin and Fiver go into the thick of danger, "Not even Frith would approve of such decisions!!"

                "I have made my decision!!" the stag declared, glaring at Hazel and Bluebell, "If Frith really did summon the cross-bearer to save this land, then it will be evident in the jury and trial tomorrow!!  Frith will not let the righteous die, and if your brother and the human boy are honorable, then Frith will help the whole lot of you fight in the duelists' mêlée!!"

                "No, I won't allow this!!  Fiver and Justin are innocent!!" snapped Hazel furiously.  The King of Tomorrow narrowed his dark eyes at Hazel even further.  Hazel continued before the king could cut him off, "Your majesty, we promise we won't leave this forest and that we will, all of us, will appear at the trial, but until then, you have no right to punish Fiver and Justin for something they had no part of!!  I give you my word that we will stay for the trial!!  Just leave the cross-bearer and Fiver!!  Let them be!!"

                "You have no say in this matter, Hazel.  SHARDIK!!"  The grizzly snapped to attention.

                "Bring the boy and the visionary rabbit to the Web of Thorns and have them both heavily under guard!!"  The bear nodded in obedience as he stood upright, looming over the rabbits as he advanced towards Bigwig, who was still holding a shaken Fiver, and Campion, who immediately put himself in front of Justin protectively.

                "No, stop this!!" Silver cried out as he and the rest of the Watership Owsla got in front of Bigwig and Campion, forming a line to barricade the bear advisor from getting any closer, but then, several otters appeared next to the bear's side.  The leader of the otter pack simply gave a curt question of permission to the King of Yesterday and the King of Tomorrow.

                "Your majesty?"  Both the bison and the stag nodded grimly, and with a roar, the otters charged and rammed at the rabbits with full speed and ferocity.  Blackberry, Dandelion, Acorn, Hawkbit and Speedwell were keeping five otters busy, cuffing and tackling the animals whenever they could.  Holly, Strawberry, Buckthorn, and Silver all sent several otters flying with powerful blows with their hind legs, and Bigwig, Pipkin, Bluebell and Campion all tackled three otters that were coming in too close.  However, it was inevitable.  As Fiver, who was being held by Justin as they watched on, shrieked as the otter leader jumped in front of them; he had somehow managed to get past the others.

                "You both are coming with me!!" he snarled as he reached out with a claw to grab Fiver, "Even if I have to seriously hurt the both of you – AAGGHH!!"  The otter reeled back, a set of three, parallel, bloody gashes appearing on his left cheek as a scowling Hazel, incensed with rage and the protective love he had for his brother, stood upright as he put himself between Fiver, Justin and the otter superior.

                "I won't let you lay a paw on my brother," Hazel said softly, yet dangerously, as he braced himself to cuff the otter again.  Unfortunately, he didn't see Shardik move quickly to his left side until it was too late, and Hazel, with a squeal of pain, felt the single, crushing blow he received as Shardik swatted Hazel so hard, the Chief rabbit went flying only to crash into the trunk of a tree twenty feet away.  Bigwig, Holly, and the rest of the Watership rabbits stopped fighting immediately.

                "HAZEL-RAH!" they yelled as they gathered around their fallen Chief rabbit hurriedly, forsaking everything to make sure he was all right.  Fiver, regardless of being enervated and vulnerable, tried to run over to where his friends were gathered, in  fretful concern for his brother, but he barely made it for three hops before the otter leader slammed his paw hard at the back of Fiver's head.  The small, golden rabbit gave a soft cry before he lost consciousness, sinking limply onto the grass.  The other otters surrounded Justin, snarling with drawn, webbed claws as Shardik, carefully and tenderly, picked up the flaccid form of Fiver in his arms as if he were a baby.

                "No, please..." croaked Hazel, struggling to rise, but he was so weak and in so much pain, he buckled and collapsed on the grass, groaning.  The collision with the tree left Hazel with a terrible, bloody gash on one side of his head, and the crimson fluid was starting to dribble down on the grass.  The other rabbits, helplessly, could only watch as the King of Tomorrow commanded to Shardik, "Bring the rabbit and the human to the Web of Thorns, but no harm must come to either of them before the trial!  Is that understood?!!"

                Shardik nodded while the otters muttered sullen grunts of agreement.  Several otters however did not look too pleased to see that Justin would be out of harm's way for now, and the leader growled menacingly, "Just give us one reason to hurt you, human.  We would prefer it actually if you tried to escape.  Try anything foolish, and you will die by our hands before the trial!"

                "I'll go," Justin said bravely, trying his best not to cower.

With that, the otters forced Justin to go along with them as they and Shardik disappeared into the darkness shrouded by the depths of the forests.  Before he vanished from sight, Justin cast a worried look to his friends, his protectors, and mouthed plainly for the Owsla to see, "Don't worry, I'll take care of him."

                The King of Tomorrow showed no sympathy for Hazel as he spoke curtly, "The trial will begin at sunrise the following day.  Appear for the battle at this clearing in the morning."

With that, both the stag and the bison left in the other direction as the animals, pleased with the outcome, started to disperse into the forests and woods, chuckling and giving murmurs of relief.  Hazel just shut his eyes and started sobbing, hot tears of blame and disappointment running down his face, while the other rabbits, just stood around numbly, unsure what to do besides wait for the trail of justice...or discrimination.

                "Hrairoo..." Hazel whispered to himself with resolved, gritted teeth as he wept.

/*

PART 2 will be up soon in two weeks! Will Fiver and Justin make it?!  Stay tuned for the second part! (I know, I know, I'm evil, but hey, you try writing a fan fiction that's over 150 pages!)

'Til then, review (or for Fiver fans, send me death threats telling me to write the continuation or else! I could use the motivation! =) )

*/


	20. The Witch Rabbit Trials! Fiver and Justi...

/*

Author's note: I will never, ever, EVER write a 35-page chapter ever again! ARGH!  This is easily the longest chapter I've ever, and WILL EVER, write again! Why oh why did I have to go overboard with the writing?!

Acorn: Because you're insane?

Hawkbit: Because you have no life?

Speedwell: Because you're such a nerd?

Remind me to hurt you three later on! Anyway, hope everyone wasn't TOO mad at leaving the chapter with such a cliffy like that!  Enjoy the second part of the chapter of Fiver!

*/

CHAPTER 19 

Justin shivered in the night air as darkness fell in the Web of Thorns he and Fiver were imprisoned in, the sky offering faint glimpses of moonlight as several clouds party covered the silver gleam of the stars and sky.  Fiver was still unconscious and was lying on his side, breathing softly with a pained expression on his face.  Though it was upsetting to watch, Justin did his best to make Fiver comfortable as he covered his rabbit friend using his tattered, ripped flannel shirt as a blanket, and now, Justin was starting to get a bit cold from wearing only his T-shirt.  He shuddered as he stared gloomily at his surroundings; he could see now why his incarceration was called "The Web of Thorns".  He and Fiver was in the middle of a small, grassy clearing only several meters wide, and all around them, were masses and masses of thorny, impenetrable vines, nettles, and sharp wooden spikes of ivy.  It was so thick, that Justin couldn't even put his hand through the tumble; not even an elephant would have been able to break through the walls of prickles and barbs and razor-sharp leaves.  There was only one clear pathway out of the prison, formed from a wide parting of the vines, and it was heavily watched and guarded by the twenty otters that had ambushed them before.  The otters, delighted with the opportunity at seeing Justin and Fiver being under strain and depression, kept throwing jeers towards the teenager as he sat next to Fiver, sullen and silent in his own thoughts.  The boy knew that Hazel must be out of his mind with worry for Fiver's sake, so he promised himself that he would watch over Fiver until they had a chance to be reunited...but, desperately, Justin wished his friends were here with him, their familiar voices, their different yet amiable personalities, their comforting presences.  He was lonely.  After all, he couldn't remember a time when had ever been separated from them for this long of a time.

                At least the clearing has a small pool of clear, cold water supplied from an underground spring, so Justin got the chance to relive his thirst, but as his stomach growled, Justin knew he couldn't ignore his hunger much longer; he hadn't eaten for about a day.  Suddenly, Shardik came out of the thicket, strolling towards the prison evidently towards the only exit of the Web of Thorns where the otters were at guard.

                "What now, Shardik?" the otter growled impatiently at the brown, grizzly bear, and Shardik narrowed his eyes at the obvious display of disrespect.

                "The King of Yesterday wishes to see you and your otter crew at his quarters, so I am to relieve all of your of your guard duties while all of you talk with the king.  He wishes for you and your crew to come at once, so leave.  Now."  The otters, glad to be rid of the burdensome task, left without much argument, though they all made it a point to throw several snide swearing and curses at Justin before leaving.  Justin was now alone with Shardik as the bear just glared at him, his eyes, twinkling in the moonlight, were narrow, dark slits of apathy and disinclination.  Justin just looked at the bear, mystified and shivering, not sure what to expect, but he knew that if the bear wanted too, he would take Justin's head off with just one swipe of his claws.  Shardik just observed the boy, sitting cross-legged in front of him, his eyes wide with puzzlement and fear, and then he just dropped several objects from one of his colossal, furry paws, depositing them in front of the prisoner.  To his surprise, Justin saw that they were all apples, yellow, ripe, sweet smelling, and from the same tree that Justin and the Watership clan were at earlier.  Justin just quizzically looked at Shardik in puzzlement, at a loss for words.

                "For your hunger," Shardik said gruffly and offhandedly before he turned his back to the teenager and squatted on his haunches, his entire body frame blocking the path out of the Web of Thorns, nullifying any chances Justin had for an escape.  Shardik just tetchily sat there, sullen and wishing he had better things to do with his time that guard prisoners, especially problematic ones.

                "Um...Shardik?" Justin's voice emerged tentatively from behind him.

                "By Frith, what is it?!" he growled with annoyance and impatient eyes as he turned sharply back to the human, expecting another whiny request or complaint.  At the sight of the angry look on his face, Justin just cast his eyes to the grass, but he forced himself to say what needed to be said.  "I just wanted to say thank you, for bringing me and Fiver some food."

                Rolling his eyes, the bear just turned back abruptly in a huff of exasperation, and Justin wasn't sure whether or not Shardik even accepted the gratitude, but then he heard Shardik rumble softly and huskily, "You're welcome, but it's hardly appropriate.  It's just some insignificant apples that fell off one of the trees you and the visionary knocked down with the earthquakes you summoned to damage this world.  And theoretically, those apples are only for you, not for the rabbit, since all they usually feed on is grass."

Justin suspected the bear was lying, especially since the fruit has no trace of dirt or bruising on them, but he hid it with a wide, grim smirk.

                "Even still, I want to share it with Fiver when he wakes up.  He's going to be depressed enough since he's separated from his brother, Hazel.  And I know Hazel's hurting too because he doesn't want anything to happen to his brother; he and the rest of the rabbits from Watership Down are probably worried sick."  The bear snorted but didn't say anything.  He couldn't care less.

Justin glanced back at Fiver worriedly before adding sulkily to Shardik, "You didn't need to hurt Hazel like that; it wasn't necessary.  He was just defending his brother, and he gave his word that we would all stay for the trial."

                Shardik, even with his back turned to Justin, growled threateningly and sarcastically, as if warning the human that he was treading into a very hostile subject matter, "And if was not to attack him, what should I have done, mighty cross-bearer??  Should I have stayed back and stood idly while I see innocent creatures forego horrible destruction and risk injury, all for the sake of that rabbit who lies next to you??  Need I remind you, young one, that if you and the seer didn't produce the destruction in the first place, you and Fiver wouldn't even be here, and the Kings of Yesterday and Tomorrow wouldn't have to judge you and your companions so harshly at the trial the next day.  If you think about it, everything is of the fault of you and your rabbit cohorts."

                "But we didn't cause it," Justin shot back, getting a bit miffed from the fact that none of the animals were even giving them a fair chance, "Fiver...he can see things, but he can't make them to happen.  Whatever occurs in his visions happens because they're supposed to, because they were going to come up with or without warning, and even if Fiver didn't see it coming, the earthquakes would have happened anyway.  Just because he's different and has the power of premonition and physic stuff doesn't mean he's a threat or a menace.  None of us are here to cause trouble, we just want to get back to El-ahrairah's warren as quickly as possible so we can heal him."

                "A likely story," spat out Shardik bitterly, his back still turned to the human teenager.

                "I'm telling the truth."  The bear didn't answer, clearly ignoring him, and Justin's temper flared up again.

                "Shardik, please, just listen to me."  Still silence.

                "Shardik?"  No answer.

                Justin glared at the bear's back as he commented rudely and impetuously, "You know, for someone who's an advisor for the Kings of Yesterday and Tomorrow, you're not very wise or perceptive."

                That did it.  At this, Shardik felt his tolerance for the human wan even more as he lost his temper, turning around and marching directly up to the cross-bearer until he was face to face with the boy.  Justin could feel the hot, sticky breath of the carnivore as he did his best not to wince and whimper from Shardik's terrifying visage, his violent, narrowed brown eyes and bared, glistening teeth.

                "How dare you!" Shardik roared, his loyalty for his kings burning hot, enraged passion into his blood, "You have no right to speak to any of us in that manner!"  Justin didn't answer as he glanced back down on the ground again, unable to say anything, and Shardik had to fight the urge to grab the cross-bearer's head and snap his neck.  He decided to shoot a vile accusation right back.

"I'm surprised you even care about the well-being of your rabbit friends of Watership Down and of El-ahrairah.  Yet I can see why: you need them to protect you, to watch out for you, to act like mindless pawns for your own benefit until it is appropriate for them to be cast away once they no longer become useful.  They're all so blinded by their fervent, insane loyalty for you because you are the cross-bearer, they refuse to see the obvious and logical threats and dangers and despicable events of destruction and greed you bring along with you."  Justin could sense the bitterness in Shardik's tone, and frankly, he was really starting to get sick of how he was being treated like this.  Damn the civility; if he was going to be considered like scum, he might as well use that viewpoint to argue back.

"That's funny, coming from you!  You're the one who's blind!  Everything that's ever happened, the fights, the jeering, the earthquakes, wasn't because of me or Fiver!  Yet you're always so willing to not lose face and please everyone, you listen to your kings and the other animals without even taking time to see what's the truth!  Nothing was my fault!  And yet because you don't want to compromise your principles or admit to yourself that maybe not all humans are bad, you'd rather put the blame on me because it's easier to find a scapegoat than to fix things!"

"It's all for the better since you treat your rabbit protectors like foolish dogs!"

"Sort of like how some of the other animals treated you??!  I remember what the guards assigned by the King of Yesterday and Tomorrow said to you when you took us away from the otters!!  Do they respect you or do they fear you because you're the kings' advisor?!"

"That's different!!" snapped Shardik heatedly, quivering.

"Then why can't it be different for me and my friends?!" shot back Justin.

"Because it just is!!"

"You're wrong!  I would never do that to them!!" Justin gave Shardik a baleful look as he stood up, hands balled into fists.  "You know, for an animal, you're just as bad as any human back in my world!  No, wait, I take that back!!  You're even worse; at least none of the humans I know would feel virtuous about killing me!!"

Shardik growled at the insult.  He alerted, incensed, "I'm warning you, Justin, hold your tongue!  You wish to see if you were right when you say that I would have no remorse if I killed you?!  I have killed humans before, and I will not hesitate to do so again!"

Justin actually hesitated until he remembered a loophole, "Funny, I thought the King of Tomorrow ordered you to not kill me until after judgment has been passed at the trial, so by his orders, you can't kill me."  Shardik cursed under his breath; Justin had him there, but he refused to back down.  Seeing Justin being so defiant and insubordinate flared up his past anger and rage against the creature of man.

"Don't tempt me, cross-bearer, for the King never said I couldn't hurt you if needed to teach you some discipline and respect!"

"For what?!  I've been trying to be respectful of every animal in the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow ever since we've stepped foot on this kingdom!" Justin growled back with equal strength, "I never fought back, tried understanding why every animal in the world hates me and my guts, not to mention tried saying 'thank you' to you twice for saving my rear, only to have it thrown back in my face!!  If you even gave me a chance, maybe you'd realize I'm doing my best to show good intentions and compliance!  You just pretend not to listen, or worse ignore it!  When it comes down to it, you hate humans because you understand them perfectly, or at least you _think_ you understand them perfectly!!  You don't know anything about men, how we're no different than animals sometimes, how we go through suffering, strife, and sadness just the same!!  Maybe if you stopped selfishly focusing on your own angst, you'd realize you're not the only victim here!!"

Shardik's paw flew out so fast, Justin didn't have time to flinch, but he was amazed that the bear had such amazing speed and agility.  He didn't even comprehend what was happening until he felt the bear's colossal right paw encircled around his neck, his fur quivering with temper and the black claws shaking as they slightly increased the pressure around his collar.  Shardik held the boy ever so precariously around his neck; one squeeze, just one, and Justin would be decapitated.  The anger in Justin's body was now competing with fear and panic, and Shardik, with great restraint, controlled himself from beheading the teenager.

He snarled lividly, "And why should I give you a chance?!  Why should any of us give you a chance?!  Even if you are pure and noble, you can easily be twisted and turn manipulative with your powers of light and miracles, especially with the taste of potential greatness yapping along your worthless, hairless hide!!  Just because you are a sincere boy of some compassionate religion doesn't mean that your religion is twisted and warped itself, always searching for ways to inflict damage, pain, and plunder for destruction, all for the name of some 'benevolent' god!!  Let me say quite clearly, Justin, you may be the cross-bearer, but you are nothing more than a lost idiot who lives in a foolish dream!!  _You_ don't know anything!!  Let me make this clear: you are a human, and as such, we hate you!  We will always hate you!  Nothing you can say or do will ever change that!!  I've seen what such powerful and prophetic figures such as yourself has caused for innocent beings, and it was such turmoil and greed for supremacy and sin that cost me my own life back in the physical world!!  You say men go through pain and misery as well?!  That's because they do it to themselves!  A human has always caused every cause of war, dissention, and anguish because they even don't treat their own fellow man with respect and compassion!!  They can't even make peace with each other, and yet you expect us animals to be brainless enough to believe that they would care for the likes of us?!!  And you taunt me and say that I do not know anything?!  HOW DARE YOU!!"  He expected the teenager to retort back, and promised himself that if Justin did, he'd have the perfect excuse to kill him, and he could have the King pardon him for murdering the cross-bearer before he made it to the tribunal.  Instead, Justin's eyes widened a bit in dawning before relaxing with understanding, and the teenager cast his eyes down in shame.

"Is it because you experienced that when the humans of Ortelga worshipped you as their God, and the evil king tyrant Genshed killed you because you were a threat to his authority?" Justin asked softly.  Shardik's eyes widened in shock, and his paw stiffened as he inhaled penetratingly in the dark night.  Justin shut his eyes as he felt the paw of the great brown bear tremble like a small child, lost and unsure of what to do.

"How...how did you know??" Shardik growled severely, his voice now guttural and low.  Justin didn't answer, and all the flashbacks of pain, fire, and loss came flooding back to him horrendously as Shardik lost his temper, provisionally blaming Justin in mad rage, and roared loudly enough to echo his ire throughout the entire forest.

"DAMN YOU, TELL ME, HOW DID YOU KNOW?!!  HOW COULD YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVE SUFFERED FOR BECAUSE OF MY PAST AND THOSE FOOLISH HUMANS??!!  HOW DID YOU KNOW?!!  TELL ME, OR FRITH HELP YOU, I'LL KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!!!"  He brought the petrified Justin forcefully to his face, and Justin, his upper body still encased in the massive furry claws, was now staring directly at Shardik's hard, brown eyes as the bear breathed heavily due to a mixture of sorrow, grief, and anger.

"You were there, weren't you?!!" he snarled, his eyes filling up with angry tears due to the reminders of what he had endured in vain, "You were with the hunter Kelderek and his naive priests and priestesses, weren't you?!!  How dare you!!  You mock me and lecture me about civility and good intentions when you were there yourself in Ortelga, watching how much destruction and bloodshed was caused, all in the name of myself because they thought I was a god!  I was never a deity, but due to those simple-minded fools, everything I did was twisted and misshapen to justify every act the Beklans did to wage war against that spawn of evil, Genshed!!  And how was I repaid?!!  That evil wretch shot me to death with his flame arrows before I managed to kill him by clawing his head off!!  And you, a boy who is just as naive and delusional as Kelderek was, actually has the nerve to talk back to me, to ridicule me, knowing the travesties and anguish I had to endure because of that entire religious war?!!  Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now, you lying, insensitive, troublemaking swine!!"

Justin's voice wavered as he answered softly, "Because I didn't realize who you were until now."  He paused as Shardik's paws slightly tightened their grip.  "I know because...because you were in a story, a story that told people about how you arrived after a forest fire drove you out of your home, how you were believed to be Shardik, a god that could deliver the Beklans from the oppression of Genshed, and how Kelderek and his friends followed you until the very end, but by doing so, they misused and confused reality and the truth because all of them were so desperate to believe in a myth in order to give them courage and strength to fight back."  Justin was telling the truth.  In addition to "Watership Down", "Shardik" was another story by Richard Adams he was familiar with.  In that story, a hunter named Kelderek during medieval times spotted a bear, Shardik, who was badly injured by a forest fire.  Kelderek believed that Shardik was God reincarnate, a bear foretold in myths and legends to come back again to free the world of the iron rule of Genshed, an evil tyrant and ruler who was cruel, overly sadistic, and wanted nothing short of domination and subjugation over the oppressed Beklans after the hostile takeover of their home.  However, Shardik, in the end, was killed by Genshed after the tyrant shot arrows during a bloody confrontation on the mountains, but not before Shardik had enough strength left to rip the evil emperor's head off, leaving him to bleed to death.  Yet, in the story, what was touching was to Kelderek and the Beklans, Shardik seemed to kill Genshed in order to avenge the death of Shana, a slave girl who was brutalized and bludgeoned to death by Genshed right before Shardik was killed, thus symbolizing to the Beklans Shardik's love for them.  Of course, what was ironic was that Shardik wasn't really a god at all, just a normal bear who was caught in the crossfire of the Beklans' desperation for divine hope and Genshed's lust for power and rule, but Kelderek and the others were too blind and unwilling to see that.  Yet what was even stranger was the fact that Shardik came from the same story of the author who foretold the stories of "Watership Down", but there was little time to dwell on that.

Shardik shuddered as he held Justin haphazardly, still shaken up from what the young one had revealed.  He wanted to kill Justin so much...but, he looked into Justin's eyes, childlike, harmless, trusting and so much like Kelderek's eyes of admiring loyalty, and knew the teenager was telling the truth.  He couldn't kill him.  Yet, he added hastily to himself as he grudgingly released the boy, and Justin gratefully choked, coughed, and sputtered in air to cool his pounding heart.  Yet, Justin didn't feel triumphant, especially when he saw that the forced memories of Shardik's past deeply pained him, his eyes wet as his paws absentmindedly rubbed the burns and seared wounds in his fur, his jaw grim and set.

"For what it's worth Shardik..._I'm_ sorry you had to go through all that.  In your past, with Genshed and the fire and everything else."

Shardik just glared at him.  Justin continued genuinely, "I...I didn't mean to hurt your feelings either, y'know, with what I said earlier."

Steel ice shone in Shardik's eyes as he replied gruffly, "I seriously doubt that.  Even with your pure soul, you give in so easily to anger and cruelty, just like any other thoughtless human.  You men always fail to see how you actions have consequences on others."  He then leaned closer as he growled with contempt, "And it is because of that that you and Fiver will suffer for it.  Let me warn you, you young fool, I have had enough of your cheek and foolishness!  Utter another word to me, and I will see to it that I hurt that rabbit with you, as painfully and excruciatingly as I can, and you can just watch as I torture the seer!  If you wish to value the life of Fiver, I would highly advise you not to talk with me at all until the trial is to take place in the morn.  Understand?"

Used to the incoming threats day and night, Justin nodded weakly, and Shardik turned around and sat in the pathway exiting out of the Web of Thorns, his back turned to the prisoners as he blocked the door using his massive body frame, muttering and cursing to himself.  Justin sighed; that did NOT go over very well.  To his surprised joy, he heard a soft groan as Fiver, who regained consciousness, shakily propped himself up on his front forepaws, and relieved, Justin knelt down beside the buck.

                "Oooohh...what in Frith's name happened?" he moaned softly, disoriented.

                Justin, pretty sure that Fiver wasn't going to enjoy the truth, halfheartedly told Fiver everything.  The small buck took it in, but Justin could sense that he was beginning to blame himself again, especially since Hazel got hurt trying to defend his brother.  Fiver just bowed his head silently, unable to express any emotion through the clammy feelings of ice and nothingness in his soul.  Justin picked up an apple from the grass and held it out to Fiver.

                "C'mon, Fiver, if you eat something, we'll probably feel a lot better.  We can't do anything but wait for Hazel, Bigwig, Campion and the others when the come at the trial.  C'mon, buck up, please.  Hazel wouldn't want to see you sad and morose like this; he's already sad because we're going on trial tomorrow."

                Fiver choked out, his voice hoarse, "Justin, how can you even be so optimistic and calm about this??  You're going to die, my friends and brother are going to risk themselves in battle for our defense, the forests of the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow are ruined, all because of me!  Can't you see that?!  If it wasn't for me, we'd all be on our way to El-ahrairah without risk and injury!"  Fiver was now crying.  "Can't you see that?!  Can't you see it would have been better if I didn't have these premonitions?!  That I didn't have visions unless when needed or pertinent, so that we could avoid Elil-rah and danger before it strikes?!  How can you even look at me?!  I caused all this to happen, even if it was unwilling and inadvertent, and worse yet, I'm putting all of you at risk!!"

                Justin crinkled his brow in worry.  "Fiver..." he began, but the small seer shook his head miserably as he brought his voice to a whisper, unwilling to let Shardik hear, as he leaned over to the teen's ear.

                "Justin, please, promise me this: at the trial, leave me behind.  Go with Hazel and the rest of the rabbits, and leave me here to live out in the Web of Thorns."  Justin gasped out in surprise as he nearly exclaimed, "What?!"

                Fiver explained, "Justin, think about it.  If I stayed behind, that may help in bargaining to the Kings of Yesterday and the King of Tomorrow to give back your cross and the Sense of Smell back to the rest of my friends and letting you go.  Then the rest of you will be free to get back to El-ahrairah, and you don't have to worry about me since I can't die, and with me not part of the group, I wouldn't constantly have to put you and the rest at risk!"

                "Fiver, NO!" Justin whispered intently, "What if there's a time when we do need your second sight?!  Then I'll be in greater danger!  And what about Hazel?  Don't you even realize this'll kill him inside, having to leave his brother behind to take the fall for something that wasn't even your fault to begin with?!  Why do you think the rest of the Watership rabbits are even fighting for you?  For us?!  It's because they care for you too much to let anything happen to you!"

                "Better for me to suffer than for the rest of you to suffer!" spat out Fiver heatedly.

                "Fiver..." but Fiver stopped him from going any further, looking at him fixedly in the eye.

                "Justin, promise me: no matter what happens, no matter how much you want to stay with me, tell Hazel and the others that the Kings would only let you go if I stayed as their prisoner.  Tell them to leave me behind.  Please, for the sake of Frith and El-ahrairah, promise me you'll listen to me and do this!"

Justin was going to object, but for some reason, he couldn't focus on any thoughts as he felt like he was falling in those penetrating, dark, wide eyes of Fiver, under his power of persuasion, wandering aimlessly and without cognizant awareness.  There was a silence between the two for several tense, long moments before Justin, despite his dry, indisposed mouth, betrayed his better judgment as he whispered quietly, "All...all right.  I...I promise, I'll...we'll leave you behind."

                                                                                ***

                That night, as both Justin and Fiver laid on the grass, asleep, Shardik heard Fiver tremble and as he looked over his shoulder, he heard Fiver mutter drowsily, "Betrayal, danger, a fight to the death of one's self.  The battle will be both won and lost."

                Shardik had no idea what the rabbit had said, but for some reason, he felt a strong clench of uneasiness in his body, but he prayed for Frith's sake it wasn't an omen of things to come.  How wrong he would be.

                                                                                ***

                "By the light of Frith, things just appear to be worse and worse!" groaned Silver as he and the rest of the fifteen rabbits, minus Fiver, grouped together in a tight-knit circle in the grassy clearing, all of them desperately trying to think of a rabbit trick or strategy to help them defend Fiver and Justin at tomorrow's trial.  Each one of them was deeply in shock and depression, almost in despair, from the events and circumstances.  Without Justin's cross, the teenager couldn't help them with tomorrow's battle, and without Fiver and Justin, they all couldn't leave the Land of Yesterday and Tomorrow to head towards El-ahrairah's warren, leaving their Prince of Rabbits to grow weaker and weaker in the meantime.  Hazel, however, was the worst out of all of them.  His blood formed a crust of spiked fur on one part of his forehead, but he did not allow anyone to clean them, and instead, Hazel just squatted there on his haunches, looking despondent, inattentive and unresponsive, staring at the ground with mournful eyes.  Over and over, he reflected the scene; his brother screaming during his premonition, the earthquakes, the violence of Shardik and the otters that followed, and finally...the scene of the otters knocking Fiver unconscious and carrying him and Justin away.  That was the most nightmarish memory, and it didn't leave his mind, no matter how hard he tried to push it out.  The others noticed this, but they couldn't say anything that could be cheering.

                "Poor Hazel-rah," Pipkin murmured to Strawberry quietly, almost sighing in sadness, regret and pity.

                "I wish he'd come out of it, the poor chap," Strawberry whispered sensitively, "He's been like that for a while now."

                "Can't say I blame him," Hawkbit muttered aloud as he rolled his eyes in impatient restlessness, "I mean, I'm surprised he hasn't snapped sooner!  Frith in a hole, who wouldn't be depressed after realizing that you've made a jolly idiotic mistake in bringing the cross-bearer and the rest of us to the Land of Yesterday and Land of Tomorrow, completely forgetting the fact that other creatures aren't exactly thrilled to see a human boy here in the land beyond life!!  But noooooo, like always, our leader neglects the obvious and the dangerous, and as a result, we ALL lost our Sense of Smell, Justin was forced to hand over his cross of light to the Kings, and now, on top of all the animals in both kingdoms despising our furry hides, both Justin and Fiver had to be taken prisoner in Frith knows where all because Fiver couldn't keep that big mouth of his quiet about all the doom, death, and despair forewarning!!  So, like always, WE have to go into the thick of danger at the trial tomorrow to get Fiver and Justin out of this mess without the cross-bearer's powers or Fiver's second sight!  A mess, I might add, that was started by Fiver in the first place!!  Frith knows how aggravating this is starting to be!!"

                "Hawkbit!" Dandelion hissed at him warningly, noticing the glazed expression on Hazel's face, but the bad-tempered rabbit carried on sarcastically and doggedly, ignorant of what was going around him.

                "I mean, is it too much to ask Frith and Fiver to have these premonitions before we even encounter danger?!  Is it?!  By the fur and paw of the Black Rabbit, maybe some time in the Web of Thorns might do Fiver some good for it sure as the embleer Elil-rah isn't helping us much with keeping Justin safe and -"

                "Will you shut up?!!" snapped Holly roughly as he clamped his paws forcefully over Hawkbit's mouth, seeing as how every sentence fragment of Hawkbit's testimony made Hazel's eyes water again and wince agonizingly, as if each word was a dagger thrusting into his body.  Hawkbit, oblivious, as usual, didn't even bother seeing how Hazel was still present and close enough to hear everything audibly.

                "Must you always speak your mind at the worst possible time?!!" groaned Blackberry.

                Acorn was seething.  "Hawkbit, you know we love you as our friend, our comrade, and our fellow Owsla warrior, but if you do not keep quiet, we _will_ rip your throat out!!"

While Acorn, Blackberry and Holly were fiercely berating the blackish, big-mouthed oaf, Bigwig separated himself from the contemplating group to talk to Hazel who became more sullen, morose, and disheartened than ever.

                "Hazel-rah," Bigwig murmured, wishing that he didn't have to be the one to say words of hope and encouragement (motivational support was not his strong suit), "Don't dwell on it anymore than you have too, old chap.  You'll wear yourself out before the duel at the trial by morning tomorrow, I daresay."  No response.  "We're not leaving any of our chaps behind, Hazel-rah; you know that as well as I do.  Even if we have to run through the gauntlets of hellfire and back, we won't let Fiver and Justin be under the mercy of these crack-brained, ignorant simpletons!  Hazel, you remember the raid from Efrafa and the siege afterwards?  We've gone through all that together, and even then, Frith and El-ahrairah showed us grace and deliverance from those bleak situations, and this is no different!!"

                "But Hawkbit's right, it _is_ my fault, Bigwig," Hazel choked, not looking at him and feeling the frustration and sorrow eat him up even further, "It's all my fault.  I let Fiver and Justin be taken prisoner, and I couldn't do anything to stop it, and now, Fiver and Justin are both at stake."  His throat was burning with grief as he whispered with strain, "He's hurt, alone, helpless, and I couldn't do anything.  I failed him."

                Bigwig had little patience with self-woe and self-pity, so he literally got into the Chief Rabbit's face and growled intently, "O embleer Frith, Hazel-rah, listen to me!  It is _not_ your fault, so quit this foolishness now before I cuff some sense into you myself!!  What's a life of a rabbit without taking a few risks?!  No matter what you would have done, we'd be in danger!!  We understand that, Fiver understands that, and by Frith, even Justin knew that!!  Justin and Fiver don't blame you for what has happened to them, and neither do we!!  You made a choice to enter these lands, and by Frith, we're all going to see through it that we deal with the consequences together!  So stop and buck up!  NOW!"

                Hazel still didn't reply as he glanced back down in the ground, unable to meet Bigwig's gaze, and before Bigwig could give in to the urge to grab him and shake some sagacity and clarity into his Chief, Silver announced with a tired, cautionary voice as dawn was about to break in an hour or so, "It's just about light.  The trial is going to start soon."

                "I just hope we can muster enough strength to duel," Buckthorn wondered worriedly.

                "Even if we can't, I won't give up!" Pipkin chimed in bravely, "None of us will!"

                Campion, despite his fatigue, smiled at the little rabbit's enthusiasm.  "That's the spirit, bucko!  We'll show these animals what us English rabbits can really do!!"

                Hawkbit grumpily remarked, rubbing some of the cuffs he received from Acorn and Blackberry, "Wish we could get over to the clearing now, though.  If it wasn't for us losing our Sense of Smell, we would have been able to make our way through this confounded darkness and get to the clearing where the trial was taking place!"

He had a point; no smells of familiar recognition to guide them to the path left the rabbits with no other alternative except to wait until the first traces of daylight would illuminate the forests.  Until then, they literally couldn't see their paws in front of their faces; it was dim under the thick covers of the woods, and all of them were so keyed up and anxious, none of them could sleep.

                "This is getting unbearable!" whined Speedwell, "I almost shudder to think what Fiver and Justin are going through as of this moment!"  Campion held up a paw, his ears straining intently.

                "Something's coming this way!" he warned guardedly as a heavy form made its way through the bushes and weeds in front of them.  It was the King of Yesterday, giving all of them a solemn glare as he snorted impatiently within the thick foliage.

                "The trial is about to begin in a short bit," he announced in a scornful tone, as if he didn't expect the rabbits to bother showing up for Fiver and Justin's defense, "Are you rabbits of Watership Down ready to fight in the dueling fracas??  Be warned, it won't be gentle, and none of the duelists shall show lenience in this fight, especially with your cross-bearer's life at stake."

                "Don't push us," growled Bigwig with defiant, brave impudence as he rose on his hind feet and looked at the Oregon bison straight in the eye, unwavering, "We've all faced horrors and elil much bigger than any of your subjects in your kingdoms, so we won't back down ever!!  You may be too blind, shortsighted, and stupid to see it, but Justin is our friend, and even if we have to fight all the embleer animals in this tharn land, we WON'T ever give up!!  We'll all fight to the end!!"  All the other rabbits, upon hearing these words, gave heated choruses of agreement and determined conviction.  Well, all except for Hazel who was still too gloomy and heartbroken to even answer back.  The bison just stared coolly at the rabbits, unfazed.

                "Let us leave," he muttered sharply, "Since I still hold your precious Sense of Smell, none of you can easily find your way out of the thickets and underbrush without grave hindrance.  I shall lead the way.  All of you, follow my form by listening in carefully to the noises my body makes as we travel through."

                "Since when do _you_ care about our well-being??" Hawkbit accused the King of Yesterday suspiciously with narrowed eyes.

                "I don't."  The bison then turned back to smirk knowingly.  "Of course, if you English rabbits of El-ahrairah are too weak and clumsy to even succeed in following me to the trial, then I'll be more than happy to announce to the jury and the King of Tomorrow that you have all chosen to forfeit the matches and allow the cross-bearer and Fiver to be judged without defense."

                "We'll go," Hazel said steely, immediately, and without hesitation.  Without further ado, all fourteen of the Owsla of El-ahrairah, with some stumbling among tree roots and tall weeds, hopped behind the wooly, mammoth, using their sensitive ears and eyes to trail the huge form in the accustomed darkness of the thick forest.  After a while, Holly noticed something was wrong.  They should have reached the clearing by now; even when the rabbits left to go rest underneath the dense, bushy cover of the trees, it was only a short run from where they were to reconvene.  Additionally, Holly could feel the terrain slowly rising uphill, the grass wet with dew, the soil moister and softer, and their surroundings getting darker and darker, almost pitch black.  Wherever they were going, it wasn't the clearing.

                "Wait, everyone!  Stop!!  Stop now!!" he cried out.  Everyone halted, and the King looked on with a trace of annoyed yet eerie satisfaction.

                "Well, what is it now, rabbit??" the King of Yesterday demanded impatiently and harshly, "We need to keep going if we are to reach the clearing and the trail where your friends are being put on trial."

                "Holly, whatever is the matter?" Buckthorn asked, baffled.

                "It's wrong!!  This is all wrong!!  Can't you all feel the ground, the moist fog hanging around us?!  This isn't the path to the field!!  We're going down the wrong way!!  He's not leading us to the clearing at all!!" Holly squealed while glaring at the bison with the utmost look of fury and outrage on his whiskered face.  Realization came to Silver and Campion and Bigwig at once.

"He's right, chaps!  This isn't the right passageway to the field of the trial!!  Oh confound it all!!  If we had our Sense of Smell, we would had realized it a lot quicker!!" Campion exclaimed.

"What is the meaning of all this, your majesty?!!" Bigwig spat out venomously, drawling a sarcastic tone of disrespect on the last two words of address.  The bison was silent as he glared at the group of rabbits now as Holly now could realize they were all deeper within the intense shelter of trees and plants, blocking out any remaining light emerging from the forests facing the sun as it began slowly rising.  They were losing time; the trial was going to start soon.  Silver addressed to everyone urgently.

"Everyone, turn back!!  We're going the wrong way!!  We're going back, and we'll all find our way to the clearing from there!"

"You trouble-making wretches won't be going anywhere!" rumbled the King of Yesterday, and then with an evil sneer on his hairy visage, he ordered eloquently, "Grab them!"

Immediately, there was an uproar as twenty or so otters, the very same otters who tried attacking Justin earlier and who were ordered to guard both Fiver and Justin in their prison, jumped out of their hiding places, snarling and whooping with sadistic delight.  Before Hazel could react, he, Dandelion, Blackberry, and Hawkbit were tackled forcibly by several broad, bulky, strong forms, pinning them as they uselessly tried to fight their way out by cuffs and kicks with their hind legs.  Campion, Buckthorn, and Bluebell tried to head-butt the group that were attacking their friends, but they were unsuccessful; the otters, strong and solid from years of swimming against harsh currents and oceans, hardly budged and didn't even groan in pain from the strike.  Not to mention for the three rabbits, their heads were still ringing painfully, as if their all slammed themselves into a stone wall, and it was due to this distraction that allowed three other burly otters to sneak behind and attack them.  Speedwell, Strawberry, and Acorn delivered several brutal kicks to their antagonists as they all madly dodged and tried to evade the ruthless aquatic animals.  They managed to elude them, but unfortunately, several otters immediately had the brilliant inspiration to use their tails as weapons to catch them off guard.  And that was what happened when Speedwell, Strawberry, and Acorn got excruciatingly knocked to the ground, breathless, as the crowd took the chance to pin them down as they struggled and writhed.  Bigwig, Holly, and Silver, all three of them being heavy rabbits themselves, were showing the otters that pushing them around would be a great big difficulty, especially when several of the otters got facial gashes from well-aimed cuffs from Silver and Holly, and Bigwig sent the leader of the pack, the very same otter who bullied Justin when the boy was trying to get some apples for his hunger, flying backwards with a powerful shove of his hind legs.

"You'll all find it much harder to push us around, embleer otter!" Bigwig cursed, his voice heavy and feral.  The otters began to show some hesitance in attacking again as the three rabbits carefully edged themselves away back to the path, desperate to warn Justin and Fiver and still intent to defend them.

"I don't find it hard at all," broke in the King of Yesterday, and Holly, Silver, and Bigwig only had time to glance over their shoulders to see the bison charging at them at a noticeable gallop before they all felt the painful collision of the King of Yesterday ramming them with his horned head and tossing all of them into the air.  They landed none too gracefully after rising twenty feet, crashing into small tree branches and hurtling onto the soft soil.  Holly had several broken ribs, and already his sides were bruising into an ugly reddish-purple color underneath his gray fur, Silver was disoriented and dizzy as blood dribbled down his forehead, and Bigwig hissed in pain as he realized the King of Yesterday trampled his left hind leg, spraining it and rendering it useless for any sort of movement.  Seizing the opportunity, the otters were able to pin them down.  Silver, struggling as two otters grabbed him, cried out to Pipkin who was cowering during the ambush, "Run, Pipkin!  Run!  Get out of here!  Go warn Fiver and Justin!"

Pipkin whimpered as he dashed out, but unfortunately, the otter leader roughly seized him by the scruff of his neck and held Pipkin in a tight bear hug, pining his paws forcefully to his sides like a vise.  Pipkin, unable to fight against the strong grip, did the only sensible thing he could think of: he bit down hard on the forearm of the otter's brawny appendage.  The leader yelped as the buck's teeth drew blood, and he nearly dropped Pipkin.  The small soldier tried to make a break for it again, but the otter was quicker.  With a furious snarl, he grabbed Pipkin again, and in wrathful vengeance, the otter hurled the buck against the trunk of a hard birch tree.  There was a sickening thud.

"Pipkin!" Silver cried out in dread as the buck sank to the ground, unconscious and leaving a bloody stain on the pale surface of the bark.  Within minutes, all the otters had the rabbits, with the exception of the unconscious Pipkin, trapped and detained powerfully.  Silver, Holly, and Bigwig actually each  had two heavy otters literally sitting atop on them and no amount of fighting could buck them off.  Hazel and the rest were faring no better.  Each one of them were restrained tightly with a fierce bear-hug by an otter from behind, crushing their paws to their sides and almost constricting their breathing.  The problem was, the rabbits were hanging by a foot or two off the ground, their hind legs having no traction from the ground to give them leeway to break out of the otters' grips around their bodies, and realizing that they couldn't effectively kick any animal directly behind them, they were all trapped.  The bison noticed their predicament with a fulfilled smile.

"What in the name of Frith are you doing?!!" hollered Blackberry as he unsuccessfully tried to squirm out of the strong vise-like grip the otter had around his torso, "Let us go!!"

The King of Yesterday replied scathingly and harshly, "Cease and desist, rabbits!!  If I really wanted to, I would have had the otters seriously injure and maul you to the point where none of you would even be able to walk on your own accord!  Be grateful for my benevolence!!  I don't wish to see any other bloodshed on this day!"

Campion paled at this statement as he realized what those words meant.  "'Any other bloodshed'?!  What in the name of the Black -??  Oh Frith in a Hole!!  Justin and Fiver!!"

"No, you can't!!" screamed Strawberry, already guessing the king's plans.

"Will you two stop gasping and squealing long enough to explain it for the rest of us chaps?!!" Hawkbit demanded impatiently as he tried to scratch the otter's arms.  This earned him a retaliatory response of the otter squeezing him even harder, compressing the rabbit's chest and upper body excruciatingly, almost asphyxiating the buck.  The King of Yesterday gave a gleaming smile of triumphant eagerness.

"It is quite simple, rabbit.  You and the rest of the group from El-ahrairah's warren are being detained here for a little while, with some help from some of my faithful subjects.  Don't bother trying to struggle.  All the otters are much larger than any of you, and none of you Owsla warriors are in any position to fight out of their strapping grips.  We are quite deep within the forests of the Land of Yesterday, deep enough so that no other animal will be able to hear you scream for help, not that it would matter if you did.  All our subjects and fellow creatures will be at the trial of Justin and Fiver, so all of our lands are bare and empty, devoid of any suspicion.  Of course, not that any animal would actually give a damn about what happens to the likes of you hrair traitors.  And of course, while you're all so inconveniently delayed, there will be no one to fight and battle in the duelists' arena for the defense of your cross-bearer and your seer at the trial.  And with no defense, the King of Tomorrow, the jury, and myself will have no choice but to execute the teenager, thus saving our land beyond the living from the threat of humans."

"No!" yelled Speedwell, angry tears of helplessness forming in his eyes, "How could you?!  You're supposed to be the bally King of Yesterday!!  How can you think this is even appropriate by Frith's judgment?!  You'll be condemning Fiver for a lifetime of imprisonment, and he never did anything to deserve this!  And neither did Justin, for that matter!!"

"This isn't justice, you embleer tyrant!!" cried out Bluebell, and the otter behind him started to crush Bluebell even further, causing the dark buck to squeal and gasp in agony.

"Be silent on how you address our king, you wretch," the otter hissed dangerously in Bluebell's ear as the King of Yesterday continued coldly.

"It is all for the well-being of all we hold dear in the land beyond life.  The cross-bearer, Justin, is nothing more than a threat that can turn into the disastrous end of all Frith has blessed and cherished, and I will not stand and let that happen to this world.  If your rabbit comrade, Fiver, must suffer as a result of this, then so be it!!  For it is far better to have one innocent casualty of war than many innocent casualties!!"

"No!!" squealed Hazel as he vainly tried to struggle out of the otter's grip, but he was too much in an cumbersome position to even match the waterdog's brute strength, and the Chief rabbit could only just whimper and gasp in helpless sorrow as he could sense the King of Yesterday retreating back into the forests.  He called out desperately, "Think about what you're doing!  Think about El-ahrairah and the doomed future if Elil-rah succeeds in taking over this world without the cross-bearer to stop him!!"

"I am," growled the bison audibly, "and to tell you embleer rabbits the truth, I would rather let El-ahrairah and for our world to be plunged in darkness and Elil-rah's rule many times over than to let Justin live.  I know Frith would agree if he were in my position.  I am just simply helping him make the final judgment of his will."  With that he disappeared, leaving Hazel to swallow the bile of regret and pain frothing from the bowels of his soul and grief.

                                                                ***

"Continue walking, both of you," ordered Shardik roughly as he ambled behind Fiver and Justin, both under his ever attentive eyes, "No stalling or dawdling or else my paws will end your life before you can even take a step, cross-bearer!!"

It was already past dawn, and Shardik, under the orders of the King of Tomorrow, allowed Justin and Fiver out of the Web of Thorns, personally escorting them towards the field where the trial was to take place.  Justin didn't need any additional reminders that Shardik was immense and very stalwart, powerful enough to kill him with a single blow if it ever came to that.  Justin forced himself to not look back at the grizzly bear who was already irate at having to take over the otters' responsibilities of guarding them for the whole night.  Not to mention Shardik's talk with Justin didn't do much in helping his savage mood either.  Fiver was still glum and silent as he hopped alongside Justin, unable to think of anything else but his troubling concerns about Hazel and his friends.  Soon, all of them were at the clearing, and with a hard brush with his paws, Shardik pushed Justin and Fiver into a patch of flattened, barren soil, causing both of them to stumble.  Justin held on to Fiver instinctively as Shardik bared his teeth and growled, "Both of you are to remain here until the trial proves your innocence...or demands your punishments!!  Neither of you are to stand or speak unless told to do so!!  Is that clear?!!"

Fiver and Justin nodded apprehensively, and Shardik sat on his hind legs as Justin looked around the clearing, taking in the queer sights of the animal trial.  All around the edges of the circular clearing, various species of animals from both the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow lined as spectators, similar to the games of the Coliseum during the Roman empire, except this time, it was a twisted reversal with animals rooting for the spillage of Justin's blood.  All along the grass and trees, birds, lizards and frogs, and beasts of all shapes colors and sizes gathered around for the event, gleefully watching as if it was a farce.  Even the nearby river was chock full of different fishes, each gasping and splashing in the waters as they crammed against one another tightly, hoping to get a good view of the scene before them.  In front of Justin and Fiver were two small, grassy knolls, each being only about several feet high, and perched on them were the King of Yesterday and the King of Tomorrow, standing solemnly and imperially amongst their subjects.  To the right of them, sitting solemnly in a small field of daises was a small gathering of an assortment of animals from both kingdoms.  Fiver surmised that these were to be the jury, the council of unbiased animals chosen to take to court by the bison and the stag.  Seated (or perched) in a dignified manner was a Kenai wolf, a Guadalupe Flicker woodpecker, a Mexican grizzly bear, smaller than Shardik, whose fur also had silver tips, a peacock, a moose, a black bull, a snowy-white owl, a potoroo, an eagle, a heron, a yona, a dodo bird, a brown wood pigeon, a koala bear, a bobcat, a panther, and a hare.  However, despite his or her importance in the trial, every member of the council was glaring evidently at Justin and Fiver; so much for having an unbiased jury.

The King of Tomorrow spoke out impressively, his voice booming loudly throughout the clearing and silencing the neighboring chatter, "The trial shall now begin!  Justin and Fiver, the legendary cross-bearer and seer traveling with the English rabbit Owsla of Watership Down and El-ahrairah, the Prince of all Rabbits, are accused of causing turmoil, destruction, and bring grave dangers to our home of peace!  Fiver is accused of causing the destruction and demolition of the forests and woods using his powers of the psychic and other dark tricks of the witch-rabbit!  Justin is accused of spreading the same-said chaos, along with the debate of what to do with his fate!  Though he is the cross-bearer of legends past, he is nonetheless, a human being, a creature of man that will always be destined to destroy, plunder, and waste the precious resources of nature itself!  Our council must decide, on this day, through the duel, whether or not Justin and Fiver must be spared, even if he will bring danger to El-ahrairah himself, despite the legends foretold!"

"Wha...WHAT?!" Justin couldn't help blurting out as the animals shouted yells of bloodlust and retribution, and Shardik angrily placed a heavy paw on Justin's shoulder, warning him to keep quiet.  The golden stag heard the boy, however, and he gave a solemn, poignant look at the teenage cross-bearer.

"Justin, this may be hard for you to accept, but...I too know of the legends of the cross-bearer and the battle of destiny you and Elil-rah are to fight in the ultimate battle of good versus evil.  You may have heard the prophecy and the story from your rabbit protectors, but, there is another incantation, another excerpt of the story that has been lost due to the eons and eons of obscurity before time began.  It said specifically, and I quote, '_Though meant for good, there are two sides of the one who bears the cross, just like night and day, air and land, spring and winter, and thus, peace and chaos.  At the time of revelation, the one who was to heal shall also be the one to die, where there is life, there will be death, for the cross brings grave danger of unspeakable horrors to the Prince of a Thousand Enemies_'."  Justin's face paled at the last part.  It couldn't be, he thought to himself, but the King of Tomorrow gave him a bitter assurance.

"Don't you see, young Justin?  You may think you will be helping El-ahrairah once you reach his warren, but in reality, you will only be making things worse for him.  If the prophecy is true, then you are destined to cause the death of El-ahrairah, whom I believe is also named the 'Prince of a Thousand', is he not?"  Justin couldn't believe it, and apparently, neither could Fiver as they both just stared at the stag in shock.  The King of Tomorrow continued forlornly, "Which is why this trial must not be hasty nor impulsive in its decision!  What we decide on this day is to affect every single creature of Frith in the land beyond the living, and the fate of all of us rest in the battle to come!  Now, Hazel-rah and the rabbits of Watership Down and El-ahrairah, those sent by their Prince to guard and protect the life of young Justin, step forward and prepare to battle!  May Frith have mercy on all those who have righteous virtue!!"  Justin and Fiver turned expectantly to the crowd surrounding them, but to their dismayed confusion, not one of the animals emerged from the masses.  Hazel and the others had not shown up.  Patiently, the stag waited for several moments while the crowd snickered and gleefully imagined the decided fate of Justin, but Justin's heart plummeted lower as not one familiar face could be seen in the crowd.

"Hazel, where are you?" Justin whispered to himself as the animals continued to chortle loudly.

"Hmph, why am I not surprised?" a yona squeaked disdainfully.

"It's all for the better, seeing as how those rabbits are too ashamed of their own image to show themselves in front of our noble kings!" cheered a moose.

"Yes, but it is quite a shame, really, to not get a chance to see the rabbits run and abandon the human like the cowards they really are," laughed a raccoon.

"No, it can't be," Fiver whispered to himself.  He could still hear Hazel's words echoing his sentiments to Fiver as they touched noses.  _Remember, Hrairoo, I will never leave you or forsake you...I will never leave you or forsake you...I will never leave you or forsake you_.  

                The King of Yesterday sneered at Justin as he crowed, "You see, you foolish, naive wretch!  Those rabbits never really cared nor trusted you!  They just wanted you for your powers, for your usefulness, but in the event of persecution and humiliation, they preferred to leave and run away from their responsibilities, abandoning you and their precocious seer!!  What a fitting end for such a fool, abandoned and betrayed by the ones who you've trusted the most!  I told you no right-minded creatures would ever commit themselves to a menace such as you!  And now, by ordinance of our law, since there is no creature that is willing to defend them, Justin is to be put to death at once and Fiver must be imprisoned for the rest of his existence in the Web of Thorns, forever!  Let this be a testimony of Frith's righteous decision!"

                "Yes!!" cheered the crowd, "Death to Justin!!  Punish the cross-bearer!!  Punish the seer!!  Let there be justice and peace!!  Punish the guilty party!!!"  Fiver felt now would be the best time to make his offer, pleading guilty for everything, but to his surprise, Justin beat him to it.

                "WAIT!!" the teenager yelled, "WHAT IF...WHAT IF I WANTED TO FIGHT FOR FIVER'S DEFENSE?!!"  This caused a shocked silence immediately around them, and both the King of Yesterday and the King of Tomorrow stared incredulously at Justin, but for different reasons.  This was certainly a twist.

                "Explain, young one," the stag ordered gently while the bison just glared at the boy, wondering if this was another devious trick.  Fiver was about to object and interrupt, but a lethal look from Shardik forced him to stay quiet.

                Justin spoke loudly and nervously, "If...if I fought in the duelists' test, for the defense of Fiver, will you accept?  Since Hazel and the rest aren't here and Fiver's still hurt from the otters, let me participate in the duel!  Let me fight!  If I win, let both me and Fiver go along with my cross and their Sense of Smell, but if...if I lose..." Justin paused as he swallowed and forced himself to continue, "...you can let the opponent kill me during the battle!  Let the duel be a fight for my death!  The challenger can try to kill me all he or she wants, but if I can evade their attacks until my foe tires out or gives up, then it proves that we're innocent!  Please, your majesty!  This way, there will be a fair fight and if I lose, I'll die in this fight anyway!"

                "Justin, no!  You promised!  You promised me you wouldn't put yourself in risk!!" Fiver cried out, tears of hurt and shock welling in his eyes.  By Frith, the teenager's faith and loyalty was stronger than he expected.  Shardik placed a heavy paw on Fiver's body as he hissed portentously, "Be silent!"

                The stag pondered this request; it certainly was the first time he had ever heard of such an offer from an accused.  The King of Yesterday darkly cursed the human teenager in his mind for delaying what should have been inevitable, but he conceded that either way, the human would not leave here alive, especially if he had to kill the young cross-bearer himself.  The animals in the surrounding crowd, though glaring darkly at Justin and Fiver, patiently waited for the stag to make his decision.  The King of Tomorrow then spoke, "Very well, then young Justin.  Be it so."

                The animals all nearly objected in complaint and annoyance, but the King of Yesterday decided to add something to make the fight a little bit harder for Justin.  "Yet, these are the terms, young one!  You are to not use your cross of light and power to battle for it will be an extremely unfair way of cheating!  This duel is to be fought to the best of your Frith-given abilities!  You must also stay in this clearing during the fight, never once allowing yourself to step out of the bounds!  If you do, you automatically forfeit the match, and you shall lose your life immediately!  Is that clear?!"  Justin nodded, refusing to back down, but then the bison gave a chilling smile.

                "Very well then, young Justin, prepare to battle with the opponent I assign for your duel to the death!  The one I choose is SHARDIK!"  At this, all the animals cheered with mighty hollers and whoops of joy and extasy.  The large advisor, despite being prudent and astute, was a formidable opponent with brute strength and a fierce warmonger with a sharp temper of hellfire as well.  He could easily crush Justin with a single blow, and Justin gulped as Shardik gave him the evil eye as he marched into the center of the clearing.  Justin felt his blood run cold; there was no possible way he could win against Shardik.  Not even a trained soldier of the army or military could have enough strength and stamina to match against a prehistoric, colossal bear of the past ages.  Fiver tried to speak to the King of Tomorrow who was silently watching the entire situation unfold.

                "Please, stop this!!" he cried out, "I'm the one who caused all the destruction and turmoil that took place in the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow!!  The cross-bearer is innocent!!  Please, I'll stay imprisoned in the Web of Thorns for the rest of my being if you wish!!  Just let Justin and my friends get back to El-ahrairah with the cross and the Sense of Smell!!  Please, stop this!!  I confess to everything!!  Spare Justin please!!"  The stag solemnly shook his head.

                "I cannot stop what Frith wishes to happen.  It is _his_ will, and not mine, that shall be done!"

Justin knelt down to Fiver and whispered encouragingly, "Fiver, I know I promised, but I can't let you do something that will cause everyone to suffer!  I'm sorry if you'll be mad at me for this, but Hazel promised you that he won't let you abandon your friends and family, and until you find him, I'm keeping that promise for him!"

"Until I _find_ him?" Fiver echoed out, puzzled with a slight twinge of grief and disbelief.

"Fiver, listen to me!  Something's wrong with this whole thing!  Hazel said he would never abandon you, and I think...no, I _know_ Silver, Campion, Bigwig and the others wouldn't leave us like this!  Something must have happened to them!!  Listen, everyone around here will be too absorbed in watching me fight for my life with Shardik, so it might give you the chance to go find them without anyone noticing!!  Please!  Once the fight starts, try to find them!  I know you can do it!"

"Justin, NO!  And you're forgetting, I don't have my Sense of Smell!!  Without it to guide me through the forests, I'll be as lost as a dry leaf tossed amongst a howling snowstorm!!"

Justin shook his head as he explained, "But...you have another sense!  Your second sight!!  You've done it before when Hazel was shot from the farmers at Nuthanger Farm when he tried to free the hutch rabbits!  You can do it again!  Please, just do this!  Just have faith in yourself!"  He stood up and precariously, but bravely, forced himself to march towards the middle of the clearing where he stood face to face to the looming, dangerous figure of Shardik.  Fiver felt at a complete loss; unless a miracle happened, Justin will die and El-ahrairah will continue to suffer.  Why, oh why, couldn't his second sight of intuition and clairvoyance happen when he needed it.  Feeling hopeless and desperate, Fiver looked at the rising sun emerging from the mountains and hills beyond the cover of the green trees and whispered with all of his valor, "Frith, please, hear my prayer!  Help me!  Show me what I need to do in order to help Justin, Hazel and my...my family!  If there was ever a time I need the guidance of the mystic, let it be now!  Please!  For the sake of Justin and El-ahrairah, help me!"

He tried his best to ignore the roars of Shardik as the battle started and the small buck shut his eyes, feeling the despair eat away at his bones.  No, wait, for some reason, he was feeling cold, bare, shivering underneath the warmth of the sunrise, as if...he gasped as images started flowing into his head like a sudden tidal wave of revelation and divinity.  He saw the Land of Yesterday in his mind's eye, the darkness of the forests swishing by him so fast, it was as if he was flying, past the cold, chilling, wet fog, and the path leading to a small, dank meadow...where to his horror, he saw Pipkin badly wounded and a group of over two-score of otters keeping the rabbits prisoners.  His eyes flew open in astonishment; he knew what Frith wanted him to do.

"Quite a sight to behold, isn't it, my friend?" the King of Yesterday chuckled gleefully as Justin narrowly avoided a cuff from Shardik's claws, narrowly missing him as the blow caused a small upsurge of dirt and sod.  The King of Tomorrow glared at the bison severely.

"Fighting to the death is something to not take joy in, comrade."

"It is when you have directly experienced the thoughtless travesties men have committed against all animals!  This is an event that all animals, who have felt such cruelty, have secretly wished and prayed for in their hearts!  It is what Frith would have wanted!"  The stag did not answer as he perplexedly looked on the duel.  The bison turned to the clearing where the diminutive rabbit Fiver was held, hoping he could have some enjoyment in seeing the anguish and torment of seeing his cross-bearer friend trying to escape death in futileness, but to his surprise, the post for the defendants was empty.

                                                                ***

"Grmph!  Let me go, you embleer, pond-scum sucking waterdog!" Speedwell shouted as he tried to wrestle out of the otter's grip, but he failed miserably.  The otter grinned, showing an evil smile and revealing his white teeth.

"Oh come now!  I thought you rabbits of El-ahrairah's Owsla were trained to fight more properly than that!" he mocked at the struggling white rabbit.

"If I were free right now, I'd show you exactly what I've been trained to do with dirty, low-down, dishonorable brutes such as yourself!!" snarled Bigwig as he tried to fight against the heavy weight pinned on top of his back, but to no avail.  The otter leader, who had his paws free for the moment, chuckled evilly as he commented to Bigwig, sneering, "Hard to believe the cross-bearer would even risk putting his life in the paws of such incompetent fools as you English rabbits!  Ha, such a pity!  Now, Justin will die, alone and defenseless, thinking his own troupe of loyal Watership rabbit protectors, his only allies in the land beyond life, have abandoned him to save their own furs!  It will be such a wonderful, marvelous way to have the human boy suffer before he is executed!"

"Then you're more of an idiot than we thought!" snapped Hawkbit, "All right, I don't disagree with you that several of us were reckless and stupid to go through this entire fiasco in the first place, and if someone listened to me in the first place, we wouldn't be in this tharn mess in the first place, but by the Black Rabbit of Inle, at least Justin has more decency than you, you dripping, wet, embleer thug!!"

"Shut up, you!" snarled the boss otter as he cuffed Hawkbit hard across the face.

"Leave him alone!" shouted Dandelion, "Don't tell him to shut up!"

"Thank you, Dandelion!" crowed Hawkbit, but unfortunately, he spoke too soon.

"He is _our_ fellow Owsla comrade, and _we'll_ tell him to shut up!  Hawkbit, shut up!" barked Blackberry.

"What in Frith's name did I do?!" exclaimed Hawkbit in outrage and scandal, "It's not my fault we're stuck here without our Sense of Smell, in danger of losing Justin and our only chance of helping El-ahrairah thanks to Fiver's lack of visions, not to mention being detained and betrayed by the King of Yesterday and tossing caution to the winds!!  That's the fault of Bigwig, Holly and Hazel-rah!!"

Campion was seething.  "Hawkbit, the instant we are free and clear of this whole mess, we are going to hurt you SO badly!"

Strawberry, wincing at the turmoil outside the trial, put in helpfully, "It's not that hopeless!  Fiver is still out there, and he won't let Justin die without a fight!  He'll save Justin!"

The otter holding Strawberry scoffed, jeering, "That undersized, frail, troublemaking runt??  Don't make me laugh with your delusions, rabbit!  He couldn't be helpful to any animal in the land beyond life!"

"For once, we actually agree on something, waterdog!" spat out Hawkbit scathingly.

"Hawkbit!" scolded Strawberry.

"What in Frith's name did I say?!  I only said the truth!" the foul-mouthed rabbit protested.

"Hawkbit, you're going to be saying a lot more in pain the instant we get the chance to kick your furry tail, chew your ears to shreds, and rip your throat out!!" Buckthorn fumed, aggravated to the limit.  But then, a groan from Pipkin emerged as the loyal buck regained consciousness and slowly got up, unevenly and with great discomfort, trying to get his bearings.  Unfortunately, the otter leader's smile grew even more sadistic as he marched over to where the bleeding rabbit lay.  With a swift movement, Pipkin was squealing in fright and dread as he weakly struggled with the otter having a tight hold around the buck's neck with one paw.

"Stop it!  You're hurting him!" bellowed Silver.

"That is the idea, rabbit!" snarled the otter as he continued strangling Pipkin mercilessly, "I need to teach the runt and make an example out of what we do with animals that side with humans!"

"Stop it!  Please!  Don't!" yelled Hazel, incensed, but then a quiet voice broke out behind the prime otter.

"Let him go," Fiver whispered quietly, and the leader turned to see that the rabbit was alone, standing there quietly and motionless with a peaceful aura around him.  The otter sneered as he let Pipkin go, releasing the buck onto the ground as he advanced towards the rabbit seer.  Fiver didn't make any move to defend himself nor did he show any change to his sad, serious expression on his face.  He just stood there on his hind legs, watching the otter approach him with a glazed, nonviolent look in his eyes.  Everyone just stared in shock or anticipation, or in Hazel's case, who realized what his brother was trying to achieve, a little of both.

"Ready do be disemboweled for your crimes against Frith, you traitorous, simple-minded, foolish witch-rabbit?" leered the otter as he readied his claws to break and tear into Fiver's flesh.  It was foreseeable, to win against such a weak foe, but Fiver, without the slightest expression of hate, malice, or cursing bitterness, said softly, "It is not I who has committed crimes against Frith."

"Die, you sniveling -!" roared the otter, but startlingly, miraculously, he stopped, his paw just inches from Fiver's muzzle and neck.  The other otters looked on in puzzlement, but then, to their terror, they all saw what stopped their comrade from striking out.  All around them, in the dark shade of the forests of Yesterday, they could hear crying, whimpers, surrounding and echoing all among the bushes, trees, and grass as the darkness grew blacker and blacker, their shadows seeing to swallow them whole like a ferocious mouth gulping down infinitesimal prey.  They couldn't explain it, but it was like their worst nightmare come alive.  Such feelings of sorrow, regret, shame, humiliation, fear, isolation, and unbearable grief rushed into their stony vehemence and vengeance, only to shatter it into millions of pieces and leaving the otters broken, crushed, and lacking their tough fortitude.  They were literally consumed and immersed in it.

"Stop it!!  Make it stop!!  For the sake of Frith, stop it!!" roared one otter as he released his hold on Acorn, and following suit, the other moaning, tormented otters ceased their grasp on their prisoners, blindly trying to shake out the icy cold horrors of sorrow and compunction from their bodies.  The otter leader himself was scrawled into a fetal position, whimpering like a newborn, crying as dark, oppressed memories of pain and ignominy past denied came rushing back to haunt him.  There was no question that the otters would no longer bother them now.  Hazel and the other rabbits looked on with astonished wonder before their eyes fell on Fiver.

"Like a tomtit rounding up a bunch of molting jackdaws," commented Bluebell with an extremely relieved grin.  Hazel, breathing heavily, just stared at Fiver.  Without a word, Fiver hopped over to his older brother, and Hazel hugged him fiercely, thankfully, tearfully, almost worried that if he didn't embrace him, his brother would disappear out of his paws again.

"Fiver..." Hazel whispered with his eyes shut.

"I will never leave you or forsake you," murmured Fiver, understanding his brother's grief.  Hawkbit's voice broke out.

"Please excuse me for breaking this touching, yet nauseating, display of brotherly affection!" he griped unceremoniously and rudely, "But where's Justin?!  Why isn't he with you?!  You didn't abandon him, did you?!"

"Hawkbit!" growled Acorn as he, Campion, and Holly raised their paws, ready to give him a sound thrashing, but Fiver exclaimed, "Justin is back at the clearing with the other animals during the trial!  He is fighting Shardik!  That was how I was able to escape and come look for you!  Justin delayed the kings' attention so that I could find you with me second sight!  He's dueling with Shardik right now, but I don't think he'll last for very long!"

"When I get my paws on that King of Yesterday..!" growled Bigwig as Speedwell and Dandelion carefully placed the injured Pipkin on his back so that the veteran could help the little buck receive aid as soon as he could, "Right, then, chaps!  You heard him!  Fiver, lead us back to the clearing with your sight!!"

                                                                ***

Justin screamed in agony as he was slammed to the grassy ground hard, causing sharp spikes of pain and burning to flow through his head and spine, as Shardik kept a heavy paw on top of the boy's chest and upper torso, pinning him to the ground, as he loomed over the cross-bearer.  It took a while, though how Justin kept it up for this long, no animal had no idea how, but Shardik finally managed to trap his opponent in his deathly grip.  It was over, and now, the crowning moment was to come to pass.  The other animals sensed it as the crowd, the jury, even the King of Yesterday was hollering for blood.

"Kill him now, Shardik!!" cawed all the birds in unison.

"Do it!  Let this human pay!!  Snuff him out!!!" howled a Kenai wolf.

"Crack his skull!!" bellowed a lion.

"Rip him apart!!" screeched the golden eagle.

"Use you teeth!!" suggested the potoroo, and the excitement of the spectacle grew even more as Shardik raised his other forepaw in the air, ready to come crashing down hard onto Justin's frail body, while keeping a firm clawed paw on Justin's chest.  This was it, this was the moment Shardik was waiting for.  His paw lingered in the air for a second, then two, as the crowd continued screaming, roaring, and cawing for Justin's death.  And yet...Shardik just stared at the picture of Justin holding Shardik's paw gently with his hands, his eyes wet but with a sad smile on his face, as if he was accepting his death, as if he had no problem admitting his fate, as if he truly didn't loathe, curse and hate Shardik for what he was about to do.

"I'm sorry, Shardik," Justin whispered weakly, and Shardik was stunned, soon melting to realization.  He came across many animals and humans who both cursed him for his existence and praised him blindly and superficially, trivially, without caring or giving a damn about how he felt or seeing the truth for what it really was.  But this was different.  This was understanding, empathy, and innocence, like the harmless Shana who was murdered by Genshed for absolutely no reason except to appease the ruthless, satanic universal evil.  This was...wrong.  It was then that Shardik knew he couldn't kill Justin, much to his disappointment, conflict, confusion, opposition...and relief.  Luckily, the Watership rabbits came to help him save face.

"JUSTIN!!!" they all bellowed as one, and Shardik turned to see the fleeting image of Acorn, Campion, Hazel, Fiver, Holly, Silver, Speedwell, Strawberry, Dandelion, Blackberry, Bluebell, Hawkbit and Buckthorn rushing at him before their combined force and weight from their teamed tackle struck Shardik's torso and sent the bulky bear flying back several feet, causing him to release Justin in the process.  Justin sighed heavily as Bigwig, still carrying an unconscious Pipkin, helped him rise erratically, leaning on the rabbit's head for support as his weak knees felt like water.

"What took you guys so long?" Justin managed to quip despite his dread.

"We were...delayed," Bigwig put in sensitively, using choice words to take place of the swearing he felt like yelling.

"What is the meaning of this show of disrespect and flagrant defiance, rabbits?!!" demanded the King of Tomorrow angrily as the crowd grew even more hectic, deafening and boisterous at the infuriating sight of Justin being spared.

"Why don't you ask your fellow King of Yesterday?!!" discharged Holly furiously as Hazel quietly explained what had happened to the stag as the animals in the crowd and jury watched and listened fastidiously.  When they were done, the stag made no movement nor indication that he was bothered, so Bigwig, eager to relieve his anger, started making his way to the King of Yesterday, snarling, "I am going to thrash you so badly -!!"

Yet to his shock and surprise, the King of Tomorrow galloped in front of his path and blocked his way, rumbling angrily, "That would be very unwise, Thlayli, especially in your situation."

The others were shocked.

"What?!!  Isn't the King of Yesterday even going to be punished or even be forced to apologize for all the torment and unfairness Justin had been treated with?!!" demanded Silver lividly.

"No," stated the stag, narrowing his dark eyes.

"You mean you're going to let him get away with this?!!" Dandelion gasped out in outraged, scandalized amazement, but the look on the stag's face told him the answer was obvious and evident.  Liberation and elation in the rabbits soon hurriedly turned into anger and resentment.  Hazel struggled to keep his voice calm as he spoke, "Please, your majesty, the fact is, we fought against Shardik and won!  Justin is still alive, and it was Frith's will to let the cross-bearer live and for us to escape the otters' treachery and be able to help our friend before it was too late!  Please, King of Tomorrow, give Justin back his cross and our Sense of Smell as promised!"

The king sadly looked at the crowd of animals staring angrily, and unwilling to lose their respect or support, he said darkly, "The young one shall not need his cross nor will you rabbits need your Sense of Smell again."

Dandelion was baffled, "WHAT?!  WHY?!!"

The stag threw his head back and declared in a loud voice, stunning the rabbits and Justin, "TO ALL THOSE WHO CAN HEAR AND SEE, NONE OF US ARE STILL CONVINCED THAT JUSTIN AND HIS RABBIT PROTECTORS ARE VIRUTOUS AND NOBLE IN THE NAME OF FRITH'S WILL, SO I DECLARE AS OF NOW, JUSTIN MUST BE EXECUTED AT ONCE, AND ALL IN BOTH KINGDOMS OF YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW MUST ACT NOW AND HELP YOUR KINGS FIGHT AND DEFEAT THE RABBITS OF WATERSHIP DOWN!!!  BY ORDER OF THE KING OF TOMORROW, KILL JUSTIN AND IMPRISON ALL THE RABBITS INTO THE WEB OF THORNS!!!  AND BY A FINAL DECREE, I HEREBY ANNOUNCE THAT ALL ENGLISH RABBITS ARE TO BE BANNED FROM THE LANDS OF YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW FOR ALL TIME!!  THEY WILL BE OUTCASTS, AND EL-AHRAIRAH AND HIS CHILDREN WILL NO LONGER BE WELCOME IN OUR HALLOWED SOIL!!!  NOW STRIKE, OUR LOYAL SUBJECTS!!!  STRIKE IN THE NAME OF FRITH!!!  KILL THE CROSS-BEARER AND PUNISH THE TRAITOROUS RABBITS!!!"

"Frith in a hole!" cursed Silver as the animals cheered and started advancing around them, cutting off any chances they had for escape, "The stag is as underhanded as the bison!  He's doing this to save face, to prevent himself from looking bad and losing support for his royal power!!"

"This is not good!" Blackberry squealed as the birds started to dive with their sharp beaks aimed directly at their eyes and heads.  As Justin just numbly stood there, before they could be overwhelmed and trampled, Shardik's voice rang out, "Justin!"

The teenager turned, and to his surprise, the cross necklace hit him in the chest, and Justin nearly dropped it onto the grass before catching it with his hands.  With the cross of power flowing comfortingly through him, Justin clasped the jewel as he yelled the first command that came to his mind.

"Time, stop!  Freeze the entire land!!"

There was a bright flash of light, and for a second, Justin kept his eyes shut as he breathlessly awaited the animals to tear him to pieces.  There was only a deathly silence before he felt a hefty paw on his shoulder.  Justin nervously opened his eyes, and to his shocked surprise, it was Shardik, looking down at Justin blankly and with fatigue, but nonviolently.  All around the field, the animals and forests were all encased with sunlight, held in place for God knew how long under the frozen positions of the time-freeze.  Even the King of Yesterday had the utmost look of rage and anger on his face, but to Justin's puzzlement, the King of Tomorrow was lying on his side on the grass, slightly injured but outraged and surprised, as if something knocked him down.  As Hazel and the rest of the rabbits looked on at the massive bear, Justin understood what had just happened seconds ago.  Shardik, despite earning himself a lifetime of ignominy and disgrace, struck down his king and ripped the cross off the stag's neck, allowing Justin the chance to time-freeze the field before it was too late.  Shardik was trembling with dishonor, as if he still regretted his action of defiance and decision to save Justin's life.  Before Justin could speak, Shardik held a paw.

"You best be helping your rabbit friends get their Sense of Smell back quickly, young Justin."  Justin nodded as he prayed again, and in an instant, fifteen white orbs of light and mist emerged out of the frozen body of the King of Yesterday only to once again return home to the bodies of the Watership soldiers.  The rabbits could now smell again, much to their elated joy, infusing their sense with the longing, tantalizing smells of the world.

"Ah, that's better," sighed Blackberry, as Justin said to Shardik, "I'm sorry, Shardik, for what you had to do to save me, what you had to give up.  If...if you want, you're free to come with us to El-ahrairah's warren where it'll be safe and no one will persecute or judge you."

Hawkbit opened his mouth to object, but Silver and Acorn, seeing this, hurriedly clamped their paws over his mouth, stifling him.  Shardik saw this and gave a half-hearted chuckle.  He said simply, "My place is somewhere else, young one."

"Shardik?"

"What now, young one?"

"Thank you."  Shardik didn't answer, but he blinked easily enough.

With that, he went on all fours and headed south, away from his home, his position, his familiarity, as he ambled sadly and solely from the last place he thought was his refuge.  He remembered Fiver's words during his feverish sleep, "_Betrayal, danger, a fight to the death of one's self.  The battle will be both won and lost_."

It couldn't have been more true, Shardik thought sadly as he left his hate, his bitterness, his identity, his past dead self, to linger behind as a poignant memory as he traveled south where he knew nothing of his fate, once again, a wanderer at the mercy of Frith's plan for his life.  He just hoped it would be more gratifying, merciful, and filled with happiness than his physical life, but Justin had no doubt it probably would.

                                                                ***

"Uh...Fiver?" Hawkbit asked sheepishly as he stood in front of Fiver and Justin as they both sat next to a stream of sparkling water later that evening.  Immediately, once they were all healed, everyone fled as speedily as they could north, away from the Land of Yesterday and the Land of Tomorrow, unwilling to see how irate the animals would be once the time-freeze wore off.  Now, after such a hurried travel and a good distance, they were all resting and ready to sleep.  Fiver and Justin looked at Hawkbit curiously.

"About...about what I said before, and after seeing how your second sight helped save Justin when we were all helpless due to losing our Sense of Smell...I was wrong.  I'm sorry.  Can you...can you forgive me?"

Fiver nodded, but he added with a mischievous wink, "I daresay you're just doing this so that the others won't cuff you for opening your big mouth one too many times?"

Hawkbit blushed, but replied hastily, embarrassed, "Well...partly that, but I was also sorry to see how much I hurt you with what I said earlier.  I mean, by the Black Rabbit, you're my friend."

Justin chimed in, smiling, "Well, apology accepted, but I think you're going to still be hurting, Hawkbit."  Hawkbit looked at him, bewildered, so Justin pointed behind him.  The blackish rabbit turned around to see Acorn, Campion, Buckthorn, Holly, Speedwell, Bigwig, and Dandelion grinning impishly and wickedly.

"Eep!" Hawkbit blurted out in dread, and he managed to dash away with the seven rabbits in hot pursuit, still keen on giving Hawkbit a good cuffing for speaking so brashly and insensitively.  Despite the yelps of the loudmouth as the group finally caught up with him, Fiver managed to ask Justin, "So, why did you break your promise to me while we were in the Web of Thorns?  By Frith and Inle, I was stunned to see you could still muster enough willpower and courage to stand up and fight against Shardik!"

Justin smiled grimly.  "I guess because I had faith everything would turn out OK, and that no matter what, I would always prefer it if I died trying to save someone rather than someone sacrificing themselves for my sake.  I've already had one important sacrifice of love in my life.  I don't need another, especially since I still think, hope, that no matter what, if we look hard enough...well, there would be a way to save and help everyone without sacrificing anyone, without leaving anyone behind.  And I wasn't willing to leave you behind, especially since I know how much that would hurt Hazel.  And myself, for that matter."  Fiver's eyes twinkled a bit under the clear, starry sky as they both watched the stream and the beautiful night sky as the heard the sounds of the brawl continuing.

"Owch!!  Will you quit it?!!  Ouch!  Ow!! Ow! Ow!!"

"Oh be quiet, Hawkbit!  It's only a little bruising!" laughed Dandelion.

"C'mon, you foul-mouthed, flea-infested, smarmy miscreant!" roared Bigwig, "You've been asking this for some time now, and as your fellow friends, we're only so glad to oblige!"

"Maybe I should help Hazel stop this," murmured Justin worriedly.

Fiver said, "Actually, I daresay it would be best if we let Hawkbit enjoy this moment a little longer, for his sake."

Justin turned to the small rabbit in surprise, giggling.  "Since when do you have such an evil streak?"

Fiver chuckled, "Oh, let us say that Hawkbit's mouth has had somewhat of an influence on me."

"Very funny, Fiver!" Hawkbit managed to protest acidly over the sounds of paws good-naturedly cuffing his head.

/*

Next: DANDELION in "This Rhyme Goes to Show It! Dandelion's a Poet!"

Until then, review please!  Any flames or hate mail shall go under the same after as Hawkbit whenever he annoys someone! =)

*/


	21. This Rhyme Goes to Show It! Dandelion's ...

/*

Author's note: Hey, wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter, and since it's a day where the Easter bunny comes out (yes, I know that's sacrilegious, but this is NOT a Bible story so it doesn't count! I have more respect for the Big Guy than that! =) ), I decided to update this story on the day that honors the ever so famous rabbit (hee hee, it would be funny if it was supposed to be El-ahrairah bringing candies for all the little kids!).  so, enjoy the chapter of our poet, Dandelion, Watership Down's greatest storyteller!

*/

CHAPTER 20 

                "And every evening, when Frith has done his day's work, and lies calm and easy in the red sky, El-ahrairah and his children and his children's children come out of their holes and feed and play in his sight, for they are his friends and he has promised them that they can never be destroyed."  Dandelion took in a deep breath, sighing contently at another story well told to his fellow comrades and to Justin.  They were all sitting amongst the grass and green, moss-covered boulders underneath the cool night sky alongside a collection of small, grassy hills infested with dark, granite rocks.  It had been four days after the events of the trial in the Land of Yesterday and Tomorrow, but Hazel, Holly, and Bigwig felt that the animals from those kingdoms wouldn't travel this far to chase them down.  After days of travel, Dandelion and Bluebell had been helping out with the morale of the group by telling some stories each night before they rest and recuperate.  So far, they were doing a marvelous job: to Justin's delight, he heard Dandelion and Bluebell tell so far "The Story of the Three Cows", "The Story of the Comical Field", "The Story of the King's Lettuce", "The Story of Rowsby Woof and the Fairy Wogdog", and just now, of course, "The Story of the Blessing of El-ahrairah".  Justin had to admit, if any human listened to a rabbit tell a story, they would find it a lot more entertaining that watching TV, especially with Dandelion's extremely skillful narration and details and Bluebell's quirky voice and a use of a wide range of voices used to personify certain characters.  He could spend all his life listening to Dandelion and Bluebell as could the rest of the rabbits.

                "Well done, chap!" praised Strawberry, "You've really quite hit it upon the mark, bucko!"

                "Yeah, that was excellent!  Pretty cool, too!" gushed Justin.

                Dandelion blushed in simply humility, but Bluebell, humorously, tried milking it for all it was worth as he laughed and pranced around like a comical, strutting comedian.

                "Thank you, thank you, fellow admirers!  Oh come now, keep the praises and compliments coming!  Ah, what a wonderful night!  Nothing but stories, chewing on pellets, and of course, jolly good entertainment from the wonderful jester, the King of all humor and jokes, the ever so brilliant genius of poetry...me!!  C'mon, let's keep up with the good fun with several more stories and whatnot, shall we??"

                "Some rabbit around here needs to deflate his ego," commented Campion aloud with a teasing, snide tone as he chewed contently on several pellets.

                "Let him have the moment, Campion," Speedwell said in support as he rested his head on his front paws, exhausted.

                Justin chatted with Dandelion as Buckthorn and Hawkbit playfully wrestled with Bluebell.  "I never knew how much you and the rest of the guys around here depend so much on stories.  I mean, it's like...like I'm there, with you, actually witnessing what was going on, in the midst of the adventures and travels with El-ahrairah himself!  Heck, no wonder you're always known as the best storyteller at Watership Down!"

                Dandelion smiled at Justin's newfound eagerness as he scratched his ear with his hind leg, chuckling, "Well, any jolly good storyteller should be able to do that, I daresay!  Yet, it isn't much, young Justin!  We're just telling the adventures of seasons past of El-ahrairah, and as long as we remember and treasure these stories, we'll always remember our history, our legacy, our duties and gifts as jolly, good rabbits!  It is not just for entertainment, but it is also for ourselves, our legacy, our future!  It is teaches us about how to live by wits, by trickery, by cunning, it's for inspiration!  After all, every story and legend has a bit of truth in it!"

                "Every story?" Justin asked softly, forlornly, as his face fell.  Dandelion realized this and cursed softly to himself.  He had forgotten about the little excerpt the stag, the King of Tomorrow, had told him and Fiver during the trial, and though all of the Watership Owsla did make it out of the unsafe kingdoms without much injury, the event did wound Justin's faith and invoked reasons for doubt and lack of confidence.  Though Hazel and the other rabbits tried to discourage Justin and Fiver once they heard it from them, they couldn't shake the feeling that the King of Tomorrow could be telling the truth.

                Dandelion brought his nose over to Justin's, forcing the boy to look at the golden rabbit in the face as the Watership protector spoke softly, "Justin, I won't lie to you.  None of us knows why El-ahrairah sent for you, and by the fur and paw of El-ahrairah, I myself do not know if the additional prophesy told by the King of Tomorrow is true or not, but I do know this: El-ahrairah sent for you to come protect this land and his children, El-ahrairah trusts your powers, and El-ahrairah trusted us, and only us, to protect you with the very best of our abilities.  So, don't think the absolute worse about yourself, all right young one?"

                Justin was still slightly depressed.  "But, does it even bother you that the cross-bearer has to be a human, a creature who has waged a battle against all animals since time began?  That the King of Yesterday and Tomorrow could be right when they said I was a menace to all creatures in the land beyond life?"

                Dandelion, being the dedicated, truthful, yet sincere bard he always was, replied compassionately, "It did at first, but the more time we spent with you, all of us realized that you are not the enemy.  I am honored that I have received a chance to protect and know you, just like how I've always been honored to be the chronicler of this journey, the raconteur to memorize and foretell all our travels and adventures into a story, so that this legend will never pass and will always be a part of Lapine history."

                Justin just cast his eyes downward, and Dandelion gently placed a paw underneath Justin's chin and forced the teenager to look directly into his eyes again.  "Justin, if nothing else, trust El-ahrairah and his judgment.  You are not what you think you are: the cause of all trouble you bring into the land beyond life, someone who isn't strong and cowardly, someone who is destined fail.  I don't see that in you, and neither do Hazel-rah and the others.  In fact, the stories will say how no other rabbit will ever find any other creature so devoted, so gentle and full of kindness and mercy, than the teenage cross-bearer by the name of Justin within all of the land beyond life."

                Justin gave Dandelion an amused, skeptical look.  "Since when has there already been stories about our adventures?"

                "I'm working on it as we go along, or, as you humans say, 'I'm winging it'?"  Dandelion smirked at this comment.

                "Are your stories ever true or just based on your own opinion?"  Justin's mouth grew into a small beam.

                "Is there a difference?" Dandelion chuckled, "Now, see!  You're smiling!  That's the old chap, now!   Come now, no more sad faces, no more wallowing in self-pity, no more sadness, no more doubt, you hear me, young one?"

                Justin gave a small laugh as he joked, "I swear, I don't know who's more overbearingly optimistic: you or Bluebell."

                "That may be open to some debate, young cross-bearer.  Now, if you asked who's more of a storyteller, well now, there's no contest there!"

                "Glad to hear you admit defeat, Dandelion!" chortled Bluebell as he jumped next to Dandelion and Justin, starting right into their conversation, "I'm ever so glad to see you confess that no Watership rabbit can tell a story better than me!  I'm so humbled by your humility and gracious consent!"

                "Not likely, you scamp!" growled Dandelion playfully as he gave Bluebell a cuff on the head, "_I'm_ the better storyteller!"

                "No, _I_ am!"

                "Sorry chap, but the only thing you'd be better at than me is when which rabbit is the more annoying, Bluebell!"  This, of course, led to a good-natured, yet dramatic tussle between Dandelion and Bluebell, trying to pin the other one down, as they rolled on the dirt and grass and insulted each other in good fun.

                "Hazel-rah, they're at it again," Strawberry announced in a tired voice.  The chief rabbit rolled his eyes but began to hop over with Holly and Blackberry to break up the fight.

                "This happens often?" Justin asked Strawberry with raised eyebrows.

                "You would be very surprised," sighed the fat, orange rabbit.

                                                                                ***

                "Let's see...'pure, loving light'...no, that won't jolly work!  Ah, perhaps...no, then again, maybe not.  Hmmmm...by Frith, maybe 'let man, animal and creature unite'...yes, I daresay I've hit the mark on that one!" Dandelion muttered to himself as he flew across the fields of grass with Justin on his back, traveling with the other rabbits as they continued their journey towards the meadows of Fenlo.  Bluebell heard Dandelion's intent, mumblings of concentration with his sharp ears.

                "Frith above, Dandelion!  What's with all the rumblings and ramblings?!  Are you trying to run or jolly well whisper a story to the fleas in your fur?!" Bluebell joked.  The other rabbits and Justin, upon hearing this, chuckled as Dandelion gave a mock frown, pouting.

                "Well, if you and your prying nose must know, I'm trying to think up of a poem while we're traveling!  It helps to pass the time and keeps my mind contemplating on ways to tell this entire journey as a story once this whole mess is done and over with."

                "Funny how you're doing that instead of keeping your mind on protecting Justin," Bigwig glowered at Dandelion accusingly, but Hazel shushed him.

                "Well, if this does become a story, Dandelion, then you'll be the chap to tell it!  And I, for one, will be there to listen to you once we're all in the nice, warm Grand Hall!" Hazel praised, trying to pleasantly erase Bigwig's gruffness.

                "Must you torture us with that image?!" whined Hawkbit, "I'm having a hard enough time remembering that we're all living dangerously from one moment to the next, being chased by embleer elil without you trying to recap to us what we're all missing out on back at El-ahrairah's warren! since we've started this journey!"

                "You mean a nice, warm burrow, sheltered and heated with the affection of several does?" teased Silver with a gleam in his eye.

                "Or all the adventures and fun of frolicking in the endless fields of sweet clover and soft grass?" carried on Buckthorn.

                "Or the nice, peaceful life of having nothing to do except eat and play and sleep?" put in Speedwell.   Hawkbit, seeing how they were commenting these purposely in order to further remind Hawkbit what luxuries he wasn't able to enjoy due to his mission, growled at them, "I loathe the lot of you _so much_."

                "Then our work here is done," chimed in Speedwell, laughing.  Hawkbit growled, muttering on how he'd like to wring the neck of a certain white jester when Holly, a bit tired of the bickering, interrupted graciously, "Well, Dandelion, what have you thought up of the poem so far?  Let's hear it."

                "Oh yes, please do!" Pipkin exclaimed eagerly, his eyes sparkling.

                "Yeah, tell us Dandelion!  If your poetry is as good as your story-telling, we're in for a real treat!" egged on Justin, and the rest of the rabbits, curiosity based, agreed somewhat wholeheartedly.  Dandelion gave in as he recited what he came up with so far.

                "_Digger, Listener, and Runner!_

_                Gifts of Rabbits, set us free!_

_                Give us strength to fight our Enemy!_

_                Let man and animal reunite,_

_                Bind our hearts and souls alike,_

_And pray for the cross to shine its light!_

_                Hope and Kindness, Cunning and Courage,_

_                Friendship and Love, Mercy and Grace!_

_                Frith and El-ahrairah,_

_Stand strong beside us_..."

                "Well?!" demanded Bigwig impatiently, and Dandelion shrugged awkwardly.

                "That's as far as I could get, old chap."  Amongst the groans around them, Justin carefully pondered silently this until a brainstorm hit him.

                "Dandelion," he asked softly, "How about '_Banish this evil from time and space_'?  Think that'll work?"  The golden rabbit's eyes widened in surprise, ran the verse several times in his poem to test it, before nodding with thankful admiration, signifying his approval.  "I say, young Justin, you're more clever than you think!"

                "Yes, and if you're not careful, we'll have him replace you as our greatest storyteller, Dandelion," teased Strawberry pleasantly and Dandelion shot back with a mischievous impression.

"You wish to see how well I can cuff you from this distance, you great, big dandy?"

"Hazel-rah!!" shrieked out Pipkin piercingly in the air, stunning everyone, and almost immediately, Bigwig and Holly hollered back a warning as they glanced up.

"Everyone, turn back!  Go the other way!  Get on with it, you blokes!!  Turnabout and run the other way now!!  Hurry!"

"Wha-??  What in the name of Frith??" Bluebell gasped out in weak puzzlement, but Justin and Dandelion stared up ahead among the lush, green dunes and saw what was the matter.  All along the ridge of the grassy knolls was a thick, foreboding line of rabbits, but they were not Efrafans.  Each rabbit had thick, messy shags of black fur, blacker than ebony, and even their chest fur and ears were oddly colored in tones of dark gray, contrasting against the wicked, evil glow of crimson in their eyes.  Each rabbit wore simple garments of black, cotton vests with the indicative copper medallions of Elil-rah, and all of them, though roughly the same size as Hazel or any of the Watership rabbits, appeared to be vindictive, ruthless warriors, unafraid of what lay in store for them.  It was so similar to the look of Veil Guplea, the king of all rats who attacked Campion and Justin earlier, but all of these rabbits were standing upright, saying nothing as their penetrating, harsh stares scowled menacingly at the group of Watership rabbits.  With a quick estimate, Justin realized with a sinking heart that there were over a hundred, perhaps even a thousand rabbits forming an impassible barricade in front, and not even Acorn and his army of multiples could be enough to fight the entire ridge of Elil-rah minions.

"Dandelion, get moving, or so Frith help me, I'll bite you right now!!" snapped Bigwig as he gave a hard shove to the tharn Dandelion's rear with his head, trying to force the golden rabbit to move.  As they all galloped back, retreating, Buckthorn demanded incredulously, "Why in the name of the Black Rabbit are we running?!  We could have simply had Justin time-freeze them in an instant!!"

"NO, Buckthorn!" yelled Strawberry as he gave a worried glance over his shoulder, seeing how the rabbits were not even making an attempt to chase them down, "I think that is what they want!!  They wouldn't appear like this, knowing how powerful the cross-bearer is, unless if they have anticipated Justin using his powers of light!  I mean, look at them!  They aren't even chasing us down!!  Retreat would be safer!!"

"Wait, they're not coming after us?!!" gasped a horrified Hazel, too busy to run without giving so much as a look to the enemy behind them.  He realized immediately what was going on.

"EVERYONE STOP!" he hollered, and though all the rabbits were not exactly willing to do so, they all obeyed their Chief rabbit, but with mad, impatient, confused looks on their visages.

"What, are you crazy?!" Hawkbit snapped, "Oh wait, my bloody mistake!  I forgot who I was talking too!!"

"Hazel-rah??" wheezed Silver, but Hazel shook his head as he explained in a frantic rush, "Don't you see??!  Those rabbits!!  They're not chasing us, as if they are not concerned that we could escape!!  As if they aren't worried they have lost the element of surprise to ambush us!!  As if...!!"

"...as if they have us completely surrounded so that no matter where we run, we'll be cut off!!"  Bigwig finished for him, his face darkening as he cursed himself for letting Justin and his friends into a clever trick.

"Embleer Frith, this is exactly like the Efrafans and the Ilips when they attacked!" groaned Acorn.

"Justin, try to time-freeze them!" Blackberry shouted, "Time-freeze the entire hills!!  That way, it will stun any hidden surprises that those messengers of Elil-rah have planned for us!!"

"Whatever it is, you best be doing it now, young one!!" Campion urged as he pointed to the hills in front of them with a forepaw, "Hazel-rah was right!!  There's another army of rabbits coming at us from behind!!  We're surrounded!"  Sure enough, another group was marching towards them from the direction they were retreating towards, only this time, this army not only consisted of rabbits, but stoats, weasels, and rats, all of them colored with eerie tones of gray and black with dark garments and red, glowing eyes.  This was certainly unexpected.

"By Frith, every elil in the land beyond life must be trying to capture us!" exclaimed Speedwell as he stood upright nervously, "It's an embleer siege!  Elil-rah must have reconvened the armies of Volgnamass and Veil Guplea from the past to try to overwhelm all of us again!"

"No, it isn't them!  It's a completely different army!  I'd recognize any of those weasels if they were here!  This isn't from before! This is a whole new Owsla of Elil-rah!!" Acorn put in.

"Either way, it still means trouble for us!  Justin!" Holly turned keenly, evocatively, to Justin, and the teenage boy lost no time in summoning his powers.

"Time, stop the entire land!  Freeze all the armies!"  Immediately, with a blaze of glorious gold and orange sunlight, all the rats, stoats, weasels, and rabbits could only growl in annoyance and provocation as the light encased all of their bodies, surrounding them in a gentle cover of sunlight, freezing the moment and leaving them as stiff, glowing statues.  Fiver and Pipkin sighed as the air was silenced, quiet, safe.

"What a relief!" Bluebell laughed happily, "Now, those blimey duffers can't bother us!  Still, quite a shame really!  I would have preferred a chance to send these embleer elil running with a few cuffs here and there!"  No sooner than he said that, with dawning revelation, the shimmering golden capsules around the minions of Elil-rah's army started dissolving, fading away, disappearing!  Before their horrified eyes, the light completely vanished, and all the dark rats, stoats, weasels, and rabbits were free.  Free to advance towards them even closer, making a tightly packed cluster of no escape.  The time-freeze had worn off.

"Bluebell, you just had to say that, didn't you?!!" fumed Hawkbit as he gave the jester a reproachful grimace.  Bluebell laughed weakly and sheepishly.

"The time-freeze wore off!  It didn't work on these elil long enough!" gasped Speedwell.

"How...how is this even possible?!!" Pipkin cried as several stoats rasped at him, ready to sink their claws into flesh and draw blood, "Justin's powers only failed on ghosts and phantoms, not real animals like us!!  O Frith and Inle, what do we do?!  What do we do?!!"

"Justin, quick make an army!" Acorn hissed furiously at the teenager still worriedly watching the entire scene on Dandelion's back, "Use you power to burgeon myself into a group large enough to take all of these dark fools!!  It will give us some time to escape!!"

"All right," Justin agreed, but before he could do anything, Campion saw a quick, dark figure suddenly appear out of nowhere, running with such amazing speed and agility, he could barely see the shape and form of the creature.  Yet, to his horror, it was making its way towards Justin and Dandelion.  Silver and Buckthorn saw this too.

Silver shouted, "Dandelion!  Justin!  Behind you!!"

Yet it was too late, and before Dandelion and Acorn could even move, Justin felt himself be lifted off Dandelion's back as the blur tackled him with controlled, yet supernatural strength and force.  Acorn and Dandelion could only gasp in dread as the blur jumped a few yards away from them, holding Justin captive.  The teenage cross-bearer tried to struggle until he heard a deep, husky voice snarl as claws placed themselves gingerly and dangerously underneath the soft tissue of his chin, "Move, and you will die, cross-bearer!"

"Let him go!" Strawberry cried as all the rabbits could now see their opponent clearly.  It was an extremely large rabbit, almost similar in appearance to a hare and twice as large as Bigwig or Silver.  His entire pelt was black and riddled with gray hairs and apparent scars, but lustrous and shiny.  His eyes were not red, but a sickly, diseased yellow, and the rabbit's left ear had a large piece missing, as if something had taken a bite out of it.  The rabbit was large, brawny, and his powerful muscles on his forepaws and legs were quivering and bulging with threatening anticipation.  Though he was not dressed much differently from his fellow soldiers, with a simple black vest and copper medallion, he was wearing a copper helmet, similar to the design of helmets from the Roman soldiers.  Now, the rabbit stood before them, holding Justin forcefully with one forepaw wrapped constrictively around his upper torso, and his other paw with his black claws flaunted plainly close to Justin's neck.  One quick slash was all it would take.  Silver, Bigwig, Campion, Hawkbit, and Holly were about to charge.

"Try anything foolish, and the young human dies!!" the rabbit growled in a commanding voice to Hazel and the rest of the Watership rabbits.  Bigwig, Holly, Campion, Hawkbit, and Silver appeared unwilling to yield, but a wave of lost loomed over the rest of the group.  Fiver, however, was shivering, with eyes tightly shut, and to the normal observer, it appeared that he was crying.  Yet Dandelion, who was the closest to the seer, heard Fiver whisper enigmatically, "Every story of deception has a seed of truth...every story of deception has a seed of truth."

Dandelion looked at him strangely, but then the evil rabbit commanded to his horde of loyal soldiers, "TAKE THEM ALL PRISONER, QUICKLY!!"

With a roar, an eighth of the tremendous mass charged towards them.  Unprepared for the quickness and effectiveness of the army, Hazel and the rabbits fought off the best they could as they cuffed, swatted, and kicked at any enemy from all direction.  Though surprisingly, the Watership rabbits sent many of the soldiers flying and bleeding with scratches and abrasions, there were too many, and apparently, the mass of dark animals were extremely well-trained in close combat.  Within minutes, all of them were beaten and pinned down, but that wasn't all.  As soon as the fight was finished, Bigwig and Holly noticed with amazement that the bleeding wounds and cuts on the weasels, stoats, and rabbits were fading away, healing themselves.  In seconds, there were no traces that they were even in a bloody brawl to begin with.  Hazel and Dandelion were struggling against several rabbits who were restraining them tightly with their paws behind their backs as the leader rabbit smiled sadistically, marching up to them while still holding Justin hostage.

"What do you want?" muttered Hazel, fuming, as he looked the large rabbit squarely in the eye.  The rabbit chuckled as he explained, "If you are wondering whether or not I will kill Justin, you have no need to be concerned yet.  If I wanted the boy dead, he would be, but that does not mean that I wouldn't keep that possibility in mind if he does not do what I want him too."

"Let me guess, you want him for his cross so that you could learn to harness the powers of the cross-bearer, therefore making yourself into a powerful ruler in the land beyond life?!" spat out Dandelion with a glare.

"Somewhat," the leader admitted with a knowing smirk, "but unlike Lord Brock, I am no fool.  I know that Justin's powers originate from his cross of purity and light, but rather than risk having the boy use his powers on me, I'll just simply have him do my bidding!  If he chooses to, he will be safe, but if he refuses, not only will I kill him, but I'll see to it that Elil-rah imagines the worst possible torture of the rabbits of Watership Down!"

"Justin, don't listen to him!" hollered Silver as several rats and two stoats restrained him painfully.

The rabbit brought the boy closer to his face, his paws tightening in a choking grip on Justin's neck.  "Now, now, young Justin, if you want to make this harder, all I have to do is give a command, and you shall have the perfect view of my Rabid Rats, Savage Stoats, Wildcat Weasels, and loyal rabbit minions to tear all of the Watership Owsla into pieces!  If you wish to spare them, all you must do is wish with your cross to grant me power to be the true Prince of all Rabbits, the new Prince of a Thousand, a rabbit far superior than El-ahrairah!  Your cross is capable of doing such a feat for me, and if you do, as the new ruler and sovereign of all rabbits near and far, I shall spare your friends!"

"You monster!" snarled Hazel, "Don't you remember the legends of past forgotten?!  If Justin does wish for such an act, it would be deemed as selfish and cruel, an act that will immediately forsake him of his powers as the cross-bearer!  He cannot harm a living thing here unless if it was for defense and to battle evil, not as a way for you to gain power and status, you wretch!  Once he loses his powers, he won't be of any use to you!"

"I know," sneered the rabbit, "all the more reason why Elil-rah would wish for this.  With Justin powerless after he grant my wish, nothing can stop our dark Lord from taking over this world, and once the deed is done, you, Justin will die by my hands, the victorious King Fur-Rocious!!"

"King Fur-Rocious?!!" Bluebell gasped, realizing he was the infamous, cruel rabbit lord who had waged war on the warren of El-ahrairah in 'The Story of King Fur-Rocious', the one and only time El-ahrairah went to do battle.  In "Tales from Watership Down", King Fur-Rocious commanded legions of not only rabbits, but stoats, weasels, and rats as well, making his army much, much larger than El-ahrairah's, making it easy for the warlord to kick out the Prince of a Thousand and steal his doe.  Yet, El-ahrairah, by uniting himself with allies of a cat, ants, crows, and a stream, managed to defeat King Fur-Rocious and banish him far away from his home.  Now, King Fur-Rocious was back to seek revenge on El-ahrairah and reclaim his attempt to be the new Lord and Prince of all Rabbits.  King Fur-Rocious continued.

"Justin, do as I say!  Make me the new ruler of all rabbits!  Make me the new El-ahrairah, the one who shall be Lord Frith's most treasured servant and trickster!  I, King Fur-Rocious, command you to make it so!!"  Justin swore he could have heard the King of Tomorrow's voice echo in his mind, back at that fateful day he and Fiver were being tried by the kingdoms of Yesterday and Tomorrow: "_Though meant for good, there are two sides of the one who bears the cross, just like night and day, air and land, spring and winter, and thus, peace and chaos.  At the time of revelation, the one who was to heal shall also be the one to die, where there is life, there will be death, for the cross brings grave danger of unspeakable horrors to the Prince of a Thousand Enemies... Don't you see, young Justin?  You may think you will be helping El-ahrairah once you reach his warren, but in reality, you will only be making things worse for him.  If the prophecy is true, then you are destined to cause the death of El-ahrairah, whom I believe is also named the 'Prince of a Thousand', is he not?_"  Justin, though his vision was being blurred from the lack of air, managed to gasp out weakly, "No...no, I won't!  I won't!"

King Fur-Rocious' eyes narrowed as his claws sunk into Justin's neck and he growled lividly, "I am warning you, Justin, do not defy me!  I order you to wish me to be the new Prince of all Rabbits!  Do it!!"

Justin now had tears of pain leak out of his eyes as he felt the blood run down his neck and his mind burn with the lack of oxygen.  In his panicked mind, he prayed silently to himself, "Please, please, God, Jesus, help me!  I can't use my powers on them!  I can't do anything!  Let my cross perform a miracle...please!"

King Fur-Rocious however, noting Justin's closed, wincing eyes, guessed the truth immediately; Justin was trying to use his powers on him and his army again with a silent prayer.  He immediately became enraged with ruthless bloodlust.

"You treacherous scum!" he roared, giving Justin a cuff across the face that sent the teenager reeling to the ground, and immediately, King Fur-Rocious was upon him, his teeth reaching for Justin's windpipe.

"JUSTIN!!!" screamed all the rabbits of Watership Down, and though he had no idea why or how, Dandelion gritted his teeth, knelt down, and placed a sharp kick to the rabbit on his right.  The soldier of Elil-rah released Dandelion's forearm immediately, and that allowed the rabbit to aim a sharp cuff on the face of the other rabbit that was detaining him, his claws gouging his left eye and part of his muzzle with bloody, diagonal slashes.  Now free, Dandelion blindly ran with all the speed he could muster and jumped on King Fur-Rocious' back, trying to pull him off Justin.

"Let go of him!!" yelled Dandelion, his teeth ripping into the leader's broad back.  Yet King Fur-Rocious was not to be deterred by a rabbit he outweighed by more than twice as he reached closer and closer to Justin's neck.

"Justin, prepare to die!" roared King Fur-Rocious.

"NO!!!  GET AWAY FROM  ME!!!" pleaded Justin, and inexplicably, miraculously, Justin's cross began to glow brighter, enveloping both the bodes of Justin and Dandelion with brilliant, beautiful, golden sparkles on light, illuminating them with colors of gold and orange completely.

"NO!" shouted King Fur-Rocious, but before he could even kill Justin, the physical presences of Dandelion and Justin disappeared and disintegrated into glittering dust, vanishing in thin air, leaving King Fur-Rocious to only take a bite out of the grass and soil underneath his paws.  He looked wildly around, but his heart plummeted with vile irritation.  The cross-bearer and the lone rabbit had escaped to Frith knew where.

"Scouts!!  Find them at once!!  Search the perimeter!!"  Immediately, several rats, rabbits, stoats, and weasels streaked across the grassy hills, hoping to catch a glimpse of the human boy and the Watership rabbit.  After fifteen tense minutes, one of the rats came back and reported in a monotone voice, "Sire, we cannot find them!  They are nowhere near our vicinity!  Your orders, my King?"

"Looks like the blighter is in a bit of trouble," spat Speedwell scathingly, being restrained by two weasels and a stoat.

"Silence, you impudent animal!  I won't lose yet!!  The cross-bearer will be mine once again, and in order to do that, you rabbits will be of some use to me!  Take them to my warren!!"  Hazel and the others, with some struggling, were escorted with King Fur-Rocious, but regardless of being held prisoner, Hazel hoped that Dandelion and Justin were all right and could remain undiscovered from King Fur-Rocious' steady scouts and troops.

                                                                ***

"No!!  Stop!!!  Leave him...alone??!" Dandelion finished weakly, his voice filled with extreme mystification and uncertainty as he realized he was on top of Justin, alone, without King Fur-Rocious and without the armies of rats, rabbits, stoats, and weasels.  Yet unfortunately, they were without Hazel and the others of the Owsla of El-ahrairah.  Justin and Dandelion helped each other up as they stared around their surroundings.  There was no question about it; they were past the peaceful green, grassy hills where the armies had ambushed them, being little more than a faint green blur in the horizon behind them.  In front of them was the path that would eventually lead them into the meadows of Fenlo.  Dandelion just quizzically looked at Justin with wide eyes, sweat from his fur starting to make his blue and silver tunic damp.

"How...how did we get here??  Justin, what in the name of El-ahrairah did you do??"

"I...I don't know!" Justin shook his head, stunned and at a loss, "I just wanted to get away from King Fur-Rocious, he was going to kill me, and when you jumped in to attack...!  I don't know what I did!"

"Well, by the fur and paw, whatever you did, I am certainly glad you did it!  Frith in a hole!  We've certainly traveled quite a distance, young bucko!  To get here alone by running would take us until at least ni-Frith if we started in the morning!"

"I think...we must have teleported!" Justin realized, "My cross must have teleported us here when it sensed that I was in real danger!  Like how it gave Speedwell the ability to come into my dreams and astral project when he touched me!  My cross...wow, it's starting to act like it has a mind of its own!!  This is getting really strange and freaky!"

"And being in the land beyond the living, talking with animals isn't queer enough for you, young one??" Dandelion quipped, "So we 'teleported' over here, but the question is: why did your cross take me and not the others?!  They're still back there with King Fur-Rocious and his army of creatures under his command!"

"I don't know, but I'm not going to leave them behind!"  Justin nearly felt worry and grief clutch his stomach, but he forced the shaking in his body to cease temporarily, "And no, I don't care what you say, I'm not leaving them behind!"

"Justin -" began Dandelion.

"No, forget it!  I don't care if I'll be endangering myself, or if I'm being stupid, or if I'm going to walk into a trap!  I don't care about any of that!!"

"Justin..."

"Hazel and Bigwig and the others are going to get hurt if we leave them behind!  And even if we did leave them behind, we'll still be in danger because it's just you and me!!  And just the two of us can't fight any other remaining traps and surprises that Elil-rah put in our path to try to kill me!!"

"Justin..." Dandelion was starting to get a bit miffed, but Justin was so fervent in his argument, he wasn't paying attention.

"I know you don't like this, and hell, I don't either!  You think I really want to go and get killed?!  I don't, but I'm not gonna abandon my friends either, and we're not going unprepared!  As long as we have my cross, we might still have a chance to beat King Fur-Rocious!!  I'm sorry if I'm acting like a jerk and a spoiled brat, but I'm not going anywhere except back to where King Fur-Rocious is, and that's final!!"

There was a pause as Dandelion gave the teenager a strange look, standing upright, his arms crossed in front of his chest, tapping one foot impatiently.

"Can I talk now??" he asked flatly.

"What??" Justin asked impatiently, but then Dandelion broke into a small grin.

"If you took yourself off your high tail for just a moment, you would have heard me say that I agree with you completely.  I want to go back and help Hazel-rah too!"  Justin was floored, and then he blushed as he stared at his feet mulishly.

"Sorry, I got kinda carried away," he mumbled apologetically.  Dandelion's grin grew even wider as he placed a paw on Justin's head and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Apology accepted, you young duffer, you!  Now, let us go back and give King Fur-Rocious and his army a beating it won't soon forget!  So, any ideas, young one?"

Justin nodded.  "If I can pray for my cross to teleport all the other away from King Fur-Rocious and bring them here, then they won't be prisoners anymore and we can escape and get going before they have a chance to chase down after us!  It worked for us, so it'll probably work for them!"

"Sounds jolly good!  Then do it!"  Justin gently covered the cross hanging around his neck with one hand and prayed silently to himself, wishing with all of his heart that the familiar faces of Hazel, Bigwig, Campion, and all of his other friends would appear with them, reuniting them together again.  Unfortunately, to Dandelion and Justin dismayed shock and disillusionment, the cross, through continuing to glow in a soft tone, did not invoke any magic and miraculous divinity to bring the Owsla of Watership Down back to them  Nothing happened; the cross wasn't working!

"I don't understand!!" cried Justin, getting more frustrated and distraught by the second, "My cross won't bring them over here!  We're still here by ourselves, without them!  The cross won't teleport them!"

Dandelion, though he wished he wouldn't have to, said sorrowfully and with hesitation, his courage threatening to dissolve away by the thought of King Fur-Rocious' immense army, "Then we best fall on an alternate plan, young cross-bearer."

"Let me guess: do things the hard way, march over to where King Fur-Rocious is keeping Hazel and the others prisoner, and then fight our way inside to set them free??"  Dandelion nodded with a grim face.  Clearly, there was no other choice.  Within a minute, Justin boarded on Dandelion's back, and the two, though extremely frightened of what might lay ahead, boldly dashed back towards the grassy hills, hoping and praying for little hope in a bleak and dreary situation.

                                                                ***

"I certainly hope you are all comfortable," mocked King Fur-Rocious that night as he sneered at the sight of the fourteen Watership rabbits, the soldiers of El-ahrairah and praised as one of the most resourceful and cunning rabbits of all Lapine history, wearing iron collars and chained to his sleeping quarters like dogs or lowly servants, his massive den where the ceiling and walls were strongly networked with roots.  Fiver and Pipkin, being the weaker two of the group, simply had their collars connected to the packed wall with a simple chain.  Hazel, Bigwig, Speedwell, Holly, Strawberry, Buckthorn, Silver, Campion, Hawkbit, Acorn, Blackberry, and Bluebell were less fortunate; they actually had sets of chains pin their paws behind their backs before looping towards another set of steel rings embedded on the wall.  Earlier, Bigwig, Buckthorn, Strawberry, and Holly have been giving some of the guard trouble, even if they were being tightly restrained by several guards.  After several painful bruises on Bigwig and Speedwell and Bluebell's pats, King Fur-Rocious ordered the rest of them to be tightly restrained with additional chains.  He strutted up to Hazel and knelt down to the silent, yet irate, Chief rabbit.

"Nothing to say, have you?  Well, then, you can all just simply just sit back and watch me kill the cross-bearer once he and the foolish rabbit guardian of his, Dandelion I believe his name is, arrive here at the warren to try and rescue the lot of you."

"Not likely, you disgraceful wretch!" snarled Strawberry.

Bluebell also chimed in with eyes blazing, "They're not as stupid and delusional as you are, you sniveling ruin of a grimy King!!  Dandelion and Justin are too smart to even consider coming...What am I saying?!  He's right!!  They _would_ try to come back and rescue us!!"  Bluebell groaned.

"Wonderful," griped Hawkbit, "Out of all the humans who could have been our all-powerful cross-bearer, we had to get one who acts like an idiot and has a bleeding heart!!  And of course, with a useless duffer as Dandelion along with him, this is certainly going to lead into disaster!!"

"Hawkbit, if my paws weren't tied behind my back, I'd wrap one of these chains around your throat and strangle you with it!" threatened Bigwig.

Hawkbit huffed, "Don't blame me for this!  _You're_ the one who had to lead us here with your sense of direction!  Which, I might add, is quite lousy and defective in itself along with your Owsla training!"

"WILL YOU TWO PLEASE QUIT QUARRELLING?!!  YOU'RE BOTH GETTING ON MY TEMPER!!" roared King Fur-Rocious, immediately forgetting his serious discussion with Hazel.

"Good!" snapped back Hawkbit and Bigwig at the same time.  Already irritated, King Fur-Rocious just scoffed at the stubbornly quiet Hazel.

"Anyway, the teenager cross-bearer and the lone Watership warrior will find out that all my loyal warriors will be guarding the entire paths towards this run of my warren.  For them to come and rescue you is quite noble; I grant that and admit that to have such loyalty is quite desirable.  Unfortunately, for Justin and Dandelion, it will be quite a gauntlet to even make it through unscathed."

"Then you do not know anything about Justin's powers!  He'll take care of all those armies before you can even stomp out a warning on the ground!  And when he does get here, he and Dandelion will come to face you, and then you'll be in more trouble than ever before, you coward!" growled Buckthorn.

At this, King Fur-Rocious' smile grew even more sadistic and sickening.  "My dear Buckthorn, whoever said I did _not_ want to confront them?  In fact...I am counting them showing up to challenge me."

                                                                ***

"Which way, Justin??" Dandelion gasped breathlessly as he scanned the landscape with a scrutinizing eye.  Though the entire field was littered with the still-warm scents of his teammates, they were completely engulfed by the other overbearing scents of the thousands of soldiers all throughout the lands and hills.  It would take a while before Dandelion could even discover which path all the soldiers went, especially since the soil was dry, there was no dew on the grass, and all the tracks were scattered and pointed in different directions.  Justin was just as lost as Dandelion, maybe even more so.

"I don't know!  Oh man, I wish we knew which way King Fur-Rocious took them!"  Almost immediately, Justin heard a strange high-pitched noise, almost like a whistle, and to his amazement, the cross was now glowing slightly brighter as its compass-like abilities levitated the trinket and pointed itself to Dandelion and Justin's right, towards the northwest direction.

Justin glared at the levitating jewel.  He grumbled sarcastically, "Oh great, _now_ it decides to work."

"Well, no time to argue and debate about it now, young one!  Let us go!"  With that, Dandelion tore across the hills, the dusk air now swishing by freely among the bodies of the two companions as they traveled across the hills.  Within minutes, Dandelion stopped before a large, grassy prominence, furiously sniffing the air.

"Dandelion, what -?" Justin began, but Dandelion shushed him quickly.

"Quiet, for Frith's sake!" he whispered urgently, "I can smell the members of King Fur-Rocious' army!  They're here, just right past this hill!"  Justin, his face turning white, nodded understandingly as he jumped down from the rabbit's back, and together, slowly and methodically, they crept up towards the summit of the hill and peeked over.  Dandelion was right.  Before them lay a barren area, devoid of any grass or bushes except for a huge, dead tree which was miraculously standing upright over a jumble of fern-encrusted granite boulders.  There was a large, cavern-like mouth within the cluster of the boulders, and Dandelion assumed that it was the opening that led into the runs of King Fur-Rocious' warren.  However, it was not going to be easy, especially since Justin and Dandelion could see that hundreds of thousands of black rats were snarling, chattering, and squeaking in front of the entrance as they guarded the only path to King Fur-Rocious.  Dandelion felt the blood drain from his head as he realized there was no way he could fight against so many rats, and even Justin's powers from his cross was doubtful.  If his time-freeze didn't work before, it wouldn't work now.

"Geez, that's a lot of rats!" Justin moaned softly.

"And I can't fight all of them, Justin!  We need a plan!" Dandelion whispered.

"Well, what if...if I summoned my cross to turn us invisible, so that the rats can't see us?  If I did that, we could sneak our way into the cave!"  Dandelion shook his head.

"Not likely to work!  Rats, like all other animals, have a keen Sense of Smell and Hearing.  If they can't see us, they could certainly sense us, especially with my huge body and your odor of human!  They would perceive our coming regardless, and I think King Fur-Rocious anticipated this!  That's why all the rats are here in front of his warren, to guard it and make sure we can't sneak in without getting captured!"

Justin felt at a loss.  "Oh man, if only Fiver was here!  Then he could give us a clue or some sort of riddle to get through this with his second sight!"

Dandelion's ears perked up as he remembered what Fiver said when King Fur-Rocious took Justin hostage.  It must have been a clue.

"Every story of deception has a seed of truth," Dandelion murmured to himself out loud.  Justin heard him, his brow crinkling in confusion.

"Huh?  Where...where did you hear that?"

"Fiver said it before we got overrun by King Fur-Rocious' army!  It must have been a premonition!  So, if we figure it out, we can -"

"THERE THEY ARE!  SOUND THE ALARMS!!  THE CROSS-BEARER AND THE RABBIT ARE HERE!!" rasped a high-pitched, squealing voice, and to their surprise, Dandelion and Justin turned around to see that a group of rats, a patrol no doubt, had spotted them from behind and were already making their way towards the crest of the hill.  And from the mouth of the warren, all the other Rabid Rats started chattering and squeaking in an enormous, frantic, angry, and vicious outrage, and before Dandelion and Justin could even try making a run for it, they immediately found themselves to be surrounded by Rabid Rats.  All of them licked their sharp teeth with anticipation as they screeched in unholy tones and smiled at the thought of Justin's carcass stripped of every bit of flesh after the rats have had their feast.

"You might as well give up now rabbit!" sneered a rat, "There's no where else to run!"  Dandelion was at a loss, but then Justin remembered the story of King Fur-Rocious and how El-ahrairah handled the Rabid Rats when he was locked in with them.  There was a riddle, an incantation he used to summon a cat into attacking the rats before they had a chance to kill him.  Would it work now?  Unfortunately, Justin did not know the story well enough to memorize it, but...  His mind suddenly clicked in inspired realization as he shot a glance at Dandelion, the only rabbit who knew more stories than the hairs on his fur, who was always the best storyteller at Watership Down, and who was himself, the chronicler of El-ahrairah and history alike.

"Dandelion!  Repeat the poem for me!"

"What??!  Frith and Inle, what are you talking about?!"

"In the story, 'The Story of King Fur-Rocious', the story where for once, El-ahrairah had to go to war to save his warren from being conquered by King Fur-Rocious, and how El-ahrairah was locked with the Rabid Rats!  He used a cat to defeat all of them!  What was the poem he said?!  Repeat it for me!  Hurry!!"  The rats were coming closer, and in desperation, Dandelion obliged, pausing after every line so that Justin could repeat obediently after him as he grasped the cross around his neck and shut his eyes:

"_Come out, pussy, from my ear._

_There are rats in plenty here._

_Chase them round until they fly,_

_Chew their necks until they die._"

As soon as the last word was uttered, to Dandelion's amazement, a gray and white cat suddenly emerged from Justin's cross, shining with halos of sunlight and growing bigger and bigger as she threw itself upon the rats in a untamed ferocity.  The Rabid Rats screamed in utter fear and tried to run, but the cat was too quick for them, and exactly like the story, the cat was among them in an instant and hungrily snacked on their bodies by the thousand in her endless, gaping mouth, crunching on their bones and sucking their blood and flesh with ravenous appetite.  Justin felt a bit sick as he looked on, but in less than a minute, the cat was contently licking her paws in the empty landscape.  It was done; there was not a single rat left as far as the eye could see.  The farm cat had eaten them all.  Justin shakily smiled at the gray and white cat.

"Thank you," he whispered, and the cat smiled at him and gave a satisfied "meow" before vanishing in a stream of golden sparkles and glints.  Dandelion just stared at Justin with wide, but joyous eyes as his heavy breathing came out with gasps of excitement and giddiness.

"By Frith, Justin!  You did it!  You did it!  You defeated the Rabid Rats!"

Justin smiled and shook his head, "No, _we_ did it, together!  If you didn't remember that poem, I'd be finished!"

Dandelion then realized why it worked.  "So _that_ was what Fiver meant when he said 'every story of deception has a seed of truth'!  Then this explains why your powers of time-freeze did not work before and why none of us were able to seriously injure them!  This is exactly like the story of 'The Story of King Fur-Rocious'!  We're in the midst of it, and unless we defeat them the very same way El-ahrairah defeated them, King Fur-Rocious and his armies cannot be beaten!  I think they can only be vanquished if they were fought with the same tactics and tricks El-ahrairah used on them before!  It must be their weakness!!  They can only die if they followed the same fate they met up with in the story!!"

"But, Dandelion, we're in the land beyond life!  Then how is it they can even die?!!"

"No, young one, don't you see??!  They weren't real!  None of this is!  When the pussycat attacked all the Rabid Rats, I couldn't smell any blood, any warmth from the bodies!  This is a story of deception, like Fiver had said before!  I think, and I daresay this sounds incredibly barmy, but all of King Fur-Rocious' armies are illusions, beings come to life from the stories of El-ahrairah itself!  Don't you see, Justin?!  You can't hurt a story character unless if it finishes its role exactly like it was supposed to in the story!!  Which means we can't hurt them unless if we do the exact same thing El-ahrairah did to them!"

Justin nodded, understanding.  "Then we better get over to King Fur-Rocious' warren fats, or else Hazel and the others will be in big trouble!  Do you remember all the other poems from the story?!"  Dandelion gave him a pretend look of being offended.

"Need I remind you who you're talking to?  By Frith and Inle, I'm one of the greatest storytellers that has ever lived!  Just leave the blighters to me!"  Without further hesitation, both Justin and Dandelion charged into the mouth of the cave, leading them downward into the descent of King Fur-Rocious' warren.  Without much trouble, Justin's light acted as a glowing compass once again, lighting Dandelion's way and guiding him further and further in the tunnels.  Soon, they came across a gargantuan grotto filled with the Wildcat Weasels, their high-pitched squeals echoing coldly in the cave, the light from their red eyes causing their black claws to gleam.  Justin nearly felt his heart stop, but Dandelion bravely recited the poem, snapping Justin to attention:

"_Come out crows, by one and two._

_Teach those weasels what to do._

_Peck those weasels on the head._

_Peck them til they fall down dead!_"

Immediately, Justin's cross gave off a sudden burst of furious, golden sparks which immediately turned into ravenous, violent crows and ravens with sharp black beaks and severe talons.  Within seconds, the weasels vainly tried to run or fight as their screams of throbbing agony resounded across the warren as the birds clawed their faces, beat their wings, and pecked their eyes and bodies mercilessly, littering the ground with blood, hacked flesh, and pieces of hair and skin.  Soon, all the weasels had perished, their corpses lifeless and turning cold amongst puddles of their own blood, and due to their completed roles, they vanished, gore and all.  Not a trace was left behind, and the crows, sensing that their work was done, vanished in bright flashes of sunlight, just like the farm cat had before.  After some more traveling, they ran into the Savage Stoats in another large room.  This time, with confidence and bravery, Dandelion and Justin recited this poem strongly, their voices booming:

"_Ants, ants, come out of my ear._

_All the Savage Stoats are here._

_Sting their tails and sting their heads._

_Turn them into starks and deads!_"

It was quick battle, with the endless streams of black and red ants emerging out of nowhere, completely crawling and covering the stoats, no matter how hard they tried to avoid them.  With the infinite amounts of ants biting and raising poisoned, red welts in their skin and burrowing in their eyes, noses, mouths, ears, flesh and brains, the stoats could take no more of their torture as they fell lifeless on the ground, twitching as each bite from an ant drained their life bit by bit.  They too, vanished without a trace, the illusions melting under the light of Justin's cross.  The ants silently disappeared as well.  Dandelion was rapturous.

"We did it, Justin!  We did it!  We've already taken care of King Fur-Rocious' army of elil!  Now we can go rescue our friends and nothing can stop us!"

"Oh no??" sneered a voice from behind them, and Justin and Dandelion turned to see, with horror, the army of several hundred dark rabbits standing several meters away from them at the opposite end of the room, the remainder of King Fur-Rocious' army.  Dandelion just glared, bracing his feet as Justin held on tightly to his tunic and fur on the rabbit's back.

"HA!  You embleer  puffballs don't scare us!  All we have to do is...O Frith and Inle!" Dandelion groaned that last part as his face went white.

"Dandelion, what's wrong?!!  Say the spell that'll get rid of these illusions!!" Justin said urgently.

Dandelion's whiskers twitched with nervousness, apprehension, and realization.  He replied in an uneasy, quivering, edgy voice, "Ummm...young one??  That's the problem.  There _is_ no poem that El-ahrairah used to defeat them!  In fact, they were never vanquished, and the story only went to say that they left with King Fur-Rocious when he surrendered and complied to El-ahrairah's wishes after the war.  Which means, if they were never vanquished like in the story..."

"We can't make them disappear," Justin finished for the rabbit with awareness, grasping the immediate peril as he felt his blood run cold.

"It took you long enough to realize it, you troublesome duffers!" derided one of the soldiers, and then in a final voice, he screamed, "SEIZE THEM!!!"

"RUN AWAY!!  RUN AWAY!!!" screamed Dandelion and Justin together as they did an about-face and dashed in the opposite direction, with the many rabbits tailing them in massive crowds, pushing and cramming themselves as they followed the two in hot pursuit.  Dandelion's sides began to ache from the sprint, his wind dying down, but Justin noticed that his cross was now jerking hard against his neck as it gave off enough light to see that at the end of the tunnel was a black opening leading into another cavern.  If the cross was reacting _this_ strongly, then that meant...

"Dandelion, go through that opening!  I think that's where Hazel and the others are!"

"As if I had a choice, you young duffer!" panted Dandelion as the fear of having the endless multitude of rabbits chase them down, "We don't have a choice!  It's the only path that this run is leading us into!  But we'll be trapped if it's a dead-end with no other way out, cross-bearer!  It's a bad lookout!"

"No, it isn't!!  I've got an idea!!  Just run into the end of the tunnel!!"

"Justin?!!"

"Just trust me, Dandelion!  I won't let you get hurt!  Just trust me!  I trust you!!"  Dandelion, tossing caution to the winds, summoned as much strength as he could muster, fueling his muscles to strain harder and harder, his feet pounding into the packed soil of the run, speeding them closer and closer to the opening, widening the gap between them and the murderous rabbits trailing behind.  At the last moment, as they barreled out of the mouth of the tunnel like a bullet from a gun, Justin clasped his cross and commanded, "Please, block the end of the tunnel!  Block it with a wall of rock and dirt!!  Stop the rabbits from chasing us!!  Stop up the end of the tunnel!!"

Immediately, a thick, golden wall of light emerged at the end of the tunnel, covering the opening thoroughly before transforming itself into a thick, solid wall of packed dirt and granite.  Justin could hear screaming and several thuds as the first rabbits leading the chase did not stop in time, colliding into the wall and cracking the barricade.  Right away, Justin could hear squeals of fright, rage and frustration as the blocked tunnel trapped more and more rabbits at the end, the rabbit soldiers pushing each other, madly trying to get through.  Some rabbits tried to retreat and go back, only to meet even more rabbits pushing against them from behind, like a panicked crowd.  Some, in their desperation to get through, tore any rabbits pushing against them to pieces, the blocked run now reeking of blood and flesh, the rabbits trampling and pushing against each other in a frenetic turmoil.  Justin sighed, commenting, "It's all right, Dandelion!  The run's been blocked!  We're safe!"

"Uh...Justin??" Dandelion gulped as he stared ahead of him, "We may have saved ourselves from the horde of King Fur-Rocious' rabbits, but by blocking the tunnel, you just sealed us along with King Fur-Rocious himself!!"  Justin blanched before turning around to see King Fur-Rocious smiling evilly in front of him ,and slightly behind him, were the bound figures of Hazel, Holly, Bigwig and the other Watership rabbits, confined with iron collars and chains.  King Fur-Rocious crowed, "Welcome to my sleeping quarters, young Justin.  I was wondering when you and that pathetic protector of yours would arrive.  Come now, you both must be tried from your battles, and I will personally see to it that both of you remain at rest EVERLASTINGLY!!"

"Brilliant move, Dandelion and Justin!" griped Hawkbit from behind.

"Hawkbit, shut up!" snapped Dandelion as he placed himself in front of Justin, who hurriedly got off Dandelion's back, and together, they both recited the poem to finish this once and for all:

"_Come out, stream, come out of my ear._

_Flow all around this stinker here._

_Pour yourself upon his head._

_Drown the blighter til he's dead!_"

Surprisingly, there was nothing, except silence, and King Fur-Rocious had a bemused, arrogant smile on his face as he saw the look of hopeless confusion on Dandelion and Justin's faces.  There was no rushing water, no aqueous force sweeping up King Fur-Rocious, not even a faintest increase of brightness in Justin's cross.  It didn't work; nothing happened!

"What??!  Why didn't it work??!!" gasped Justin, half-shrieking.

"Foolish cross-bearer!  You honestly didn't stop to think that I would not have anticipated you trying out that exploit exactly like El-ahrairah did when I was summoned by Elil-rah to capture and kill you??"  He chuckled as he let himself down on all four of his paws, gloating in a sinister way, "When Elil-rah gave me the ability to summon my army again, he made sure that those cursed enchantments that El-ahrairah used to defeat me would only take in effect on animals that had perished in that damn story!!  And since neither I nor my faithful rabbits ever perished, that blasted charm will not affect us!!  Add that with the increased defensive resistance to your time-freeze and extraordinary speed and agility, and that spells out your death, Justin!!"

Justin cursed under his breath, his heart pounding and his sweat become cold down his slick back as Dandelion's blood roared in his ears.  King Fur-Rocious smiled before he disappeared in a dark blur, and Dandelion realized he was using his evil gift of swiftness and haste to encircle around them, confusing the Watership warrior.  Indeed, all around Justin and Dandelion, a black streak swirled around them, whistling and zipping across the circular chamber, going so fast, Dandelion felt dizzy from just staring at it.  Yet, he did know that one move, one chance, was all it would take for King Fur-Rocious to snuff out Justin completely.  Doing what Bigwig and Holly had trained him numerous times, Dandelion calmed his rapid heart, closed his eyes, and depended on his other senses of smell, hearing, and intuition to contemplate his situation.  Justin noticed this, but he didn't object, and he said softly, whispering audibly enough for Dandelion to hear, "I trust you, Dandelion."

Dandelion did not answer as he relied heavily on his other senses, his sight temporarily closed off.  He could hear the rapid, padded feet of the evil rabbit lord, he could smell the traces of putrid, smelly fur as the enemy raced around and around, the pressure of the atmosphere still remaining even and calm.  _Crackle_!  Dandelion's ears perked to the sound of King Fur-Rocious' paws making an abrupt shift in direction; in slow motion, his brain sense the air current slightly changing as he could feel, sense, a disturbance in the rapid, moving circle all around them, the smell of King Fur-Rocious getting stronger and stronger from behind...

"DIE!!!" roared a voice from behind Justin, and Justin could only whirl around and gasp as the demonic face of King Fur-Rocious came zooming up to him closer and closer by the second, his teeth and claws ready to dismember and tear Justin to pieces.  Justin yelped and raised his arms in front of his face in a futile attempt to protect himself.  Yet in an instant, King Fur-Rocious made it within inches of Justin's body before Dandelion's eyes flew open and with a valiant charge, the golden, lanky rabbit rammed himself into the evil warlord's body, tackling him and sending them both flying and crashing against a wall.  King Fur-Rocious was stunned.  He never anticipated a rabbit lighter and smaller than himself to have such strength and ferocity as Dandelion solidly dug his claws into King Fur-Rocious' shoulders and bit, kicked and scratched, growling, "Not bad for a jolly, weak storyteller who's been trained by El-ahrairah and the Watership Owsla, isn't it you filthy wretch?!!"

"Justin!" hollered Dandelion as he tried to pin down King Fur-Rocious vainly under his weight, "Hurry, free the others, quickly!!  I'll hold him off!!  Hurry!!"  Dandelion winced and squealed as King Fur-Rocious kicked him brutally in the stomach, drawing blood.  Undaunted, Dandelion grasped King Fur-Rocious' throat with both paws, straddling him as he sank his teeth into the opponent's ears, ripping them to shreds.  King Fur-Rocious roared in pain as Justin raced over to Hazel and the others.  They were overjoyed to see him, but anxious all the same.

"Hurry, Justin!  Get these chains off us!" Pipkin pleaded.  Justin immediately thought up of the first solution that came to his mind: the golden sword Buckthorn used to defeat Hufsa.  Within a flash, the cross necklace disappeared from Justin's neck and re-appeared into his hands.  It was heavy, burdensome, and Justin probably only had enough vigor to cut the chains of one rabbit, so he immediately decided on Buckthorn.  Raising the sword over his head, Justin brought the sword crashing down within a hairbreadth of Buckthorn's paws.  KA-CHANG!  Buckthorn, with his paws and neck free from the chains, saw the fatigue in the teenager's body as the boy was panting hard from exhaustion from fighting his way through the Rabid Rats, the Savage Stoats, and the Wildcats Weasels.

"Justin, give me the sword!" Buckthorn commanded, and snatching it out of the cross-bearer's hands, Buckthorn felt the life and vigor flowing from the sword and into his battered paws as he expertly twirled the sword in a series of sudden, circular slashes and swipes.  Before they knew it, Hazel and the others felt the iron collars and chains fall off their bodies, dropping to the floor as chucks of charred, pieces of useless metal.

Dandelion squealed as he lost his hold, weakened from the loss of blood and it gave King Fur-Rocious the chance to cuff him hard across the face, stunning him before using his hind feet to send the golden rabbit crashing into the opposite wall.  Dandelion, drained and enervated from his battle, just sunk to the ground, groaning.  Justin and the others rushed up to him, abandoning their safety in concern for their friend.  King Fur-Rocious saw his chance, and he charged again, but to his amazement, a group of sixteen rabbits, replicas of Acorn summoned by Justin's cross, tackled King Fur-Rocious and tried unsuccessfully to pin him down.  Yet King Fur-Rocious fought like a mad rabbit, bucking, cuffing, and roaring like a creature from the bowels of hell.  and that wasn't the worst part.  The rock wall Justin created earlier to block the tunnel was starting to break and crack, caving in from the mighty efforts of the loyal rabbits of King Fur-Rocious on the other side, still intent on trying to work their way through to kill Justin and defeat the Owsla of Watership Down.  Within minutes, the barricade would give in, and King Fur-Rocious' followers would surround the entire room.  And there was no other way out.  Dandelion panted as he felt his blood patter the floor of the sleeping quarters.  Justin knelt down to heal him only to discover that his entire white-furred stomach was in ribbons, his wounds too severe for Dandelion to even move.  Dandelion took too much abuse to make sure Justin would free the others, and it would take a while for them to effectively heal.  And time was something they did not have at the moment.

"You've all haven't won yet!!" bragged King Fur-Rocious in dark, snide contempt as he managed to brutally injure another Acorn multiple, "Can't you see that all of you embleer rabbits will be imprisoned here along with Justin?!  There's no escape!!  You have all lost!!  AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"O Frith and Inle!" cried out Fiver, shivering, "His laughter of the damned is even more horrendous and appalling than Cowslip's laughter and Silverweed's poetry!"

"Hazel, King Fur-Rocious is right!  It's a bad lookout!  We can't fight our way out through all of those rabbits!!  Not without endangering Justin!  And it's the only path out of this warren!" Holly exclaimed.

"And we can't go anywhere with Dandelion hurt like this!" Blackberry said roughly as he knelt down to his friend's side in compassionate worry.

"And those duplicates of Acorns won't hold King Fur-Rocious down forever!  By Frith, he's as tough as Woundwort!  He's almost finished with them!" screeched Speedwell as another Acorn multiple was rendered unconscious, bleeding from a ghastly ripped stomach.  Dandelion, still weak, managed to think of one more idea as he grasped Justin's hand, shivering from the loss of blood, gasping, "Justin, listen to me!  The poem I came up with before we were ambushed!  The poem you helped me complete with the ending line!  Do you remember it?  Before we ran into King Fur-Rocious' armies?!"

Justin nodded, white in the face.  Dandelion choked, "Repeat it together with me!  Chant it with me!  Give me the strength to do this!"

"We'll do it together!  All of us!!" Justin agreed heatedly as he clenched Dandelion's paw with affirmation as the wall blocking the tunnel was nearly completely demolished, allowing Hazel and Bigwig to spot the sea of mad rabbits ready to attack them.  Pipkin and Hawkbit gasped as the last Acorn clone was too heavily injured to fight, leaving all the pseudo Acorns to vanish into smoke.  King Fur-Rocious, with a triumphant gleam in his eyes, shakily stood, bleeding and tired, but still keen on killing the cross-bearer.  Justin and Dandelion gave each other a last glance, seeing the light of the cross shimmer slightly brighter with their loyalty and friendship, before they chanted as one in passionate, fervent, voices:

                "_Digger, Listener, and Runner!_

_                Gifts of Rabbits, set us free!_

_                Give us strength to fight our Enemy!_

_                Let man and animal reunite,_

_                Bind our hearts and souls alike,_

_And pray for the cross to shine its light!_

_                Hope and Kindness, Cunning and Courage,_

_                Friendship and Love, Mercy and Grace!_

_                Frith and El-ahrairah,_

_Stand strong beside us_,

_Banish this evil from time and space!_"

Despite the closing in on the enemy rabbits and King Fur-Rocious, Hazel, Bigwig, Fiver, Holly, Blackberry, Hawkbit, Speedwell, Acorn, Bluebell, Pipkin, Strawberry, Buckthorn, Silver, and Campion joined in, a huge, amalgamated force, their strong voices mixing together along with Dandelion and Justin in a tidal wave of power and intensity.

                "_Digger, Listener, and Runner!_

_                Gifts of Rabbits, set us free!_

_                Give us strength to fight our Enemy!_"

                At this, King Fur-Rocious started to feel cold, like ice, burning his bones and causing his breath to give out wisps of fog and icy air.  The other rabbits too started to quiver in a mixture of fear, confusion, and cold nothingness.

_                Let man and animal reunite,_

_                Bind our hearts and souls alike,_

And pray for the cross to shine its light! 

The cross suddenly flashed with a fury of golden sunlight, burning the eyes and senses of King Fur-Rocious and all his rabbit soldiers painfully, their screams ringing in the stifling burrows.

_                Hope and Kindness, Cunning and Courage,_

_                Friendship and Love, Mercy and Grace!_

_                Frith and El-ahrairah,_

_Stand strong beside us_..."

"NO!!  NOOOO!  NOOOOOOO!!!  CURSE YOU, CROSS-BEARER!!!  CURSE YOU ALLLLLLL!!!" bellowed King Fur-Rocious as his body started to smoke and bubble and boil madly, his mouth drooling a mixture of blood and saliva and his helmet now lopsidedly hanging over one eye.

_"BANISH THIS EVIL FROM TIME AND SPACE!_" Justin and all the Watership rabbits shouted in unison.  With a final scream, King Fur-Rocious and his rabbits burst into fire, consumed with the might and energy of loyalty, kindness, and love, before vanishing into dust.  Almost instantaneously, the ceiling above them started to shake, collapsing and caving in on itself as pebbles and dirt rained down on them.  Yet, there was no time to run, and Dandelion could not travel fast enough for them to make it out alive.  Dandelion cast a furtive glance at Justin, whispering, "Leave me!  Go!  All of you get out of here!  No sense if all of us get trapped in the cave-in!"

"No one is being left behind!" Justin snapped heatedly, coming to a decision before shouting to everyone else, "Everyone, grab on to Dandelion and me!!  I'm going to try and teleport us out of here!!  all of us!!  Hang on to us!!"

"Can you even do it?!" Silver asked in concern as he and Pipkin touched Dandelion's back.

"Well, if this doesn't work, we'll soon all know how ants jolly feel like!" Bluebell joked nervously.  Everyone just apprehensively and uneasily watched as Justin clasped the cross in his hands and yelled with all his might, "PLEASE, HEAVENLY FATHER, GET US ALL OUT OF HERE SAFELY!!  LET MY CROSS WORK THIS TIME!!  TELEPORT ALL OF US OUT OF HERE!!  I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANY OF MY FRIENDS BEHIND!!  TELEPORT US OUT OF THE WARREN!!"

For a moment, nothing happened, but then to Justin's relieved joy, the cross blazed in a glorious mess of sparkling dust and light, enveloping all of the fellowship of sixteen, encasing them with the same power as Dandelion and Justin had experienced before.  With a burst of sunlight, all of them disappeared, within second of the chamber collapsing upon itself, the warren of King Fur-Rocious destroyed and demolished forever under tons and tons of dirt, soil, and rubble.  King Fur-Rocious had once again failed to take over El-ahrairah's legacy, and this time, he would not be coming back.

                                                                ***

Amazed, the rabbits could only stare in wonderment as they now found themselves far away from the grassy hills and knolls, exactly where Dandelion and Justin first teleported to earlier when they escaped the ambush.  They had done it; they had all, every single one of them, safely teleported out of danger.  Justin, feeling drained from such excessive use of his powers, stumbled backwards and nearly fainted from weariness.  Alarmed, Dandelion, despite being injured, managed to grab the boy before he hit the ground, and now, the golden storyteller, with his blood soaking Justin's clothes, held the cross-bearer gently, protectively.

"Justin??" Dandelion gasped out worriedly, but to his cheerful encouragement, Justin's eyes flickered open as he gave his rabbit guardian a soothing, weak smile.

"Our children's children will hear a good story, Dandelion," he murmured as he placed a feeble hand on Dandelion's bloodstained paw.  Dandelion, panting, unsteadily but happily gurgled, "And you'll be the chap to tell it alongside with me when we get back to El-ahrairah's warren, young Justin.  I would not want any other being by my side but you when we chronicle this adventure together for all rabbits back home."

Bluebell, feeling the need to make some repartee, said in a mock, offended tone, "Not likely, Dandelion!  _I'm_ the greatest storyteller of Watership Down, so I get to tell this story alongside Justin back in the Great Hall with El-ahrairah!!"

Dandelion smirked, playing along.  "No, _I'm_ the greatest storyteller!"

"Frith in a hole, I am!"

"Then why did El-ahrairah assign me as the rabbit to chronicle the travels of the cross-bearer before we started this journey, eh Bluebell?"

"Hazel-rah, they're at it again!" groaned Strawberry.

"We would have been better off had Justin left BOTH of them behind in that tharn run," muttered Hawkbit, causing Campion and Silver to give the loudmouth a cuff on the head, silencing his opinions and complaints, as everyone else laughed.

/*

Next: STRAWBERRY in "The Strawberry, The Cowslip, and The Snare"

(sarcastically) Gee, I wonder who's the evil, deranged lunatic who's going to get his tail whipped in the next chapter? (end sarcasm)

Three guesses who's the bad guy in THIS chapter (anyone who doesn't get this _needs_ to read "Watership Down" again!) 

Until then (3 weeks probably), read and review!  I'm already more than halfway done with this story! Maybe even ¾ of the way through!

*/


	22. The Strawberry, The Cowslip, and The Sna...

/*

Author's note: The title should be the biggest hint of things to come! =) Enjoy Strawberry's chapter!  I'm so sorry this took more than a month!

*/

CHAPTER 21 

                It was a cloudy day, the sky threatening to drizzle with the cold drops of rain and fog as the low, yet faint rumbles of thunder echoed across the dreary air and lands.  The temperature dropped noticeably, the grass now no longer giving off faint aromas in the sun, but cold moisture of dew and condensation as Justin, riding on Dandelion's back, and the rest of the Owsla of Watership Down ran across the wide, spacious grassy plains and towards a neighboring, lush copse that blanketed the lands touching the horizon in the east.

                "Hazel-rah, we best be finding a place to rest," Bigwig commented as he looked at the cloudy, dreary sky, a swirling, multi-layered mass of black, white, and depressing gray, "There is no sense in running through the incoming rain if it can be helped, and all of us could use the rest and silflay before the rain ruins everything."

                " 'One cloud feels lonely'," quoted Hazel, sighing, "Listen, let us all at least reach the copse and find some thick, protective cover under the trees, and then maybe we can rest.  I'd feel better if we weren't so open in these fields."  The band of sixteen made rapid headway into the tall gorse, birch and spindle trees, the dry soil covered almost entirely with a layer of dry, sweet-smelling peat.  Holly, Silver, Bluebell, Acorn and Buckthorn sniffed around before nodding their approval that everything was safe and clear.  However, setting up a sheltered, resting area was a bit more difficult.

                "Frith in a hole!" whined Hawkbit in a nasal, high-pitched drone, "Must we dig scrapes now?!  We're all already tired and hungry, our bellies are begging for some greenstuff, and our paws are still sore from journeying across those tharn hills and knolls!"  He indicated with his head to Silver, Holly, Campion, and Hazel and Bigwig, who all were part of the guard patrol as they scanned the woods cautiously for any sign of elil.  Fiver, Pipkin, and Strawberry were part of the foraging team to scout anything better than wet grass for them and Justin to feed on.  All the other rabbits were assigned the unpleasant duty of digging scrapes (small shallow tunnels) in the dirt to provide some temporary shelter and large enough to house all of them, including Justin.  Since rabbit bucks usually do not like to dig (usually, any typical warren has been built by rabbit does) and the only time the Watership rabbits have seriously excavated was to form the Honeycomb back at Watership Down, this left a little unpleasant aftertaste to some of the remaining group, especially (but not surprisingly) Hawkbit.

                Buckthorn shrugged it off as he tried to look on the bright side.  "C'mon, steady there, old chap!  Think of how nice it will be to stay warm and dry from the bally rain!  Think of how nice it will feel to huddle amongst other rabbits, snug and cozy and the like!  Think of the experience!"

                "Think of the mud in our tender paws and fur!  Think of the thorns and sharp pebbles stuck in our cold skin!  Think of how long it would take to dig a shelter large enough to be comfy for sixteen buckos, _including_ Justin!" grumbled Hawkbit in a sarcastic, grating tone.

                "Hawkbit, you're not helping."  Buckthorn's voice had a tired edge to it.  However, like usual, Hawkbit didn't stop.

                "This isn't jolly fair!  Why do I have to be part of the bloody group that has to do the digging?!  Why couldn't have been one of the lucky chaps who got on guard duty or foraging for food?!  Give me one good reason why I have to be stuck with the digging??!"

                "Because you are terrible at fighting and defending when compared to Bigwig or Campion, so you're not really that jolly good of a guard?" Dandelion asked rhetorically.

                "Because if you were on sentry, you'd just spend the whole time quarreling and arguing with Bigwig?" chimed in Bluebell.

                "Because Bigwig is still mad at you, so he wants to make you suffer even more by punishing you with the remedial digging duties?" Acorn offered.

                "Because this is one of the few tasks you could _actually_ be of some help with?" smiled Blackberry.

                "Because it is bloody entertaining to see you lose your temper and to aggravate you at no ends?" laughed Speedwell.

                "I said give me ONE good reason, you low-down, pack of lying -!!"

                "Hawkbit, get back to work!  Mind you, keep digging or else I'll give you a good cuffing on that senseless head of yours!!" roared Bigwig, hearing Hawkbit's loud griping.  Hawkbit's face flushed with irritation and embarrassment.  The others laughed as they continued to dig, making significant headway in the dirt.

                "I told you Bigwig has it out for you," chuckled Acorn.

                "Oh shut up," grumbled Hawkbit.

                "And I told you that it was funny to see him get in trouble!" Speedwell chortled, unable to contain himself as he fell on his back, giggling and holding his stomach.

                "That's it!  Let me at him!  I'll kill him!" shouted Hawkbit, teed off, as he threw himself at Speedwell, only to be restrained by Blackberry and Buckthorn.  Speedwell kept sniggering at the sight, which enraged Hawkbit even further as he tried to wrench himself out of Buckthorn and Blackberry's grips.  Suddenly, the entire ground around them started to shimmer with golden light before flashing, revealing now two large tunnels formed out of the peat and dirt, leading into a large, cozy, dry den underground.  A nice scrape was magically formed without any further, and guessing immediately, all the rabbits turned to stare at Justin behind them who was holding his glowing cross in one hand and smiling sheepishly.

                He scratched his head as he grinned awkwardly, "Well, thought I could be of some help."

                Acorn marveled as he made his way down the tunnel and into the den, his voice echoing in the chasms, "By Frith, I'll say you did!  Look at this place!  Not too large, and yet specious enough for all of us to rest comfortably and close together!  The walls are hard and packed, the soil dry yet firm!  By the fur and paw of El-ahrairah, this is a scrape fit for a Chief Rabbit!!"

                "Praise Frith, Justin you have done us a wonderful favor!" applauded Bluebell as he patted Justin intimately on the back, "Now we don't have to dig any further!"

                "No need for Bigwig and Hazel-rah to know, of course," smiled Dandelion impishly.

                "Of course," chimed in Justin and Bluebell, laughing.

                                                                                ***

                Strawberry went by himself, apart from Fiver and Pipkin, sniffing along the grasses and wild moss and bushels of mushrooms and toadstools growing throughout the thicket, searching for something edible to bring back to Justin.

                _Dogs – you're like dogs carrying sticks_, his inner voice in his head told him.  Strawberry, disturbed, actually stopped and shook his head in slight, sad aggravation.  The last time he did such an unnatural act to carry food was when he was back the Warren of the Shining Wires, Cowslip's warren, his old life.  How many rabbits had he seen, and actually helped, lead to their deaths all for the sake of comfort and good flayrah and safety from elil, the good life, a delusional view of a heavenly paradise?

                Stop it, he told himself, his ears drooping from the memories, that my old life, not now and not when I was back at Watership Down and at Vleflain.  I'm completely different now, I have a true life, a life El-ahrairah could be proud of, and a true family.

                _Then why are you doing the biddings of the cross-bearer, a boy, a human?  Carrying and bringing food for him like a servant, talking with him, gaining abilities such as to talk English and to stand upright and wear clothing??  Is that unnatural and oddly enough for you?  This is the exact same thing with the Warren of the Shining Wires_, the guilt nagged at him.

                "No," Strawberry muttered to himself heatedly, now speaking to himself out loud, "Justin is not like that; he's not like the farmer who raised and slaughtered us with the snares.  He's different.  _I'm_ different.  I'm bringing food for Justin because he needs my help, and he completely appreciates it, always willing to come and explore with us so that the work of caring and looking after him would not be burdensome.  I trust him."

                _But does he trust you?  Do any of them really and completely trust you?  After all, Justin knows the stories of your past, your involvement with the plot to send rabbits to their deaths in order to save your own lives from the snares.  Would he trust his life in your paws?  After all, look at Nildro-hain; she trusted her life with you and look what happened to her._

                Before Strawberry could shut out his thoughts, his sharp nose caught whiff of wild carrot, the pungent aroma wafting through the smells of grass and dirt.  Upon several more moments of exploration, his mouth literally watered at the sight of the partially buried, orange roots, their dark, green tops emerging out of the dark clumps of sod and dirt.  They would serve as an excellent repast for Justin's hunger.  He finally managed to dig two out and grip them awkwardly in his teeth.  He cursed, remembering that he should bring back some more for the others; after all, there was plenty to go around.  He'll just come back with several of the other Watership rabbits to bring some more flayrah back to their resting area.

                _You haven't changed at all.  You're still the same rabbit that lived back at the Warren of Shining Wires_.

                "Shut up, just shut up," muttered Strawberry out loud forcefully to himself as he made his way back to the resting area alone.

                                                                                ***

                Justin hesitantly ambled through the underbrush of nutbushes and gorse and juniper with Campion.  Seeing as how the diggers (much to Bigwig's disbelief) have finished their work so swiftly, it left more rabbits available to take guard sentry while the others could rest and catch a quick bite of grass.  Justin said he wanted to go find Strawberry, Fiver, and Pipkin, possibly help them with bringing back some food to share with everyone.  Campion decided to come along for the cross-bearer's safety and protection.  In front of them, Strawberry revealed himself as he came through the grass and weeds before stopping abruptly in surprise, seeing Justin and Campion.

                "Oh!" he exclaimed, which came out rather muffled due to the carrots he held in his mouth.  Justin snickered at the sight of the pudgy Strawberry, wide-eyed and carrying carrots in his mouth.  It would be a perfect picture for any "Watership Down" fan.  With some unease, Strawberry set down the carrots from his mouth.

                "Campion?  Justin?  What are you two doing here??"

                "Hazel wanted to let Fiver, Pipkin, and you know that the scrapes have been fully dug.  Now we have some shelter from the incoming storm.  Justin and I decided to come look for you three."

                "But I've found some wild carrots and flayrah for us to enjoy!" objected Strawberry, worried, "I was hoping I could bring more rabbits to get the jolly lot before the rain comes in and ruins everything!"

                "I could help you carry some," offered Justin, "Since I'm a human and more used to carrying things with my arms, I can help you bring back more than what you could do alone by bringing them in your mouth."  Then, on cue, his stomach growled, causing Justin to blush and Strawberry to laugh out loud.  Campion chuckled, but...though he could not place a definite answer on it, the way Strawberry just laughed seemed eerily spine-tingling.  Shaking off his unjustified fears, Campion joked with Justin, "It appears that there is another reason why you wish to help Strawberry carry flayrah, eh, young one?  By Frith, you think with your stomach, just like Pipkin and Strawberry!"

                Strawberry suggested agreeably, "Justin, here, since you're hungry, eat these two carrots I've found while I lead you back to the field where I found the wild crop.  Then you can help me bring back more flayrah back to the scrapes.  Campion, go see if you can find Pipkin and Fiver before the rain strikes.  I know my way back to the resting area, and we encounter any trouble, I'll defend Justin while he uses his powers to help fight and to warn all the rest of you to aid us."  Campion agreed, though a part of him felt uneasy at the agreement.  He turned around and ran off into the underbrush while Strawberry and Justin went the opposite direction towards the field of wild carrots.  The teenager devoured the vegetables ravenously, even though they had speckles of wet soil but the hungry human was too famished to even care.  It had been over half a day since he was able to find some food.  Yet, after eating the tasty roots, something went wrong.  Justin felt dizzy, almost drowsy, as if he hadn't slept for several days, his body feeling like it was made of lead, his nerves and senses slowly burning with tired exhaustion, and his mind felt hazy.  No matter how hard Justin tried to stay awake, he could barely keep his head up, and weakly, Justin sank to his knees.  He knew something was wrong, and as much as his remaining strength could allow him, he tried to rise up and turn around.

                "Justin, what in Frith's name is the matter?"  Strawberry sounded alarmed, concerned.

                "I...I don't know!  I'm...so dizzy and tired!  I...I feel like I'm going to -" Justin turned to face Strawberry as he was talking, and the last thing Justin saw was Strawberry's paw cuffing him hard on the temple.

                                                                                ***

                "Where are Fiver and Pipkin and Strawberry?  They should be back right about now," murmured Holly as he kept patrolling alongside Hazel.  But Campion crashing through the underbrush answered his question.

                "Hazel-rah!  I could not find Pipkin or Fiver!  They must have wandered off further than they had expected!" reported Campion breathlessly.

                "Or worse," Holly finished grimly, voicing one of the darker possibilities, his face dimmed with uneasiness and discomfort and worry.  It was a far cry from saying that Elil-rah was finished with them.  He asked Campion agitatedly, "Where is Justin?!"

                Campion was about to answer when he heard a figure move out and through the bushes from behind.  Smelling Justin's scent, Campion, relieved, turned around to greet the teenager, but then his entire face, along with Holly and Hazel, blanched in horror.

                "No," he whispered in absolute trepidation.  The other rabbits also saw Justin.

                "O Frith and Inle!" gasped Blackberry, his face turning white underneath his dark fur.

                "By the Black Rabbit of Inle!" muttered Speedwell in shock.

                Indeed, Justin was completely looking worse for wear, as if he barely made it out with his life as he half-walked, half-stumbled out of the underbrush.  Justin looked worn down, fatigued, and there were cuts and claw marks littering his face and smearing his skin with crimson fluid mixed with bits of grass and dirt sticking to the mess.  His flannel shirt was torn, nearly in rags, and any rabbit could see the fresh wounds made on his body through the holes that were forcibly ripped into, patches of his shirt was dark-red, soaked with his blood.  Justin, his eyes half open with exhaustion and shock of injury, was breathing heavily with a mixture of crying and rasping noises, his mouth filled with blood, a thin trickle dribbling out from one corner of his lips.

                "JUSTIN!" cried out Hazel as he and the rest of the rabbits gathered around the injured cross-bearer, his concern on the whereabouts of Pipkin and Fiver temporarily forgotten.  Justin, unable to walk another step, nearly collapsed from the effort, but luckily, Dandelion and Holly were able to catch their friend before he fell onto the ground.  Campion narrowed his eyes in thought as he sniffed and examined Justin's body.  The claw marks and scratches on the teenager's body were definitely from the work of a rabbit's claws, but...which rabbit?  The only scent he could smell on Justin's body was...

                "It's not possible," Campion muttered to himself in disbelief as Bigwig, fiercely with building rage, interrogated Justin none too gently.

                "Justin, what in Frith's name happened?!  Who did this?!  WHO?!!"

                "Bigwig, that's enough!" Holly said sharply, licking the blood off Justin's face, "The young one's in shock!  He's lucky to not have been killed!  Pestering him with questions is NOT the best way to help the chap from recovering!"

                "I swear, by the fur and paw of the Black Rabbit, I would love to get my paws on the elil who did this!" growled Acorn, his fur bristling.

                "I'LL help you hold it down while Bigwig kicks it," joined in Silver, his eyes flashing with hot adrenaline.  Hazel pushed his way through until he was face to face with Justin, still whimpering from the brutal injuries he received and crying from the pain.  Dandelion carefully propped him up as he, Holly, and Bluebell lovingly cleaned the wounds bit by bit on Justin's face with their tongues.

                "Justin, look at me.  Tell me who did this to you.  What did the eli look like?" Hazel asked softly, soothingly, yet with hard concentration.  Justin, a bit disoriented and still dizzy from his attack and attempt on his life, but his heart slightly calmed down as the warm breath from Bluebell, Dandelion, and Holly's mouths brushed his sticky skin and their tongues erased the cold numbness on his skin bit by bit.

                "It...it was..." gasped Justin, still struggling to stay conscious.

                "Yes??" Hazel asked breathlessly.  Campion, having a sinking feeling of what Justin was going to say, felt his heart plummet.

                "It...it was Strawberry!!"  This confession brought forth a new round of whimpering from the battered Justin, his tears of disbelief and hurt mingling with the blood on his face.  At the name, a shocked silence lulled amongst the group of thirteen, so quiet amongst the astonished rabbit, most of them were taken aback.  However, some of them were quick to jump to the conclusion, most noticeably Bluebell, Bigwig, Silver, and Hawkbit.

                "I...I can't believe it," whispered Buckthorn loudly, not sure what to believe.  He and Strawberry, along with Captain Avens of Efrafa served as the wise and gracious Owsla nucleus of the new warren Vleflain under Groundsel's rule of the new warren, and the dark, brawny rabbit had known Strawberry to be a compassionate, emotional, and yet loyal sage, well-respected, dignified, and loved throughout the Owsla and outskirters alike.  It was impossible that the rabbit he knew as his friend would do such an act.  "It can't be!  I won't believe it!!  Justin, please, for Strawberry's sake, tell me you're wrong!!  Tell me you imagined the whole thing!"

                "I knew it!!" fumed Bigwig, his teeth frothing with enraged spittle, "I knew that lousy, lazy, tharn dandy would betray us one of these days, and now, this embleer turncoat tried to kill Justin!!  Where is the bugger??!!  Where is he?!!  I'll rip him apart!!"

                "Bigwig, don't jump to conclusions!!  Think about this!!  This is Strawberry we are talking about!!  Our friend, our comrade!!  He could never do such an act!!" Blackberry tried to butt in, but the anger and animosity of the four made them quick to put the blame, unwilling to think it through, all the more eager to scratch and maim in vengeance.

                "We are!" growled Silver, his face covered with rage and his maddening upsurge threatening to break his self-control, "Don't you remember where we originally found him?!!  He came from the Warren of the Shining Wires!!  The same warren that was set with snares by the farmer nearby everyday!!  He deceived us before!!  He didn't care about sending us to our deaths and not telling us about the snares as long as it meant to prolong his life and the life of his doe!!  He didn't give a damn about our well-being!!  All he cared about was saving his own skin!!"

                Dandelion squealed with stubborn ferocity, "Are you mad, Silver?!  Strawberry regretted what he did to us!!  He joined us to travel to Watership Down because he didn't wish to live like that anymore!  He wanted to give it up because he wanted to live the life of a normal rabbit!!  He was never a coward!  To admit his mistake and to forsake it all proves how much you, all of you, are wrong!!"

                  Speedwell jumped in for Strawberry's defense, "How could you have forgotten how much he is a part of us, a part of our legacy at Watership Down, Silver?!  He tried to go to Efrafa to help Holly convince General Woundwort to let a party of does come live with us at Watership Down!!  He helped us to defend our home from Efrafa's siege!!  How could you have forgotten that?!"

                Bluebell's voice was gratingly bitter as he snarled, "Oh jolly yes, just like how I remember it was his so-called family that killed Pimpernel and that tried to kill me and Holly when we escaped Sandleford's destruction!!  Just like how I remember that the embleer dandy only joined you when his own doe, Nildro-hain, got caught in the Shining Wires!!  How do we know that he joined us for good intentions?!  Frith in a hole, we even know Campion a lot better than Strawberry!!"

                "Stop this at once!" Campion argued, "We all shouldn't accuse Strawberry like this!  He's been forgiven for his past, and none of you have the right to use it as justification for Justin's attack!  Embleer Frith, we do not even know it was even Strawberry in the first place!!"

                "Well naturally, of course, _you'd_ defend him!!" sneered Hawkbit, "You were a past enemy and a former disgrace to all rabbits, just like Strawberry, so it's hardly a wonder why you're too blind to see the obvious!!"

                "Watch it, Hawkbit!"  Campion's voice became harsh and deadly.

                "That is enough!  All of you!" Hazel ordered sharply.

                "Everyone, stand down!!  Stop this!" Holly barked.

                "NO!" roared Bigwig back with equal strength and mad disobedience, already sick and tired to following the proper and merciful way of doing things.  His love for Justin had sent him over the killer's edge.  "I have had enough of this, of everything that has been happening to Justin, the attempts on his life, the constant fear and agony he has to go through every tharn day, all because of Elil-rah's sick, perverse dream to torture and kill him, to enslave all of us and El-ahrairah's heritage, to make this journey a living nightmare!!  If Justin says that he saw Strawberry attack him, I believe it, and I do not care what you, Hazel, or you, Holly, say otherwise!!"

                "Bigwig!" Speedwell gasped in outrage.

                "Damn it, Speedwell, he has a point!" Silver growled, "How can any of us tolerate this?!  How can you refuse to believe it?!  Strawberry betrayed us!  He did it to us back in the physical world before at Cowslip's warren, and he has done it to us again!!  There is no other possible explanation of why this has happened!!  The cross-bearer saw Strawberry's misdeed with his own eyes!!  Worse yet, he betrayed Justin's trust and El-ahrairah's grace!!  He turned his back on us, on our mission, on our oath!!  You cannot forgive him for that!!"

                "But we are not even sure that Justin is right!  He could have easily been mistaken!!" Acorn protested.

                "Are you calling Justin a liar??" Hawkbit snarled, his narrowed eyes flashing and his ears flushed and quivering.  Acorn did not say anything, but he could not meet Hawkbit's accusing stare; he did not know what to believe or think at this point.  After all, he cared for both Justin and Strawberry very much.

                "Maybe Justin could shed some more light on the incident," Buckthorn tried to comment, wearily and with stricken loss and incredulity.  He turned to the teenager who limp in Dandelion and Holly's paws as the two rabbits held him protectively and tenderly.  "Come on, young one!  Please, can you tell us anything?!  Are you quite sure that you saw Strawberry attack you??  Are you sure it was not a trick of some sort?!"

                "It's no use, Buckthorn," Dandelion shook his head sadly and sorrowfully, indicating with his head at Justin's unconscious state, "The poor chap's fainted from the extreme loss of blood.  He'll be all right, but the young cross-bearer needs some rest for a good long while."

                Just then, making matters much, much worse, Strawberry emerged holding two carrots in his mouth, looking pleased and contented.  He then stopped in puzzlement to see why all the rabbits were staring at him mostly in anger and confused shock.  At first, he thought he had done something wrong, but then his eyes fell on Justin, bleeding and heavily injured, being supported by Dandelion and Holly.  His jaw went slack, dropping the carrots from his mouth with a soft thud.

                "JUSTIN!" he gasped, concerned, but before he could make a step forward, Bigwig, Silver, Hawkbit, and Bluebell all advanced toward him menacingly, rage, complete and utter, uncontrollable fury, smoldering in their eyes and flushing their ears to a deep pinkish color.  Strawberry was completely confused; why were they acting like this?  He just stood still, completely perplexed and befuddled, which was exactly how Hawkbit was able to drive a brutal head-butt into Strawberry's soft chest, sending him flying back and leaving him stunned on the ground.  Bluebell then leapt and delivered three quick cuffs across Strawberry's shoulders, neck, and back, his claws ripping deep into his tissue and tearing his skin and fur into limp, painful ribbons.  Strawberry squealed and tried to buck off Bluebell, but then Bigwig and Silver charged.  With strategic teamwork, Silver pinned Strawberry down, allowing Bigwig to clamp his teeth into the area close to Strawberry's neck with a firm grip and pulled back with all of his might.  There was a soft, wet rip as Strawberry cried out in pain and confusion.  Now, he had a huge, paw-sized hole devoid of flesh and fur close to his windpipe, already starting to fill and pour out crimson blood onto his tunic.

                Strawberry screamed in shock, hurt, pleading, "Stop!!  Stop, please!!  Bigwig, stop this!!  Why are you attacking me?!!  Stop it!!!"

                "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU DOUBLE-CROSSING WRETCH!!  I'LL RIP YOU TO PIECES!!!" roared Bigwig as he tried to go for Strawberry's neck again, but before he could, Bigwig and Silver were pulled back and barely restrained by Holly, Blackberry, Buckthorn, Campion and Hazel.  Acorn and Speedwell were trying to prevent Bluebell and Hawkbit from joining in on the fray, and Dandelion was still holding Justin protectively.  As Strawberry struggled to rise despite his injuries, he noted with betrayed distress that none of the other rabbits made the attempt to help him.  In fact, the others were nervously keeping their distance away from him.

                Strawberry managed to gasp, despite the stinging in his neck and back, "For Firth's sake, what had gotten into you, Bigwig?!  Justin is hurt!  I want to see if he is all right!  Why did all of you attack me?!!"

                "Don't give us that false display of innocence, you devious, sorry excuse for a rabbit!!" howled Hawkbit, nearly losing his restraint, "Justin is all right, but no thanks to you!!  He's hurt because YOU were the one who attacked him!!"

                Strawberry felt his entire world crumble from underneath his feet as he just stared, mouth agape and feeling the blood drain from his head at the accusation.  He affirmed pleadingly, "No!  I would never do such a thing!  I would never lay a paw on the cross-bearer!"

                "HA!  You are nothing but a filthy liar, just like before when we first met you, you cowardly, despicable traitor!!" snarled Silver, still fighting against the firm grip Buckthorn and Hazel had on his body, "Justin told us you attacked him!  Furthermore, we could smell your scent on his body and his clothes!!  Justin is telling the truth!!  You tried to attack him!  You were working with Elil-rah from the very beginning!!"

                "No!  Silver, please, everyone!  I'm telling the truth!  I did not attack Justin!  I never did!!"

                "Then how do you explain your scent on his body?  And why did Justin tell us that you were the one who assaulted him?" Blackberry asked sharply, dark suspicion already starting to take root in his mind.  At this, Strawberry felt his mind turn blank as he stuttered out honestly, "I...I don't know.  But please, you can't believe this!  I would never do such an act!!"

                "Dear me, who do we believe: Justin, our loving, gentle, and powerful cross-bearer who has no reason to lie to us, or a fat, gutless brute such as yourself who has betrayed us before back at the Warren of the Shining Wires and whose family helped kill Pimpernel and tried attacking Holly and me when we escaped Sandleford?!  That is _such_ a hard decision!!" snarled Bluebell, his voice dangerous, acidic, and abnormally and caustically sarcastic and cruel, a stark contrast from his usual, chipper, joking self.

                "But...but..." stammered Strawberry, trying to object but Bigwig did not give him the chance as he cut him down ruthlessly.

                "I never trusted you fully, Strawberry, you pitiful, spoiled, deserter!  And this proves why!  You were always a fat, bumbling lout who only came with us because you did not wish to end up like Nildro-hain and strung up as food and trophies for the neighboring farmer!  You were willing to give up your natural birthright and heritage all for food, comfort, and protection before, and you have probably done so now!  Elil-rah must have promised you food, riches, power, if you were only so willing to kill the cross-bearer for him and forsake the life of El-ahrairah!!  You cheating, faithless wretch!!  May Frith blast you and your misdeeds, but until then, I'll blind you myself, you bloody rotter!!"  Bigwig tried to lunge for Strawberry again, but Holly and Campion held him back.

                "No, please!  That's not what happened!  The lot of you have got this all wrong!  I'm innocent!"  But it was apparent that none of them believed him.  Holly, Buckthorn and Hazel just stood there, emotionless and stone-faced, unsure of what to do or say.  Blackberry, Dandelion, and Campion gave Strawberry stern looks, their noses twitching madly.  Speedwell and Acorn looked scared and hurt.  Bigwig, Silver, Bluebell and Hawkbit all appeared to be consumed in fuming, murderous rage.  Though Fiver and Pipkin were still out foraging for food, Strawberry inconsolably realized that unless Fiver had his premonitions and visions, they too, would side with Bigwig and Hazel.  It was heartbreaking, and Strawberry could almost feel the tears of desperation and grievance and misery brim in his eyes.  He was crestfallen; his family, his friends, the ones who he thought he could trust and love so much was now turning on him, without a second thought, without hesitation, without a doubt.  Silver made his way in the front as he calmed down slightly, but was still incredibly offended and heated.

                "Strawberry, leave.  Now.  Go away, from all of us, from El-ahrairah and his warren in Fenlo, and never come back.  You're not welcome here anymore, and as of now, you're no longer part of the Owsla!!"

                "We're finished with you!" roared Bluebell.

                "Holly, Hazel-rah, please, say something!" Strawberry pleaded to them.  Holly was about to object, but Bluebell placed a restraining paw on the whiskered rabbit's shoulders and shook his head.  Even though he was inwardly fighting against it, the gray rabbit solemnly remained quiet, but the look of sadness and empathy and pity he gave to Strawberry was just as hurtful as if Holly had attacked the orange buck himself.  Hazel's eyes were troubled, worried, and disturbed; he knew he could say the word to stop this entire madness, this act of exile...but he couldn't say anything.  To tell the truth, he was conflicted between his better judgment of Strawberry's past friendship and trustworthiness and the recent events, but this was too important of a mission, to protect the cross-bearer from harm, to save El-ahrairah and the land beyond life, to allow room for error and mistakes.  He trusted Strawberry, but...he could honestly say that Justin's well-being meant more than Strawberry's well-being.  It was an extremely difficult decision, but Hazel couldn't make the choice his heart was telling him to do.  Hazel just bowed his head and kept silent, unable to say anything final to protect Strawberry and his defense.  Strawberry was crushed as his Chief Rabbit, his trusted leader and comrade, refused to generate eye contact with him.

                "Hazel-rah, please!" begged Strawberry.

                "He does not care for creatures who deceive us," Silver said, his tone icy and brutal, "And neither do we, for that matter.  Strawberry, leave now, or we will come over there and strike you until you are crippled and blind.  Get out of here!"  Strawberry wanted to stay, to undergo the accusations and physical assault, because no matter how vicious the thrashings would be, they would never be as painful as the hurt from seeing his own friends abandoning him.  But, Strawberry was too heartbroken to even endure any further pain and hurt.  With a soft whimper, he turned and ran, nearly stumbling on the weeds as his sight was blinded by the hot tears of misery running don his face, before he disappeared as the clouds started to release their torrential downpour of fat, large droplets of water.  Yet, no matter how depressing and dismal the shower was, the hearts of each and every Watership rabbit was much, much gloomier.  And Hazel-rah, out of all the rabbits, felt the most disgusted with himself.

                                                                                ***

                Strawberry kept running, his sobs making his sides ache with the exertion of running as he aimlessly stumbled and tripped on patches of moss and the surfacing, gnarled roots of surrounding spindle trees.  He ran and ran until he tumbled and fell with a heavy crash on the ground.  Strawberry, feeling his fur soak from the rain, just lay there, sobbing as the cruel voice in his head taunted him.

                _You see?  Your friends never trusted you, Justin never trusted you.  You were always a sad, pathetic, mollycoddled specimen of a rabbit, a child not even El-ahrairah would wish to acknowledge.  Even when you did not to anything or commit any heinous acts, they were still quick to blame you because of your past.  Your past will never let you go, Strawberry_.

                "El-ahrairah," cried Strawberry, pleading his prayer, "Please, what do I do?  I'm all alone!"  But there was nothing to answer back his pleas of mercy and assurance, only damning, forlorn silence and the sounds of the pattering, rumbling rainstorm.

                                                                                ***

                "Quick, we have to get out the rain before Justin gets soaked!" commanded Bigwig, "He's lost too much blood already and we have to keep him warm if we want the young one to survive his injuries!  Come on, move!"

                "I...I can't believe it!" Buckthorn murmured to himself, in shock and unable to move, "Holly, please, tell me that you cannot possibly think that Strawberry was the one who tried to murder Justin!"

                "I...I wish I could, old chap," Holly said, his voice hollow and tired, "I...I don't know what to think anymore!  I want to believe Strawberry when he protested his innocence, but...but then how can we ignore what Justin had told us?!  O Frith in a hole, I just wish we could have done this more gently and without hurting him!"

                "That cursed furball got what he deserved for trying to kill Justin," muttered Bluebell grimly, but a noise from behind caused all the rabbits to turn around to see Fiver and Pipkin, each carrying some sort of fruits and parsnips, making their way through.

                "Fiver!  Pipkin!  Thank Frith both you are safe!" Hazel exclaimed, relieved.  He had already lost one rabbit; he did not wish to lose any more.  Pipkin saw the injured, prone form of Justin and gasped, spilling his bounty.

                "Hazel-rah!  Justin's hurt?!  What...what happened?!" Pipkin squealed.

                "Strawberry betrayed us to Elil-rah, and he tried to murder Justin while they were alone together," Hawkbit spat, his face darkening at the memory, "But by the blessings of Frith, Justin managed to get away, and we were able to drive out the treacherous Strawberry out of our group.  He is no longer one of us, one of our family from Watership Down and El-ahrairah's Owsla.  He's gone.  We kicked the bugger out, and all for the better, good riddance to bad rubbish!"

                Pipkin, at a loss, started sobbing.  He too, like Holly and Buckthorn, was saddened from losing a dear friend and was disinclined to even believe such a gentle soul could perform such a deed of treachery.  Yet Fiver was staring at unconscious Justin, still being cradled by Bigwig and Dandelion with wide eyes.

                "Like trees in November..." Fiver gasped in realization.

                "Huh?  Fiver, what are you babbling about?" asked a bewildered Acorn.

                "That's not Justin!  That is NOT the cross-bearer!!" squealed Fiver, his voice irregular with alarm and dread.

                "What?!!"  All the rabbits were now staring at Fiver in disbelief.  Dandelion then realized a very important oversight as he stared at Justin's body.

                "He's right, chaps!  This isn't Justin!  He doesn't have his cross of light!"  Sure enough, there was no telltale golden light glowing from Justin's chest, no shining silver necklace draped around his shoulders, no apparent crystal trinket.

                Fiver's faces then darkened as he glared at the unknown figure.

                "What have you done with our friend, Justin...Silverweed?" Fiver demanded, nearly grimacing at the sound of the name, as if it was an unpleasant piece of filth not even the scavengers would bother feeding on.

                "SILVERWEED??!"  The rabbits turned at the form being held up by Bigwig and Dandelion's paws.  "Justin's" eyes then snapped open as he sneered at Fiver and the rabbits, "Oh dear, me.  You bunch of undignified rabbits have figured me out!  What a shame!"

                Before any of the Watership rabbits could react, metal wires sprung from the ground, and snared around each rabbit's neck, tightening in a flash so painfully, it drew blood and torn their fur.  Everyone squealed as they vainly tried to grasp at the cold metal seizing their fragile necks and throats, but it was to no avail.  Several wildly struggled and bucked and kicked, but their skirmishes had cost them dearly as it only made the wires even tighter, causing them to fall senseless on the floor as the blood and oxygen in their body screamed in fiery pain, begging for release.  Those who had the sense to remain still, noticeably Holly, Hazel, Blackberry and Bigwig, were less hindered from the snare as the others foolishly kept trying to struggle and kick until the nooses choked them to the point of unconscious obedience.  Blackberry looked around wildly for the telltale pegs that could be dug out in order to release them from their prison, but to his horror, there were none.  All the wires emerged from the ground, and no shanks of wood were made visible on the mossy surface.  Yet, to add even further injury to the insult, additional wires emerged up from the ground and snared the front paws of Blackberry, Hazel, Holly, and Bigwig.

                "What in the name of Frith?!" bellowed Holly, but with a harsh pull, their paws were dragged underneath the dirt until they were stuck, embedded into the terrain and moss, unmovable and no amount of strength from the rabbits' part could ever allow them to wrench them free.  Now, they were all unable to dig themselves out as well as their friends.  Holly then turned to "Justin" before the human teenager shimmered off his disguise to reveal a small rabbit youngster, skinny and sneering with arrogance and cruelty.

                "What have you done with the real Justin?!" snarled Holly.

                "He's safe, _for now_," laughed Silverweed, "Cowslip is especially drawn to the human boy, seeing as how Elil-rah will reward the both us greatly once we bring the all-powerful cross-bearer to our Dark Lord and Master!  Of course, seeing the ever-so-righteous rabbits and Lapine warriors of Watership Down turn on that traitor Strawberry was certainly more enjoyable than we could have ever imagined!"

                "So Strawberry...?" moaned Hazel, feeling his blood run cold at the thought of his fatal mistake.

                "...had nothing to do with this," derided Silverweed, "He was as innocent as a newborn kit, but knowing how his past would always serve as a dark reminder, it was hardly any effort to convince you rabbits otherwise!"  His tone darkened at the thought.  "The selfish duffer abandoned us to go start a new life back at the physical world!  He escaped death and destruction when our entire warren was wiped out!  It should have been us!  _We_ were willing to abide by the farmer, _we_ were willing to die with dignity, clarity, and full acceptance, and yet that wretch found happiness in the lives that were meant for us!  We should have deserved such celestial bliss!!"

                "Now look who's being selfish!" growled Holly, his compassion for his friend nearly eating away his self-control.  Silverweed then laughed, his mirth sounding like a mad rabbit of eternal delusion and lies.

                "Enjoy the fates that have claimed so many lives of our rabbits!" he mocked, turning back to disappear into the thicket, "Of course, knowing none of you can perish, you may as well be comfortable when Elil-rah takes over this land and places all of your as his slaves, under his glorious rule!  And no one, not even your precious cross-bearer, shall be alive to oppose him!"  With that, he disappeared, leaving the rabbits to writhe and resist painfully in the snares of betrayal and deception.

                                                                                ***

                Justin groaned, feeling the piercing headache shoot directly into his skull as he regained consciousness.  He placed a head on his forehead, and he struggled to sit up from his sprawled, lying position on his back.  Unsteadily, Justin opened his eyes...only to realize that he was staring directly into the face of a white skull.

                "Aauugghh!" screamed Justin shrilly as he backed away, still in his sprawled position, in alarm and fright, his heart pounding.  Panting nervously, Justin forced himself to see that it was a rabbit skull, almost as large as a human head, stuck on a long, narrow pole embedded into the ground, and upon closer inspection, Justin realized, with revulsion, that the pole was made of a long, pale, shank of bone.  In fact, there were several other skulls displayed the exact same way, similar to the pig head in the famous story, "Lord of the Flies".  Justin then grasped his surroundings.  He was in some sort of monstrous cavern, large enough to fit an Ilip, but what made it sinister was the fact the entire dirt walls and ceilings were decorated with numerous pieces of bones of differing shapes and sizes, the assortments intricately arranged in a web-like pattern, interwoven amongst the gnarled, thick tree roots that grew from the ceiling and crawled alongside the dirt and bony walls.  At the far side of the wall was an unusual waterfall, fed from an underground stream spilling out of the mouth of a rabbit skull nailed to the top of the wall, and into a pool underneath.  Yet what was odd about the water was that is was dazzling white, glowing and fluorescent, as if the pool was not made of water, but thousands and thousands of white sparks.  It was comforting to have a light source in the empty, drafty cavern, but for now, Justin needed to find a way out.

                "Enjoying the sights of your surroundings, Justin?" commented a mellifluous, almost to the point of annoying, voice from behind the adolescent, "I would certainly be honored if I were in your position.  You are the first human to ever set sight of the Hall of Bones."

                "Hall of...?" but the question died in his throat as Justin turned around, and he nearly yelped in dread again.  Stepping out of the shadows were two rabbits, one large, larger than Silver or Bigwig, and the other significantly smaller, about the same size as Fiver.  The large rabbit appeared well groomed, his fur a creamy shade of brown, his pelt lustrous with not one hair out of place and very well groomed.  He wasn't wearing any clothes, but Justin noted, with disgust, that the large rabbit was wearing a necklace of bones of small skulls woven with thread and around his neck was a bronze collar, sickeningly matted with dried blood.  Justin could not tell if the rabbit was large because of muscle or fat, but he did notice a faintly sweet smell, almost like the smell of blossoming autumn flowers before they wilted away from the coldness of winter, surrounding both rabbits.  The younger, smaller rabbit was skinny, almost emaciated, with dark fur and a gray belly, and yet, he too, was wearing a bronze, bloodstained collar.  Yet, what was the most chilling and terrifying feature was their eyes; their pupils were much, much smaller than normal, allowing Justin to see white all around, and each had a wild, sadistic, insane look of the damned, like a mindless zombie, one completely devoid of any emotion and feeling.  Justin then realized who his oppressors were, the realization striking his stomach into a cold pit of ice, threatening to petrify him with fear at the thought of being in the same room with one of the greatest enemies of "Watership Down".

                "You're...you're Cowslip and Silverweed," Justin whispered in a hushed tone, shivering.

                "How surprising, you know our names.  I am quite pleased," smirked the larger rabbit (Cowslip), his voice drawling to a very annoying pitch of smugness and conceit, "Apparently, the stories of myself and Silverweed in your world have been spread far and wide in eminence, humans reeling with amazement and admiration at the simple mention of our names."

                The smaller rabbit (Silverweed) also chimed in, "Humans must be saying things about us already."

                "Don't flatter yourself," Justin said darkly at the rabbit, feeling that some action was needed if he wanted to get out of this alive, "None of it was any good."  He then grabbed his cross, amazed that Cowslip and Silverweed did not have the foresight to take away his weapon.

                "Time, stop!  Time-freeze Cowslip and Silverweed!"  There was a flash of light, but to Justin's horror, nothing happened and immediately, a heavy clamp immediately pressed against his throat, painfully pressing against his skin and bone, growing tighter and tighter, making it difficult for Justin to even swallow, his breathing threatening to stop.  Too much in pain, Justin keeled over on his hands and knees, rasping and sputtering madly as his inhalation was forced into becoming more and more shallow.  Cowslip and Silverweed cackled, their sick amusement sending shivers into Justin's spine.

                "AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Cowslip chortled, "Justin, you pitiful fool!  You actually think that we would be so imprudent and thoughtless as to not anticipate the use of your powers!  Look what you are wearing around your neck, you naive duffer!"  Justin did, and to his horror, he saw that Cowslip and Silverweed had attached some sort of collar around his neckline.  The collar was yellow, transparent, and felt as light as air, but it was quite painfully real as Justin could feel the cold, smooth surface underneath his fingertips and see his skin bruise into nasty shades of pink and red from underneath.  At one area of the collar was a square of blue, fluorescent metal with an old-fashioned keyhole.  Silverweed then spoke.

                "The object that will help keep you at our mercy is a snare-collar, Justin!  It reacts to the smallest amount of light from your cross and grows tighter around your neck at each time you try to use your powers of the cross-bearer, not to mention that it neutralizes any effect your jewel invokes!  So as you can see, you fool, there is no escape!  Each time you try to use your powers, you risk killing yourself as the snare-collar grows tighter and tighter with each blaze of light from your powers!  Which makes you completely vulnerable!"  Justin, realizing that Silverweed was right, in desperation, sprinted as fast as he could for the nearest tunnel, yet Cowslip was quicker.

                "I think not, you foolish boy!  SKELETON PAWS!" he crowed, and with a simple flick of his paw, two long, bony, skeletal arms complete with brittle paws erupted in front of Justin.  Moving on their own, the skeleton paws grabbed the teenager by seizing their cold, hard appendages around Justin's torso, pining his arms to his sides excruciatingly, lifting him until he was a foot off the ground.  Cowslip ambled over to him, leering.

                "Oh, did I forget to mention that Elil-rah gave me the power to summon the skeletal remains of past creatures at my command?  Any remnants of bone that has been buried underground, I can control and use to obey my every whim and wishes!  and since Elil-rah has graciously submerged every part of the land beyond life with skeletons of the dead, no matter where you and your precious Watership clan are, I can simply use my power to subdue you all!  So as you can see, young Justin, you could try escaping, but there would be nowhere in these lands where you could avoid my influence and domination!"

                Justin tried not to tremble as Cowslip grabbed his chin and forced the adolescent into his mad eyes of hate and oblivion.  Cowslip sneered, his breath, sickeningly sweet and warm, wafting into Justin's face, "Not that it would have mattered anyway.  Your friends are, how we should say, indisposed and Strawberry will be of no help to you.  Do you remember?  He has betrayed you to us!  He attacked you after you were weakened!  All of his journeys with you, all of his attempts to be close to you and gain your trust and friendship, everything was just a clever ruse!  He is as despicable and traitorous as we are!  He will not come to help you or your dear protectors from Watership Down!  He has abandoned you!  He has betrayed you!"

                Cowslip grinned at the thought of killing Justin's hope completely, making him think that his own friend betrayed him, lying to the boy about Strawberry's character, just to break and hurt the cross-bearer.  Yet what Justin said next surprised him.

                Justin growled intently, "You're lying!  Strawberry didn't betray me!  He would never betray me!  He's my friend, and I trust my life with him if I have to!  I don't believe you or your lies!"

                Cowslip's eyes narrowed as he snarled, "Do not delude yourself any further, Justin!  you saw Strawberry attack you with your own eyes!"

                "No, I saw _Silverweed_ attack me."  Cowslip's eyes narrowed even further as his nose twitched; the boy guessed the truth.  The young cross-bearer continued on.

                "It all makes sense now, seeing you and Silverweed here in the Hall of Bones, working together.  You could have used your power to grab me away from Hazel and the rest of the rabbits, but you knew that would be risky, especially since they would find a way to rescue me.  So, you had Elil-rah bless Silverweed with a power, and it's just like his poetry, using it to give people a sense of illusion, a ruse.  Silverweed's power is to shapeshift, to magically look like any being he wishes in appearance, whether it be a human, an enemy...or a rabbit like Strawberry.  That way, you could have an easier time to separate me from the rest of the group."  Silverweed, seeing as how the boy now knew the reality, smiled wickedly as he shimmered into the appearance of Strawberry, then an injured Justin, then to Hazel-rah, then to an Ilip, before returning back into his normal form.

                Silverweed guffawed, "Ha!  You figured out the truth too late, you desolate human!  Now you are completely under our power and mercy, with no possible chance of liberation!  You are truly juvenile and childish beyond any creature in this land!"

                "And you two are just pathetic," retorted Justin, which earned him a hard cuff by Cowslip across his face, leaving several, bloody gashes on his left cheek.  Suddenly, to Justin's joy, a familiar voice rang out as a figure steeped out of the shadows and into the Hall of Bones.

                "Let him go, Cowslip."

                Cowslip and Silverweed turned to see it was none other than Strawberry, his fur quivering with anger, his eyes red with fury, his claws ready to tear and cuff the two rabbits until they were nothing more than bloody pulps.  Silverweed glared at him.

                "How long have you been hiding in the shadows, you traitorous wretch?!"

                "Long enough," Strawberry scowled simply, "Release him now, Cowslip."

                "Come now, Strawberry," Cowslip sneered, "Despite your misgivings and convictions, there is no better life than the ones Elil-rah has offered us!  The simple life of wits and trickery of El-ahrairah is not the life for any smart rabbit!  Ease, comfort, riches, physical beauty!  Can you not see, you fool?  Elil-rah is the true Prince and Lord of the land beyond life, and you, my dear friend, can understand that!  You have lived that life before!  Join us!  You never left the Warren of the Shining Wires in the first place!  It will always be a part of you as well as you are a part of it!  Join us, Strawberry!"

                "I'd rather die again," roared Strawberry as he charged, but to his horror, he also felt a strangling sensation around his neck the instant he pounced, and when he looked down, to his anguished woe, he found that magically, a bronze, bloodstained collar turned up, encasing his neck, but Justin noted that it was more transparent and ghostly than the collars of Cowslip and Silverweed.

                Strawberry gasped as he was being choked, "What in the name of El-ahrairah did you do to me?!"

                Cowslip cackled with perverse glee.  "I did not need to perform anything, you fat duffer!  Can you not see?  this is your fate, the misdeeds and sins of your past coming back to haunt you!  The snare-collar that you wear around your neck is a lingering reminder of the dark deeds you have performed in leading your own flesh and blood to the shining wires, just to save your own hide!  And now, those past transgressions have hunted you down to this very Hall of Bones, to bind your life into darkness and madness with no way out!  How do you think Silverweed and I came to be trapped with these infernal collars and in the Hall of Bones?!  These collars have ensued use since our deaths!"

                "What happened?" asked Justin.

                "We were wiped out," Cowslip muttered bitterly, "We kept sending rabbits to the shining wires to appease the farmer, but as the seasons passed, he began to set out more and more snares, greedy in his pillage for rabbits, and he also became parsimonious in the flayrah bounty he set for our meals!  As a result, the does in our warren could produce less and less healthy kittens for the warren to continue on, but more and more of our rabbits died because of the abundance of snares!  Soon, there was only Silverweed and myself who lived beyond the rest of the warren, and we thought that the farmer would believe he had wiped out the entire warren with his snares and leave us alone!  But it was not to be!  He became so intent on getting the last remaining survivors of the warren, he and several farm hands had quarried out the warren, destroying it!  With no place to run or hide, we both died, each shot to death by the farmer's gun, but when we arrived here in the land beyond life, we found we were punished with these infernal collars of dishonesty and indulgence, to wear them forevermore until our redemption!"

                "You got what you deserved for leading all those rabbits to their deaths and for trying to kill off Bigwig!" shouted Justin.

                "Oh, really?" scoffed Cowslip, "Then how do you explain Strawberry's position?  He is no better than any of us from the Warren of the Shining Wires!"  He then turned to Strawberry who was weakened and lying, panting on the ground.  "It was not fair to see you escape from that life, from this tharn, blighted punishment!  It was not just to see that you found salvation ,while we had to suffer for the same crimes and wrongdoings you have made!"

                "I found salvation because of El-ahrairah, you buffoon!" snarled Strawberry, still drained, "El-ahrairah is the true Prince of all Rabbits who helped me see that there was more to life than good food, sloth, and false security!  If you just put your trust in El-ahrairah, you could find redemption as well, Cowslip!"  Silverweed and Cowslip snorted at the notion.

                "Never would we do such a irrational deed, you lost fool!" sneered Silverweed, "We love the life of gluttony and indolence, and to give it all up to follow El-ahrairah would make us weak!  For that is what your Lord and Prince is, a weak, pathetic, inadequate, powerless simpleton!  He is a fool!"

                "_You're_ the fool, you wretch!" snarled Strawberry.

                "Enough of this!" commanded Cowslip, "As you can see, Strawberry, now that we have Justin in our complete handling, Elil-rah shall now reward us for being such faithful followers!  He will give us the key to free us from these infernal collars of sins!  Now, my master Elil-rah!  Come and see our fruits of labor!"  Immediately, there was a rumbling as the sparkling waterfall parted to reveal of swirling mass of darkness, a window of black aura connecting the Hall of Bones to the view of Elil-rah's warren.  What Justin and Strawberry saw next chilled them so greatly, they could not even scream.  A pair of large, red eyes, large than the eye span of any creature Justin could imagine, with black slits as pupils, hazy from the surrounding smoke, glared viciously at them.  They were evil, brimming with malevolence and gloom, and yet, though Justin could not explain it...there was something, something recognizable about those eyes.  A malicious, deep, harsh voice resounded throughout the cavern.

                "**MY SERVANTS, COWSLIP AND SILVERWEED, I AM QUITE PLEASED TO SEE THAT YOU TWO HAVE NOT FAILED ME!!!  YOU HAVE SUCEEDED IN ACCOMPLISHING WHAT THOSE OTHER INCOMPETENT, BUMBLING FOOLS HAVE NOT!!!  YOU BOTH SHALL BE REWARDED!!!**"

                From the portal of darkness, an object shot out, only to float in a crimson orb of light and to set lightly into Cowslip's paws.  It was a bronze key, old fashioned like the bygone days, with a handle made of a crystal-clear vial filled with a red, thick liquid of blood.  Elil-rah continued.

                "**THIS KEY IS YOURS, COWSLIP AND SILVERWEED!!  IT SHALL FREE YOU FROM YOUR SINS AND TROUBLES, MADE ESPECIALLY TO FIT YOUR PURPOSE!!!  THE VIAL YOU SEE IN THE HANDLE OF THE KEY IS FILLED WITH A BIT OF THE BLOOD OF EL-AHRAIRAH!!!  MY MINIONS WERE SUCCESSFUL IN EXTRACTION HIS LIFE-FORCE IN ORDER TO CREATE SUCH A TOOL FOR YOUR FREEDOM, MY SERVANTS!!!**"

                "Thank you, oh gracious master!" Silverweed cried, bowing, "And, the cross-bearer?"

                "**THE CROSS-BEARER STILL POSES A THREAT TO ME, HIM AND HIS CROSS OF LIGHT, LOVE, AND HOPE!!!  AS SOON AS YOU FREE YOURSELVES FROM YOUR ACCURSED COLLARS, KILL HIM!!!  KILL HIM AND ENSLAVE THE OWSLA OF WATERSHIP DOWN AND EL-AHRAIRAH!!!   DO NOT FAIL ME IN THESE TASKS, YOU DUFFERS!!!  I HAVE SHOWN YOU MY BENEVOLENCE; DO NOT DARE BETRAY ME OR FALL SHORT OF MY EXPECTATIONS!!!**"

                "We will not, oh Blessed Dark Lord!" praised Cowslip nauseatingly, and the portal of darkness vanished, only to be replaced by the waterfall of sparkling water.  Silverweed was exuberant.

                "Quickly, Cowslip!  Use to key to free the both of us!  Quickly, my comrade!"

                Cowslip's eyes glittered in cold treachery.  "'Comrade'??  I think not you fool!!"

                With a brutal shove, Cowslip pushed Silverweed to the floor, thrusting the diminutive rabbit away from his presence by several feet.  Silverweed was outraged with shock and confusion.

                "How...how could you?!!  I deserve salvation as well!!  I was the one who helped the embleer Watership rabbits turn on Strawberry!!" shrieked Silverweed piercingly within the dark, echoing, empty hall of bones.

                "And I appreciate your help, you old, poetic fool!" laughed Cowslip at the stunned form of Silverweed on the hard-packed ground, "Yet it is not enough to actually make me willing to be so compassionate and merciful and generous!!  You actually thought I would be so willing to share the fruits of Elil-rah's promises and glorious gifts with a shallow, pathetic miscreant such as yourself?!!  You are a truly sad and miserable creature!!  I, and I alone, deserve to sit at the right paw of my master, Elil-rah!"

                "I WILL RIP YOU APART BEFORE THAT HAPPENS!!" screamed Silverweed in an eerily, shrill voice, enough to rattle the bones lining the roof, as he rose and charged at Cowslip.  Unfortunately, Cowslip, being the heavier, sturdier one, was able to easily able to send Silverweed flying with a single cuff.  With a simply flick of his paw, Cowslip invoked skeleton paws to pin Silverweed to the ground.  Yet before he could use the key, he was roughly tackled by Strawberry from behind.   Strawberry, who regained his strength, fought with Cowslip as hard as he could, using the trainings of the countless Owsla sessions he had endured for such purposes.  Yet unfortunately, Cowslip outweighed Strawberry by a great deal.

                "You annoying, little pest!!!" roared Cowslip as he cuffed Strawberry hard across the face, stunning the brave warrior on his back, giving Cowslip the chance to call forth even more bony appendages to pin Strawberry's paws and hind legs to the ground, leaving the Watership rabbit on his back, defenseless and completely vulnerable.  Unfinished, Cowslip leapt on Strawberry's stomach ruthlessly and started to attack his face, scratching, ripping, and biting while Strawberry squealed in pain.

                Justin looked on as Cowslip kept torturing Strawberry mercilessly, and he knew deep down, in his heart, there was no other preferable choice.  He shut his eyes, unable to grasp his cross necklace around his neck due to the skeletal arms clutching his entire torso in a death grip, and whispered, "Please!  Please!  I...I don't care what happens to me!  Please!  Give Strawberry a power!  Give him a force to help him fight against Cowslip and Silverweed!  Please, just work just this once!"

                The cross, though unnoticed by the sadistic Cowslip and the whining Silverweed, started to increase its luminescence ever so slightly, and Justin could feel the shining collar around his neck squeeze even tighter, his breath now aflame with pain and agony as his lungs bawled for air and his vision started to blur.  Justin, due to the lack of oxygen, sank to his knees before toppling to his side.  Despite the pain, Justin kept praying wildly, _Please, please, let this work_!  Meanwhile, Cowslip was taking great pleasure at rending Strawberry's fur and flesh to ribbons as the Watership Owsla kept squealing, unable to defend himself, as chunks of his flesh and bloodied skin flicked wildly in the air.

                "Where is your mighty and omnipotent El-ahrairah now, Strawberry?!" he gleefully gloated, half yelling with triumph and sickening perversion, "Where are you friends, your sworn comrades who would always stand by you?!  Admit the truth, you traitorous wretch!!  When it comes down to it, you are no better than the rest of us, your past will never let you go, and you will never be anything more than a weak, cosseted, dandy from the Warren of Shining Wires!!  Your destiny lies with all those other useless dolts who died for no other great purpose other than to save my own fur and paw!!  Just like your precious Nildro-hain!!"

                That was Cowslip's fatal mistake.  At the mention of those words, Strawberry, despite his wounds, one ear hacked to ribbons, and his right eye swollen shut, glared at Cowslip with such a look of vengeance, of rage, of power, of strength that neither Cowslip nor Silverweed could ever comprehend, it actually made the antagonist gasp.  Fueled by the inner fire of passion and determination in his heart, Strawberry growled powerfully, "_My_ destiny...is to protect the cross-bearer and El-ahrairah!!!"

                With a bellow of rage that would have rivaled Shardik the bear's roars of anger and might, Strawberry's entire body drew in the power of Justin's cross, illuminating the red, chubby rabbit with halos and pillars of gold, burning the bones that kept him and Silverweed pinned to the ground into ashes and glowing so brightly, a force of momentum from nowhere struck Cowslip in the chest and sent him and Silverweed flying, crashing hard into the wall on the far side.  Cowslip had a look of insane murder in his angry eyes as he struggled to rise.  Strawberry, his sides heaving, stood shakily on his hind legs, trying to quickly think of a solution as he absent-mindedly wiped away the thin stream of blood trickling from his gashed nose.  Yet, to his surprise, El-ahrairah gave him the answer as he spoke to his Watership Owsla warrior with his empathic spirit, exactly as he had done before with Blackberry.

                _Strawberry, thank you_.

                "El...El-ahrairah?" Strawberry gasped out loud, a bit fazed that he heard his Lord and Prince of all Rabbits speaking to him in his head, echoing in the crevices of his mind intensely yet soothingly; but rationally pushing down his shock and panic, Strawberry then conversed back using his own thoughts.

                For...for what?

                _For being loyal, to me and your own friends, to your mission, to your legacy, your true legacy, and not to your past mistakes or your life of deceit and falsehood that you had so previously lived before.  Strawberry, listen to what I say carefully!  Cowslip and Silverweed are incredibly formidable and dangerous, but you can do this!  You can win!  You must believe in yourself, believe in the faith and love your friends have for you._

                Strawberry almost felt the bile burn at the back of his windpipe, hot wetness starting to surge in his eyes as he stared into space with a mixture of loathing and incredible loneliness.

                It can't be, my Lord.  I...I have no friends, and...and I'm all alone.  You cannot possibly have any faith in a rabbit like me, a rabbit no better than Cowslip, Strawberry thought with extreme hurt and choking sadness surging in his throat, recalling with bitterness at Hazel-rah and the other Watership rabbits' accusations and silent failures to come to his defense.

                El-ahrairah could feel the hurt, the brokenness, the urge to give in to the desperation and the helplessness, the self-blame and self-pity.  Yet, his next words echoed his love and hope for his "outcast".

                _You're not alone, my child_.

                Strangely enough, Strawberry was a bit startled.  That was the first time he had heard El-ahrairah, the Lord and Prince of all rabbits of the past, present, and future, call _anyone_ his child.  The Prince of all Rabbits continued.

                _I will always be with you, regardless of what others say or what you do, for you will never be too far from my benevolence and guidance, from my care, and from my devotion and spirit.  You, Strawberry-rah, may have been a misfit, one who was not born into the life of a normal rabbit...but you are **my** misfit.  You are a rabbit, and though Cowslip has lost that right of identity, you have not, and you never will lose that legacy.  And lest you forget, the boy, Justin, has not abandoned you nor is he willing to forsake your well being for his sake._

                Strawberry shot a horrified glance at Justin, seeing the teenager still being ruthlessly strangled from the magic collar around his neck, whimpering and half-conscious as he kept trying to invoke the magic powers of his cross.  He realized that Justin's attempt was causing the collar around his neck to strangle him even further, bring him closer and closer to the brink of death.

                "What in the name of Frith is he doing?!" gasped Strawberry, fearing Justin would kill himself from the effort, "My Lord, please, make him stop!"

                _If you want him to stop, if you want to save him, then use the power he has given you, with my blessings_.

                "P...power??"

                _Strawberry, do not let the boy die in vain!  He has used the cross, at his own risk, to bathe your soul, your loyalty, your heart, with its protection and light.  Can you not feel it?_

                Strawberry closed his eyes, still breathing heavily from his wounds.  Yet, to his surprise, he could sense what El-ahrairah was trying to tell him.  Every single fiber of his body felt warm, surging with might and energy, and though he could not explain it, Strawberry could actually be aware of the earth, the ground, the living force of the soil.  The life, the presence of the entities that had given birth to plants and mountains and sheltered thousands of animals with sanctuary and food, the eons and eons of past creatures that have traveled on the hallowed soil, the lands formed and divided by the vigor of the Gaia, the knowledge of it all came rushing to Strawberry's mind in an overwhelming, vigorous rush.  It was as if he was one with the terrain.  Cowslip, now finally able to recover from the inexplicable attack, started to run towards Strawberry in a frenzied, frothing rage, intent to ripping him to shreds.

                "You will not triumph this time, Strawberry!!" he screamed, his foolish madness and pompous views burning with anger and bloodthirsty wrath, "I will not lose!!  I will never lose!!!  I am the supreme rabbit servant of Elil-rah!!!"

                Cowslip pounced with teeth bared and claws outstretched, ready to destroy the Watership rabbit, but Strawberry and El-ahrairah were quicker.  El-ahrairah spoke his final words as his presence faded into obscurity from Strawberry's perception.

                _Now, Strawberry, use the blessings of Digger and Swift-Warning given to you by Frith!  Combine it with the light and power of the cross-bearer!  The earth is yours to command!  Show Cowslip and Elil-rah the power of our legacy!_

                Strawberry's head snapped up quickly as his brown eyes widened slightly underneath the glare he shot at his former acquaintance.  Before Cowslip could even touch Strawberry, in an instant, by magic, a wave of earth and ground emerged from the ground, hurtling and rumbling from the ground with a huge intensity.  In a moment, the swell of dirt surged forward, crashing into the wretched Cowslip and actually carrying him before crushing him painfully against the jutted surface of the hall of bones.  Cowslip sank to the floor as the tidal wave of earth subsided, blood pouring out of his fur as pointed pieces of bone from the wall actually embedded themselves into his flesh.  Still, he managed to growl with extreme contempt, "How dare you, you impertinent, fat..."

                Strawberry did not give Cowslip even a chance to complete his sentence as the orange rabbit gave a fierce flick with his wounded arm.  Immediately, the entire Hall of Bones started to rumble and jerk violently as an earthquake struck the entire warren, forceful enough to crack and fracture the skeleton arms that were pinning down Justin, splintering them into pieces of hollow marrow and milky-white shards.  A huge surge of soil erupted from the ground underneath Cowslip, and Cowslip could only squeal with a mixture of fright and outrage as a column of packed dirt erupted and pushed the deceitful rabbit upwards, only to crash into the ceiling, bringing down a shower of bones and skulls.  The pillar crumpled into harmless dirt, releasing the slothful, wicked enemy to come hurtling back down to the floor again with a heavy thud.  Cowslip was twitching madly as he struggled to rise and attack Strawberry, but to his horror, he realized that the brunt of the attack has snapped his spinal cord, and with helpless antagonism, Cowslip realized he could no longer stand on his own paws without feeling excruciating stabs of fire burning from the severed nerves and flesh as his back was broken and strewed in an odd angle.  As he struggled, Justin, though dizzy and on the verge of blacking out, noticed that the enemy rabbit dropped something during his agonizing movements.

                "For my friends!" snarled Strawberry as he flung a tidal wave of earth to collide with Cowslip and Silverweed, pressing them with great force against the bone-covered wall with a crash.

                "For El-ahrairah!"  With an angry flick of his paw, an avalanche of earth from the ceiling collapsed onto Cowslip and Silverweed, pinning them under the suffocating weight.

                "For myself," he declared in clear finality before stomping on the ground, repeatedly with the gift of swift-warning.  Cowslip and Silverweed managed to extract themselves from the rubble, only to find with surprise that Strawberry was only stamping hard on the ground.

                "The pitiful fool!" growled Cowslip as he wiped blood off his brow and jaw, "What does he hope to accomplish with such an...?"  Yet then Cowslip saw the answer.  Strawberry's power not only allowed him to manipulate the dirt and soil, but it also allowed him to send powerful vibrations of power deep into the ground due to his hind foot stamping, each blow magnified to more than a thousand times over, causing the entire Hall of Bones to rumble, tremble, and slowly fall apart as it began to collapse in deadly, falling debris of bone and rock.  Strawberry was creating another earthquake, this one so powerful, it was destroying the entire Hall of Bones...and disintegrating the very ground on which Cowslip and Silverweed were standing on.  The ground cracked open, collapsing inwardly towards a deep, dark, wide abyss of nothingness, taking in and engulfing Cowslip and Silverweed into the dark chasm.

                "There, take that you embleer -!" Strawberry shouted, but then he noticed to his horror that Justin was stumbling into the void as well.  He got too close to the earthquake, and like Cowslip and Silverweed, he too, was in danger of stumbling into the dark pit of nothingness.

                "Justin!!" yelled Strawberry as he leapt towards the human teenager who toppled over, losing his balance.

                "Strawberry!!" hollered Justin as Strawberry managed to grab one of the adolescent's hand, nearly painfully wringing Justin's arm out of his socket as Justin dangled precariously with Strawberry using all his strength to ensure that the cross-bearer would not disappear in the unknown depths, lying flat on his stomach at the very edge of the chasm.  One further nudge or if Strawberry lost his hold on Justin's hand would prove fatal, and Strawberry did not know if he could hang on to Justin much longer.  And the inability for Justin to use his powers of levitation and flight made the situation even more dangerous.

                "Justin, give me your other hand!" Strawberry yelled shrilly, urgently.  It appeared that Justin was holding something in the other appendage tightly, protectively to his chest.  Justin shook his head as he winced from the pain of his arm from so much strain and from the falling clods of dirt showering down.  If Strawberry did not help Justin escape the Hall of Bones soon, they would be buried alive when the entire warren collapses due to Strawberry's earthquake.

                "Justin, don't be stubborn!  Give me your other hand!!" Strawberry yelled at him, heated, "I'm not going to let you die!!"

                I can't lost this, thought Justin with fatigue as he brought up his other hand, but Strawberry was stunned when he saw what Justin was holding.  It was the key Elil-rah gave to Cowslip to free him from the collar, the dull metal glinting from the light of the cross.

                "Strawberry, here take it!  It's they key Elil-rah gave to Cowslip to free them from their collars!  You can use it to save yourself!  Cowslip dropped it!!"

                Strawberry was stunned, shaken.  The cross-bearer, risked his own life, his own safety, just to bring the key, the only thing that could possibly free Strawberry from his curse, his past, his mistakes, back to his Watership protector.

                "Justin??" Strawberry gasped as the ceiling stated to collapse even further.  time was running out for the both of them.

                "Hurry!  Take it!" pleaded Justin, but unfortunately, Cowslip appeared from underneath and grabbed at Justin's leg, holding on to him hazardously.  Cowslip managed to prevent himself from falling by clinging frantically to the walls of the gulch, and seeing a way out, he grabbed on to the teenager and started dragging the both of them in with his heavy weight.  Justin screamed in pain at being pulled in opposite directions as Strawberry gasped and tried to maintain his holding, his paws and arms burning painfully at the extra exertion.  Cowslip laughed maniacally as he kept pulling on Justin and Strawberry, dragging them closer and closer to falling off into the chasm as the ceiling was about to give away.

                "You fools haven't won yet!!" Cowslip roared, "I will not perish alone!!  Both of you shall suffer with me!!  I shall drag you both to your deaths!!! Ahahahahaha!!!"

                "Let him go!" Strawberry howled as the entire Hall of Bones gave way.  In a spilt second, as Strawberry, Justin, and Cowslip were all about to be buried by the tons of dirt, rock, and bone, Strawberry heard Justin holler, "TELEPORT!!!  TELEPORT US BACK TO HAZEL AND THE OTHERS!!!"

                "NO!!!" shrieked Cowslip as the bodies of Strawberry and Justin disappeared in golden sparks, teleporting back to their friends, leaving Cowslip to hold on to nothing as he fell into the abyss with the endless amounts of earth trailing behind.

                "NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" screamed the fading voice of Cowslip before the vast amounts of wreckage crushed the bodies of him and Silverweed at the rocky bottom, filling the entire cavern until it was nothing more than a rocky grave.

                                                                                ***

                "I can't get free!!" squealed Pipkin, crying in unbearable pain as the wires drew more blood, staining his fur, and Hazel was completely at a loss.  All of them were unable to assist each other from the dangerous traps, yet then, phenomenally and astonishingly, a inferno of golden light materialized in the midst of the fracas, revealing an injured, fatigued, yet conscious Strawberry, cradling an unconscious Justin in his paws and holding a bronze key.

                "Strawberry!" Fiver cried joyously.

                "Old chap, help us get loose!" called out Holly, and Strawberry nodded without hesitation.  With a loud stomp on the sodden ground, Strawberry let loose a precise, violent tremor that was powerful enough to shatter the metal wires, making them snap and releasing all of the Watership rabbits from their prison.

                "Strawberry!!" Buckthorn shouted in relief, "Are you all right, bucko?!"

                Strawberry was shivering, traumatized, but he was coherent enough to awkwardly to touch the head of the key to the collar choking his neck.  There was a faint, unlocking noise as the collar crumbled away, fading in the rain.

                "Justin!!" Campion cried out in grief as he rushed next to Strawberry's side.  Strawberry then touched the key to Justin's collar, inserting it directly into the keyhole.  Another faint click, and the evil snare-collar fell off Justin's neck as the rain started to drench the adolescent's still body.

                "Where is that wretch, Silverweed?!  And that cowardly Cowslip?!" Silver said uneasily, still ashamed and remorseful on his earlier behavior towards Strawberry.

                Strawberry slightly hesitated before stating, "They're gone!  Elil-rah took them away when I used my powers to fight them and protect Justin!!  I used it to destroy the Hall of Bones, the warren of Cowslip and Silverweed!  Elil-rah took them back to his warren of darkness, so they were able to get out safely!  They're not at the Hall of Bones anymore, so there's no need to go back and seek vengeance and retribution on them!"  Hazel and the others nodded, accepting this, but Strawberry noticed that Fiver was staring at him strangely.  Yet to his slight comfort, Fiver sadly smiled and shook his head; he knew the truth...but he was not going to say anything.  Strawberry then turned his attention to the unconscious teenager.  Justin's face was blue, the rain pounding and dousing his clothes and body with cold water, blood dripping out of his mouth as he remained flaccid.  Strawberry felt his blood run cold as the rain showered down on all of the Watership rabbits.

                 "Justin?" Strawberry asked softly, nuzzling Justin's head with his nose, "Wake up.  The collar is off.  You're free."

                Justin remained still and limp, and his head slowly moved back and forth under Strawberry's snout.  Trembling, with icy remorse clutching his heart, Strawberry tried to shake the motionless teenager awake as he laid cold and lifeless in Strawberry's paws.

                "Justin, please wake.  Please??"  Strawberry begged the last word, almost whispering, as the tears started to sparkle in his eyes.  It couldn't be, it just couldn't; Strawberry wouldn't let him go.  Half whimpering and breathing heavily, Blackberry put his nose close to Justin's bloody mouth, saliva and a trickle of blood already starting to crust in the cool air; the black-eared rabbit could not feel any warm air, any breathing.  Nearly tharn from shock and dread, Blackberry placed his ear against Justin's chest, but there was no pulse, no rhythmic beating in his body.  Justin's heart, from the prolonged strangulation and asphyxiation of the snare-collar, had stopped.  He has been strangled to death.  Hazel and the others watched with wide eyes and numb coldness as Blackberry stiffly stood upright, looked at all of them with immense misery sketching his visage, shook his head slowly, and then buried his head in his paws as he wept.  Campion, Pipkin, Silver, Buckthorn, Hawkbit and Dandelion were already starting to cry, and Bluebell and Speedwell were actually bawling.  Bigwig, Holly, Fiver, Acorn just looked at Justin blankly and with great loss and sadness, their sorrow so deep, they were incapable of showing any emotion.  They all just stood there, their fur forming into wet clumps and dripping with rain and sorrow.  Hazel-rah mournfully hopped beside Strawberry as gingerly placed a paw on the sobbing Strawberry's shoulder, still cradling Justin in his arms.

                "I'm...I'm so sorry, Strawberry.  I...I don't know what to say to make you feel better about this but -"

                "Just shut up, Hazel-rah!"  The bitter, distraught shout actually stunned the entire party, and the Watership Owsla stared at Strawberry with shock as he glared venomously at his Chief rabbit.  He continued.

                "You do _not_ know anything about how I feel, about how lonely and hurt I felt when Bigwig and Silver accused me of attempted murder on Justin, how none of you came to my defense before, how you couldn't trust me, believe in me, and how none of us can say anything that could make this better again!  Damn it, Hazel-rah, can't you see?!  Justin died for me!  He died because of me, and I have to live with that guilt and not to mention that I have to face that fact that we lost the mission of saving El-ahrairah, and if you were any kind of competent Chief Rabbit, you would have realized that!!"

                "Strawberry, we all share that guilt.  All of us have let Justin and El-ahrairah down, and you aren't the one to blame," Hazel consoled softly, but Strawberry's voice was cold, bitter, as he spoke his next words to the Watership leader.

                "No, but _you _are."  Hazel just stood there, stunned, taking in the accusation as Pipkin gasped with scandal and hurt.

                Strawberry, wet streaks matting his furry face, growled through his angry crying as thunder rumbled in the sky, "You could have stopped all this!  You could have made the decision to dismiss the accusations about me when Silverweed was disguised as Justin!  You could have had more faith and trust in me, after all I have gone through with you back in our physical lifetimes!  Embleer Frith in a hole, you're the bally leader!  We look up to you to make the right choice!  You should have known better than to even think that I'd betray Justin, but you didn't!  You couldn't!!  You just stood there and kept silent, unsure about what to do, and you did not object to Bigwig and Silver banishing me away, even after I swore my innocence!!  Embleer Frith, if you were any type of a brilliant leader, you would have remembered all that, gotten down to the bottom of this whole mess, and Justin would not have had to die by saving me!!  Justin died because of your hesitance and indecision!"

                "Strawberry, that's enough!!" snarled Bigwig, ready to hurt him, but Holly stopped him.

                "Hazel-rah?" Acorn asked his leader carefully, softly, hoping that his Chief could reason with Strawberry's accusations, but sadly enough, Hazel couldn't.  Strawberry's words were sharp and spoken in the moment of anger and rage...and yet, Hazel could not defend himself, could not say anything to convince that the events were not of his error, and could not stop from letting the avalanche of blame and self-disgust fall and bury his heart and soul.  You could not object to someone who spoke the truth.  Strawberry, his frustrations spent, turned his attention back to Justin's body and, in his mindless aggravation, started pounding on Justin's chest in remorseful grief.

                "Embleer Frith, Justin, you...you idiot!  You fool!  Why did you always have to be so stubbornly noble and loyal?!!  Why couldn't you have left me behind?!!"

                Strawberry kept pounding on Justin's upper torso even harder, his blows thumping rigorously on the boy's ribcage and heart.  Understanding Strawberry's angst, none of the rabbits, not even Hazel and Bigwig, could find the strength to object to the act of senseless violence as the Watership Owsla warrior kept pounding on Justin's body, actually causing it to convulse and jerk slightly with each blow.

                "You idiot!"

                _Thump_!

                "You fool!"

                _Thump_!

                "I didn't want you to die!!"

                _Thump_!

                "Damn you!"

                _Thump_!

                "You abandoned El-ahrairah!"

                _Thump_!

                "You abandoned our future, our home, our world!"

                _Thump_!

                "You abandoned all of us!"

                _Thump_!

                "All...all...for my sake," whimpered Strawberry, sniveling, his voice now dropping to a whisper, his sadness overwhelming him, and letting his paw drop, the enervated Strawberry thumped Justin's body one final time as the reddish-orange rabbit softly, lovingly embraced the teenager, cradling his departed friend, realizing it was now all over.

                And yet...it was far from it.

                What Strawberry did not realize was that if the human heart has stopped, it is possible to regenerate its animate beating again if done quickly enough in a short window of opportune time.  In the human world, such a feat is possible if applied with a mild, electric shock, CPR, resuscitation...or blunt force on the chest cavity.  Unbeknownst to Strawberry or the rest of the Watership party, Strawberry's power was giving forth strong vibrations throughout his heart and body, similar to the ones that allowed Strawberry to manipulate the ground and summon earthquakes with his gift of swift-warning, coursing the teenage cross-bearer with enough force to nearly crack his ribcage...and strong enough to rekindle the last spark of life in Justin's perishing heart before it could die out.

                "_HUUUUHHHHHH!!!_"  Justin's eyes flew wide open as he sat up suddenly, inhaling air sharply with a long, lung-filling gasp, filling his tired body with precious, life-giving oxygen and cooling the burning sensation lining his lungs and head.  The other rabbits, with shock at the sight of Justin spring back to life, went tharn as their jaws dropped and their eyes went glassy from disbelief, and Strawberry was so surprised, he nearly dropped Justin.  Justin, still weak, fell back in Strawberry's arms as he coughed and sputtered, still trying to take in more and more air.  His eyes were fluttering to stay open, his brain felt like heated mush, his body too weak to even stand up for the moment, and blood was crusting over his mouth and clothes.  And yet, Justin, miraculously and with fantastic joyfulness, was now alive, more or less.

                "Ju...Justin???" Strawberry whispered incredulously, his eyes, though glassy and wide with amazement, was watering with relief and building elation.

                Justin managed to whisper, panting laboriously and nodding, "I...I think I'm...I'm OK...Strawberry."

                The teenager then managed to give a small grin as he noticed Strawberry's cut and bruised face, his facial fur dark with dried blood, and his blackened right eye.  He quipped as Strawberry's tears mixed with the rain and splashed on his forehead, "You're a sight for sore eyes."

                "Justin!" Strawberry accomplished in choking out his dry mouth, and unable to speak anymore, wordlessly yet with great happiness, Strawberry shut his eyes and held Justin tightly and longingly.  The other rabbits started cheering as they rushed about around Strawberry and Justin, sniffing, licking, and nuzzling the both of them with their noses and soaked bodies.

                "Justin!" wept Pipkin happily as he started to sob with delight.

                "Frith above, don't scare us like that again!" Campion sighed deeply as he wrapped his paws around Justin and Strawberry.

                "He's alive!!  He's alive!!  Thank the stars, the cross-bearer is alive!!!" applauded Speedwell, giddily running and jumping around them.

                "And it couldn't have been done without you, Strawberry, old chap," Holly said softly as he touched noses with Strawberry's.  The orange buck managed to give a weak smile of comforting respite.

                "I second that, Holly!" chuckled Buckthorn with relief as he placed a firm, assuring paw around Strawberry's shoulders.  Yet, as the Watership rabbits celebrated Justin's recovery with noisy celebration, no one, not even Justin, noticed that Hazel-rah stood outside and apart from the group, looking at them with a sad, distant look in his eyes.  It was almost as if _he_ was now the outcast of the family.

                                                                                ***

                "Do we _have_ to?" groaned Bigwig inwardly as he, Hawkbit, Silver, and Bluebell gathered around with Campion, Buckthorn, and Holly a bit far-off from where Justin was healing Strawberry with his cross's healing powers.  It was not too much later after Strawberry and Justin had been reunited with their band, and now, all the rabbits were contently chewing pellets and talking and joking with the cross-bearer and Strawberry.  The rain had stopped, and the grass was moist, but clean and dewy.  Hazel went off by himself, alone, to contemplate and get his head together (as he put it), and the rest of the Watership Owsla, understanding this, though they were all slightly worried, did not object to their Chief Rabbit's wishes.  Justin's flannel shirt was seriously ripped, with one sleeve in tatters, and dried blood littered his clothes and grotesquely stained the inside of his mouth red.  There was also a long, ugly, red welt circling entirely around his neck, the skin bruised and torn, as a result of the magical snare-collar Cowslip had inflicted on Justin.  Yet, Justin didn't seem to take notice of his wounds as he seemed happy, content, while using healing sunlight to mend the remaining neck wound on Strawberry's throat.  The same wound that Bigwig imposed on the buck when the Owsla captain tried to hurt Strawberry for attempting to murder Justin.  Or so they all thought, Holly thought sadly with a hint of self-blame.  However, one good thing came out of this horrible ordeal: Strawberry had strengthened the other rabbits' trust in him and his loyalties after seeing, despite being wronged, still courageous and firm in his dedication to protect Justin.  He was truly an Owsla rabbit El-ahrairah could be proud of, and the encouraging, loving praise from his friends and Justin made him happier than he could have ever felt before.  He may not have been able to change his past, but what touched him was that Justin did not think of Strawberry any less of a friend and loved one because of it, and that made Strawberry successful in establishing a deeper bond of fondness and reassurance with the boy along with abolishing his fear of mistrust and isolation and doubt.

                "Yes," snapped Holly heated, his voice having little room for pity, especially since all the other rabbits, with the exception of Bigwig, Silver, Hawkbit, and Bluebell, had sincerely and genuinely apologized for not believing in Strawberry's innocence, to which, Strawberry gave them complete and gracious forgiveness.  The buck was just grateful that they were all a family again.  Grumbling and muttering oaths under his breath, Bigwig along with Silver, Hawkbit, and Bluebell hopped over to where the rest of the party had gathered, chatting and laughing animatedly.

                "So, Strawberry, how on earth did you ever defeat Cowslip?  What on earth did you do?" Pipkin asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.  Justin answered for the buck.

                "Seismokinesis."

                "Huh?  'Sees-mo-can-ee-sis'??!  Frith above, the words you humans can come up with!" blurted a confused Dandelion, the golden rabbit stumbling on the syllables of the alien word.  Justin giggled as he explained to Dandelion, "No, it's pronounced, '_Sais_-mo-_kin_-ee-sis'.  It basically means the ability to control the earth, to make it move at your will, to create earthquakes, like the ones that Elil-rah sent to wreck the forests at the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow, remember? I think...my cross gave Strawberry the power to do the exact same thing, so that he could fight against Cowslip and Silverweed."

                "Frith in a barn, I would have loved to see the look on that wretch's face when Strawberry attacked him with it!" chuckled Blackberry.

                "Frith-rah!  What a power!  You could have used that to help us fight against Lord Brock or the Ilips without even breaking a sweat!" praised Speedwell, his eyes twinkling at the fantasy of having such a powerful ability at his command.

                "Great golden Frith, he could take on General Woundwort and possibly Elil-rah with such a bloody terrific potential!!" commented Acorn in a hushed tone filled with awe and admiration.  As the rabbits chattered amongst themselves, Fiver, Strawberry and Justin had a private talk just between the three of them, whispering.

                "Justin, why so glum?" Fiver inquired softly, concerned.  Justin sighed, deep in thought and rubbing absent-mindedly the wounds on his neck before answering, "I...I guess I'm just thinking about Cowslip and Silverweed.  It's just that...no matter how much they wanted to kill me and how much I hated them...a part of me still felt sorry for them, because they're both forever bound to the curse of the Hall of Bones and Elil-rah probably isn't going to free them at all."  He paused, feeling Strawberry and Fiver's looks of sad yet thoughtful understanding.  "I guess a part of me still wished we could have helped them somehow."

                Strawberry cast his eyes downward a bit in consideration before speaking gently, "Justin, I'd be lying if I said that I did not feel conflicted what how you feel, but...I can comprehend why you think that way.  But...I want you to understand a very important realization: you may be the cross-bearer and may have incredible power, but there are some events that not even _you_ can control.  Even with your light of the cross, you cannot save everyone, Justin.  You could not save Lord Brock, you could not save Shardik, and you certainly could not have been able to save Cowslip and Silverweed.  Granted, there will be a day when perhaps, just perhaps, they can find respite and salvation, but that is ultimately their choice to make, not yours.  And to tell you the truth...I would have preferred it if you did not help Cowslip or Silverweed out of the ruins of the Hall of Bones, not yet anyway.  They need some time to reflect and suffer before they can even make the right choice."

                "Was that why you lied when you told Hazel that Elil-rah took Cowslip and Silverweed back to his warren of darkness before the Hall of Bones collapsed?" Fiver asked tenderly, but there was no trace of accusation and disgust in his voice.  In fact, it was as if Fiver was sympathetically agreeing with Strawberry about his decision.  Strawberry nodded as he continued looking down at the ground, but looking a bit miserable that Fiver, and now Justin, knew his secret.  Justin, however, being non-judgmental, placed his hand soothingly on Strawberry's neck, rubbing the orange fur between his fingers.

                "Whatever you did, Strawberry, it doesn't change my opinion about you.  You still the rabbit I know and love.  I don't care about how you're different...and neither does anybody else."

                Strawberry gave him a small, bittersweet smirk.  A loud cough behind them revealed, as Fiver, Justin, and Strawberry turned around, to see Silver, Hawkbit, Bluebell, and Silver standing on their hind legs and nervously looking at Strawberry with shame and embarrassment on their faces.  Well, all except for Bigwig who still appeared just as harsh and stubborn as ever.

                "Um...Strawberry?" asked Silver hesitantly, "We...all of us, especially us four, feel that an apology is in order.  We...we were completely out of line and there was no excuse for what we did and said to you.  We're really sorry."  Strawberry just glared at them, remaining silent.

                "I...I'm also sorry I called you a traitor and a sorry excuse for a rabbit.  It was just me and my big mouth," mumbled Hawkbit genuinely.  Strawberry just crossed his arms over his tunic uniform and harrumphed irately.

                "And I'm sorry me and Bigwig attacked you, scratched you, and banished you from the group, even when you tried to tell us the truth.  I'm also sorry we refused to believe you, even after everything you have done to help us back in our physical lives.  We were just being thick-headed and obdurate."

                "You should be," muttered Strawberry, glowering, "That wound in my throat jolly well hurt."

                He then turned expectantly to Bigwig, who just narrowed his eyes back and stared at him coolly.

                "Well?" Strawberry asked.

                "'Well', what, you great, big dandy?!" growled Bigwig, annoyed, "You know I'm sorry!  I don't need to say it!"  Strawberry rolled his eyes, conceding; that was probably the best he would be able to get out of Bigwig.

                "Oh come on, Strawberry, it was a mistake!" protested Hawkbit, "You cannot possibly stay mad at us forever!"

                "Is that so?" the orange buck retorted, raising one eyebrow.

                "No, he's right, chaps," Silver sighed in defeated accord, "He has the entitlement to be mad at us, and we deserve it.  We threw everything he has ever done for us, every aspect of his friendship and loyalty, back in his face because we refused to trust him fully.  Strawberry has the right to say he doesn't forgive us."

                "You're correct, Silver, I do have the right," Strawberry muttered darkly.  The others, except Bigwig, looked depressed and ashamed at this statement, but what the orange, chubby buck said next surprised them.

                "But I still choose to forgive you bloody duffers, anyway!"  All four of them looked up to see the harsh, angry looks on Strawberry's face melt away into wit and sympathy and friendship.  He was just stringing Silver, Bigwig, Hawkbit and Bluebell all along the whole time.

                "So...we're...we're forgiven??" Bluebell asked incredulously, his eyes wide with surprise.

                "Yes."

                "Just like that?

                "Yes," Strawberry's eyes twinkled with wise sincerity, "After all, we're friends, comrades, and brothers!  I don't wish to do that to my family."  The other rabbits agreed amiably.

                "That's a relief, Strawberry," Fiver told him, "For a moment, I was afraid you would not be willing to forgive them."

                "What's there to be afraid of?" sneered Bigwig as he turned away and started hopping towards a patch of fresh burnet, "Even if he was not willing to forgive us, I could get by with the so-called 'terrible' wrath of  Strawberry! After all, what could a great dandy do to me, a captain of an Owsla, for Frith's sake?!"

                Strawberry's eyes sparkled with mischief and the sudden urge to teach Bigwig a little lesson.

                "Say, buckos, any rabbit wish to see how my power can work?"  The rabbits and Justin, catching on, nodded with mischievous glee.  With his hind leg, Strawberry stomped on the peat-covered ground once, and immediately, a small bugle in the terrain appeared, rippling as it strode with speed towards Bigwig.  The fur-headed, brawny rabbit felt the land slightly tremble underneath his paws, and too late, he turned around right before the wave of earth exploded behind him in a messy cloud of debris.

                "Strawberry!!!" screamed Bigwig in annoyed rage as he was now covered in dirt brought from the geyser of dust and loam Strawberry invoked with his power.  Strawberry put on a humorous, chaste, innocent look on his chubby face.

                "Don't be quick to blame me, old chap!" he chuckled, "After all, I'm just a 'great dandy'!"

                "But you're _our_ great dandy," complimented Justin, smiling, and Strawberry affectionately placed a dirty paw on Justin's hair, ruffling it a bit, as Silver, Pipkin, Holly, Campion, Buckthorn, and Blackberry did their best to hold Bigwig back from thrashing Strawberry for his little prank.

/*

**Well, glad you liked this chapter!**

(Cowslip comes out)

**Oh no, that jerk is back again!**

Cowslip: I just came to see my adoring fans who came to read this story especially because of my glorious presence in it!  I thank you all for your ever-faithful admiration!

**Oh, it's NOT admiration we feel for you!  Now where is my mallet?!**

Cowslip: I am the greatest rabbits of "Watership Down"! I am the best character than the rest of these pathetic louts!

(Strawberry, Justin, and the rest of the Watership rabbits appear)

Strawberry: (to RogueFanKC) May I?

**You may.**

(Strawberry stomps on the ground, opening another chasm to swallow Cowslip completely and burying him alive)

Cowslip: NOOOOOOOO!!! Not agaaaiiiinnnnn!!!!"

(Chasm closes up)

**Thank you, Strawberry.**

Strawberry: It was a public service.

Next: HOLLY in "You Can Always Teach An Old Holly New Tricks"

'Til then read and review! Expect the next chapter in two weeks! 

Strawberry: Translation, wait another month.

Oh shut up. _ 

*/


	23. You Can Always Teach An Old Holly New Tr...

/*

Author's note: I'm sorry for the delay, but this chapter took 28 pages on my computer!  I apologize, but on the upside, here's our adorable rabbit captain, HOLLY!

Oh, by the way, three elil from previous chapters will make a special comeback here!  Who are they?  Read and find out! =:)

*/

CHAPTER 22 

                "Embleer Frith, go away, the lot of you!"

                "Keep running!  Don't let them get the chance to attack!  Confuse them!"

                "And just _how_ do you propose on doing that, oh-so-great Owsla captain?!"

                "Hawkbit, shut up!!"

                "O Frith and Inle, they're gaining on us!!"

                "Yeowch!  Great jumping bluebottles!!  That one got a piece on me!"

                "Justin, keep your head down!!  The blighters will aim for your eyes if you are not careful!!  Don't look at them!  Shield your face!!"

                "I know, Strawberry!"

                The group of sixteen were running valiantly and hurriedly from a flock of four-score crows and ravens flying precariously behind them, one of the Thousand who have never attacked the rabbit species unless if they were incredibly young or old, weak, and defenseless from their sharp beaks and ruthless scavenging demeanor.  However, due to Elil-rah's desperation and relentless persistence, all animals and creatures consisting of the Thousand were sent to attack the Watership Owsla, and the murder of crows were the latest unexpected ambush yet.  Now, as Justin rode on Strawberry's back, the rabbits of El-ahrairah and Watership Down were valiantly and breathlessly running with great haste as the crows and ravens cawed and chased them obstinately, diving and scratching some of them in process.

                "I swear, by the Black Rabbit, when I get my paws on Elil-rah...!" cursed Campion as he raced across the green pastures, nimbly dodging the beak of one voracious crow.

                "We can't keep this up forever, chaps!" Blackberry gasped.

                "Justin, quickly!  Can you drive them off?!" Hazel asked urgently.  Pipkin then hit upon an idea.

                "Justin, use the tool that you used to drive away the hawks when we were captured by Scry-rah's flock!  If it worked then, it shall work now against these crows!"  Justin quickly obeyed without thinking and hesitation.

                "Bearerang!"  With a burst of sparks, the X-shaped boomerang, twinkling in icy, unforgiving gold luster, appeared in Justin's hand, and with some difficulty, the teenager threw it behind him, flicking his wrist in a horizontal motion.  The result was instantaneous and effective.  Flying and dashing so quickly, the weapon appeared nothing more than golden flickers of light, and yet after every blaze, the crows and ravens shrieked madly as they felt the metal soundly thwack them on their wings and heads excruciatingly, feathers emerging from their bodied in clumps.  Unable to fend themselves from such an aerial attack such as this and with no way to even anticipate the next strike, the murderous flock had no choice to retreat.  Taking to the skies, they flew as fast as they can in the opposite direction, while the bearerang humorously trailed behind, detaching some tail feathers off some of the birds in the process.  Soon the attackers were gone, disappearing over the western horizon.  No longer pursued, the Watership Owsla ceased their frantic run.

                Justin, his heart pounding, raised his hand and said in a firm voice, "Return!"

                Immediately, with a whirring noise as soft as a rabbit paw setting onto the grass, the boomerang returned, settling itself gently into Justin's palms before vanishing.  Hazel checked over the rest of his comrades; Fiver was bleeding from a scratch on his right ear from a raven's beak, Acorn had a piece of flesh gouged from his back, and Pipkin was gasping, exhausted as his eyes rolled around wildly from the sprint and from fear.  Yet, they were all pretty much safe and sound as they took temporary refuge underneath a large elm tree, its base littered with fumitories and polypody ferns.

                "Frith and Inle," groaned Fiver as Justin healed his ear, "The closer we approach El-ahrairah's warren in Fenlo, the more persistent and vicious the attacks from Elil-rah's Owsla become!"

                "Well, we'll be safe here," Holly said encouragingly as he sniffed around, "And that contraption that Justin summoned with his cross helped drive away those crows, so those bloody hellions shall not be coming back for a counterattack anytime soon."

                "We should not have even ran, for Frith's sake!" Bigwig griped, heated that he did not have a chance to stand up to some of the avian elil, "I would have been more than willing to fight all those feathered nuisances and give them a standing up to that none of them would ever forget!!"

                "That's what you said before when the kestrel tried to prey on the mouse back when we first settled at Watership Down," Silver said, giving Bigwig a sly, knowing smirk, "If you are still up to it, the next time those crows come about, you do the fighting and the rest of us chaps shall just stand by and watch!"

                Acorn added, "Besides, it is perhaps best that we drove those ravens away with that 'toon-er-lang' without needing one of us to engage in battle."

                "It's pronounced 'boomerang', Acorn," Blackberry corrected mechanically as he rolled his eyes upward.

                "Actually, we decided to call it 'bearerang', Blackberry!" piped Pipkin as he and Speedwell hungrily gulped down several fumitories.

                Now it was Hawkbit's turn to roll his eyes as Justin helped him remove a sharp pebble from his paw.  "'Bearerang'?!  By the fur and paw, what idiot decided to come up with that term?!!"

                "Well, after discussing it with Justin, we thought it fits perfectly!" Speedwell snickered, "Just take parts of the words 'cross-bearer' and 'boomerang', and we combined it to form the word 'bearerang'!  That's what Justin decided he would name the weapon from now on, and all three of us decided that it jolly well fits!"

                "_Again_, I repeat -" Hawkbit started nastily.

                "Shut up, Hawkbit," Pipkin, Justin, and Speedwell all said together humorously and whimsically.  Yet Bigwig and Campion then suddenly sprang to attention as their sharp eyes and noses caught the sight and presence of...

                "I...I can't believe it!" whispered Campion in awe.

                "Frith and Inle!  _Another_ one?!!" exclaimed Bigwig, his eyes displaying a unique mixture of disbelief and mistrust.  The other rabbits sprang up in alarm at the sound of these words, but the smell wafting in their noses alerted them of something much, much bigger.

                "Frith in a hole!" gasped Silver.

                "I...I see, but I can't believe it!" murmured Dandelion in astonishment.  Justin was confused, to say the least.

                "What?!  What's wrong?!  Is it an enemy?!" Justin demanded, looking at Strawberry, but Strawberry, speechless, gently placed a paw underneath Justin's chin and turned his head slightly towards the direction of where they were all of the Watership Owsla were staring.  Justin then understood.

                It was a human male, young, a teenager and probably around the same age as Justin, in the far distance, and he was wandering aimlessly, but solidly, as it was apparent that he took no notice of the rabbits or Justin next to the elm tree.  Even from the vast gap between them, Justin was able to tell that the teen was tall, athletic, and strapping with vigor and endurance.  He did not look as if he could tire easily, as if trudging through the grassy terrains and mountains was something he was accustomed to every day.  His powerful frame was slightly hidden from the athletic high-school letterman jacket his was wearing, but Justin could tell he was a jock, judging from the sport merit-badges that were sown into the blue and white sleeves.  The adolescent was also very handsome, with a chiseled face, square jaw, blue eyes, and hair as dark as a crow's feathers.  He seemed confident, strong, any high school would be willing to have him as a student and an athlete, not to mention he would probably be wildly popular with everybody.  He seemed...exactly what Justin wasn't, exactly what Justin wished he could be, the cross-bearer thought sadly, but he shook off the simple thoughts of slight jealousy and admiration.  It was clear that the unknown adolescent was lost and would be in grave danger if he wandered around by himself.  However, the rest of the rabbits were not as imprudent.

                "Could _that_ human be an enemy??  It could be one of Elil-rah's tricks," suspected Bluebell out loud.

                "I don't think so," replied Dandelion as he twitched his ears and whiskers nervously, "Don't you remember the legends, Bluebell?  Not even Elil-rah has the power to summon forth a man, a human being, from the physical world and to enter into our realm beyond the living."

                "He certainly seems real enough," mused Blackberry in wonder, "I can certainly smell his scent from here, so if it is an illusion, it is quite realistic!"

                "It could be a shape-shifter, like Silverweed," Strawberry put in darkly as Justin felt one of his paws protectively place itself on Justin's left shoulder, "Fiver??"

                Yet the small visionary seer shook his head, "I'm sorry, Strawberry, but...but I can honestly say I have nothing of the sort!  No misgivings, no dark fears, no premonitions, nothing about this human!  But...I _can_ sense his heart, sort of how I sensed about your timidity and compassion when we first met, Justin.  Except in this heart, I can sense courage and lack of fear of any kind, and astoundingly enough, a driving force of determination stronger than any of our own!"  Justin felt these words slightly sting, but he snapped back to reality as Hazel confided in Bigwig and Holly.

                "So, whatever, shall we do?  He seems harmless enough."

                "Perhaps it be best if we ignore him completely and continue on our path to El-ahrairah without him," Bigwig suggested, "Just because he isn't elil and just because Fiver does not have any visions about that chap does not mean we can trust him!  Hazel, it would be best if we left and forgot about seeing him in the land beyond life!"

                "No, Bigwig!  Please!" Justin pleaded, and the three rabbits, along with Speedwell, Blackberry, Campion, Pipkin and Fiver, who were all close by, turned to look at him questioningly.  Justin continued, "Hazel, Holly, please, we can't leave him there by himself!  He'd be in danger, with every animal here in the land beyond life disliking humans and stuff!!  He'd be killed if he ran into some of the animals here or back at the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow, and I'm sure he doesn't deserve any of that!!  Please, we have to help!  We have to take him with us!"

                "Justin..." warned Blackberry aggravatingly.  Justin just continued.

                "No, Blackberry!  C'mon!  Please?!  It'll be safer for us too!  Another human would be great company for me since it's been a while since I've been in contact with another person ever since I came here!  And with him around, he might be able to help us watch out for elil or something!  Please, Hazel??  Let him come with us!"

                "Yes, Hazel-rah!" agreed Pipkin, chirping in like a child.

                "I can honestly say no reason why we shouldn't," Campion added, "and Justin could use the camaraderie."

                "Now, listen here...!" protested Blackberry, but Speedwell teasingly but graciously tweaked the black-eared buck's nose, silencing him.

                "Come now, old chap!" Speedwell grinned, "Things should be jolly easier for you, I daresay, if you just don't argue and follow along with what Hazel-rah decides!"  And so it was agreed, and Justin rode on Holly as the clan moved speedily towards the unidentified human teenager.  When the teenager saw them approaching, strangely enough, Hazel noticed, he did not act the slightest disturbed nor fearful of the sight of rabbits, taller than he, wearing colored tunics, hopping towards him in a fast pace.  Justin did not perceive this as he jumped off Holly's back and said smoothly and encouragingly, "Don't be scared!  We're not going to hurt you!  Don't worry about the rabbits, they're friends of mine!!"

                Now the dark-haired teen, who was a good head or two taller than Justin, was frowning unceremoniously at the cross-bearer, and this made Justin slightly uneasy.  Still, he was willing to try to make friends with the stranger; it was a nice, pleasant change after seeing only talking humanoid animals in the land beyond life.  Justin held out a hand for a handshake, blithely announcing and pointing out the rabbits as he named them, "My...my name is Justin, and I'm a friend of the rabbits behind me, and that's Hazel, the whiskered one is Holly, and -"

                "My name is Damien," the other boy replied gruffly and shortly in a baritone voice, lined with harsh contempt that made Justin pause, stunned at the bitter dislike in his voice, and the other rabbits were starting to become uneasy.  Damien then smiled, his tan face crinkling and his eyes gleaming with anticipation, as if he was planning this very moment forever and knew of the specific outcome that would arise because of it.  Damien then rudely and offensively slapped Justin's hand away from him as he derided the smaller teenager, "And I know who you are, you idiot!  I know all of those stupid rabbit friends of yours!  Frith himself told me!  Why else would I even be here in the land beyond life, you stupid, fat weakling?!!"

                "Frith sent you?!" gasped Acorn, incredulous.  Damien then smiled patronizingly at Justin, ignoring Acorn.

                "He sends a message: your services are no longer needed as the cross-bearer, Justin!  You've been replaced!  He's found someone much more competent and stronger for this quest!"  With that, the Adonis jock gave Justin a brutal shove and Justin fell on his rear, too surprised to even do any retaliation.  The other rabbits were quickly outraged and livid.

                "How dare you!!" snarled Hawkbit as he stood up to his full height, his forepaws prepared.

                "Now, hold on!  What in Frith's name gives you the right to say such a preposterous notion?!" demanded Blackberry.  Yet to their amazement, Justin's cross began to glow in white, not golden, light, and it began to tug against Justin's neck as it pointed towards Damien.  Justin just gaped at it, utterly mystified, but Damien's smile grew wider and more malicious.

                "You see?!" he swaggered in a callous, severe tone, "I'm telling the truth!  Frith told me that I'm now the new cross-bearer!!  Now let's let the cross choose the one who was meant for the glory and power of the legend!!  Give me the power!!"  Justin gasped as he tried to hold on to the vital piece of jewelry, his only hope and prayer in surviving this land and helping his friends, and...the only thing that would probably ensure that the Watership Down Owsla would never leave him.  Yet it betrayed him.  Unfeeling and cold, the metal was briefly held in Justin's smudged palms, the cool silver metal caressing tautly against his skin, before it vanished in a trail of white sparkles, disappearing in thin air.  Justin nearly cried as he got on his knees and hands, looking around wildly on the dirt to see if the cross had simply fallen off, but Damien then gave an annoying, smug cough for Justin's attention.

                "Ahem."  Justin looked up to see, to his horror, that now, Damien was now wearing his cross, the silver glinting off the sun, the golden crystal cross now gently blanketed in a soft, hazy orb of orange and golden mist.  It was impossible, this could not be happening, Justin could not believe it.  And yet Fiver's words echoed cruelly in his mind as he felt his eyes well up in anger, scandal, and frustration: _But...I can sense his heart, sort of how I sensed about your timidity and compassion when we first met, Justin.  Except in this heart, I can sense courage and lack of fear of any kind, and astoundingly enough, a driving force of determination stronger than any of our own!"_

                "It...it can't be," Justin whined, his throat closing with bile; he could honestly say he had never felt more sickened and nauseated in his entire life.

                "It is, you wimp," Damien laughed at Justin, "I'm the new cross-bearer now, and you...like always for your entire life...are nothing."

                Justin was visibly shaking with a mixture of loss and grief-stricken failure, his voice breaking and rising an octave higher as he sobbed at the end.  "But...but I...I thought I was the cross-bearer!  It's not fair!  It's not fair!!  I was the one who had to fight my way up here!!  I was the one who had to endure all the trials, all the fights, the battles!!  Why did this have to happen?!  WHY??!!"

                Damien gave Justin a cold, smug glare.  "You were just the delivery boy."

                Hazel and the other rabbits of El-ahrairah's Owsla were stunned, unable to do or say anything.  It could be a trick, but the legends did say that the powers of the cross-bearer can be redistributed to another man if the former chosen was deemed as inadequate and selfish.  Selfish, Justin certainly wasn't, but inadequate...well, none of the fifteen had any concrete conviction otherwise.  Gentle, loving, friendly, kind, understanding, empathic, loyal, faithful – all of those did describe Justin, but the teenager was also not physically able to defend himself, couldn't run fast, could not fight, and was incredibly stubborn, naive, and had a tendency to be foolish when making crucial decisions.  They just stood or squatted there in shock, listening to Damien as he continued to berate Justin who was on his hands and knees, the embarrassment and disappointment and disillusionment of no longer being the cross-bearer, of losing it to someone who was better than he would ever be, formed such a tight, icy feeling in his gut, it practically shut down his brain, forcing his nerves to die off and his body to remain frozen with grief and loss.

                "What, did you actually think you were strong enough to be the cross-bearer?!" scorned Damien as he placed his hands on his hips in an arrogant posture, "Did you actually think Frith wasn't going to use you as a worthless replacement until he found someone a lot better?!  Please!  Even by looking at you, I can already tell what your life was like: you have no friends, you're an embarrassment to your family, and no one wants to admit they're even close to you!!  You're scum, weak, a sniveling moron who always lets people step all over him, and even if you could fight back, you're so weak and girly and pathetic that you'd just get your ass handed back to your every time!!  No wonder Frith decided to bring me to this land and take your place!!  You couldn't even handle fighting by yourself without depending on your so-called 'friends'!!  Hell, the best and only company who would be willing to tolerate you is nothing more than a bunch of animals?!!  God, that's so sad, it's revolting!!"

                "That is enough!!!" Holly snarled, unable to take anymore, and from the looks of it, Dandelion, Hawkbit, Speedwell, and Silver were about to join in.  Holly, seething with rage and indignity, threw himself between Damien and Justin.  "You have made your point, Damien!  You are the new cross-bearer now!  But stop laying it thick upon Justin!  He has never done a single act of injustice against you or your person, and yet here you come, take his cross, and insult and mock him as if he was nothing!!"

                "He _is_ nothing, you old crone!" Damien's voice had a dangerous edge to it, "Just like you, you shriveled-up, senile, old fool!"

                "What did you call me?!!"  Now Holly's voice had a murderous, venomous sharpness to it as his eyes flashed red and his fur stood upright, his body quivering with anticipation.  If _anything_ was ever a sore spot with Holly, it was any insinuation about his age and his usefulness in an Owsla, and seeing Damien do this directly to his whiskered face was enough to make the rabbit's blood permeate into lava-like wrath.

                "Holly, don't!!" warned Hazel as he, Bigwig, and Silver sprinted towards them, but Damien was faster as he said audaciously, "What, you have trouble hearing and understanding as well as fighting, you ancient fossil?!  Now that I think about it, you're far too old do possible be of any use with the fighting and tracking, so why didn't Frith decide to leave you at your warren with the other female rabbits and leave this mission with the competent soldiers, which alone is probably a standard even Justin could achieve despite his weaknesses!"

                "How dare you!!" roared Holly, his pride now making him insensible of everything around him except towards the black-haired athlete with the blue and white letterman jacket in front of him.

                "Come and get me then, old man!!" goaded Damien.

                "Holly, NO!!" Silver yelled as he and Hazel tried to restrain him, but it was too late.  With a roar, Holly charged, leaping towards Damien and preparing to tackle and pin the cross-bearer down, but to his amazement, Damien moved with fluid, cat-like, agility, faster than Holly could react, and horrified, almost as if in slow motion, Holly sailed past Damien, missing him completely, but just before Holly could try to brace his body for a turnabout landing in order to try to attack Damien again, Damien uttered a single word and a flash of gold appeared in his hand before he thrust his hand towards Holly's unprotected right side.

                Immediately, Holly felt the pain from a thousand fires, a thousand wounds, all merged into one single moment as his entire right segment of his body exploded in blood and flesh, staining his fur and clothes.  Holly thought he heard Fiver and Pipkin squealing his name, but he was amazed that he could even hear it over the sounds of his own cries of pain and agony and the loud humming in his ears as blood began to drain out of his body.  It was a morbid, yet slightly exhilarating experience, to hear the scream echo like distant whispers, to have everything move in slow motion as Holly fell to his side, and to have his sight blur and threaten to darken as he could faintly hear Hazel, Silver, Bigwig, Speedwell, Strawberry, and Buckthorn loom over him, shouting and pleading.

                Justin just watched from a distance, nauseated and scared before turning his gaze back to Damien.  The teenager was smiling a very sick, repelling beam of satisfaction as he still carried the golden sword he summoned from the cross, the very same sword that Buckthorn used to fight against Hufsa, now covered with Holly's blood after stabbing the rabbit warrior.  Now, Holly was panting laboriously as Justin could now see that the sword had lacerated Holly's body from his shoulder, across his ribs and ended with a ripping, gaping hole on his right thigh.  Blood was seeping out at an incredible rate, and Buckthorn, Acorn, Strawberry, Pipkin, and Fiver were all doing their best to stop it as they licked Holly's wounds, but unfortunately, it was too much for five rabbits to keep up with.

                Meanwhile, the rest of the rabbits were angry enough for murder and mobbing with Damien, and Bigwig was seriously wondering whether or not he could kill the little upstart by burrowing his teeth into the teenager's throat.  It certainly would have been satisfactory.

                "How could you?!!" he bellowed, forcing himself to ignore the sword Damien pointed at Bigwig's heart, "Embleer Frith, how could you?!!  Holly was one of your protectors, one of the rabbits of Watership Down and a loyal follower of El-ahrairah!!  How could you do that to him?!!"

                "He was old," Damien said simply.

                "He was loyal!!" shouted Dandelion angrily.

                "He attacked me; I was simply defending myself," Damien stated in an aloof voice.

                "Only because _you_ provoked him, you spoiled, rotten, arrogant disgrace of a human!!" Speedwell cried, his nostrils wide with fury and his brows narrowed.

                "It doesn't matter," Damien said slickly, "We need to get back to your warren so that I can heal your Prince.  C'mon, let's go."

                "We cannot!" protested Silver who was busy trying to wipe his bloodstained nose before attempting to lick Holly's wounds once again, "Holly needs hrair days of rest and constant care before we can help him heal his wounds, and if he is forced to journey along, he would be in far worse shape!!  We have to rest now, Damien!  Holly cannot travel at this point!"

                "Who said the old fool is coming along?  Leave him," Damien ordered.

                "WHAT?!!  You are insane!!  How can you even think of such a thing?!!  This is not fair!!"  The chorus of responses from the other rabbits was automatic.  Yet Damien was unmoved as he turned his backs to the Watership rabbits and continued to walk eastward.

                "Fine, then.  You furballs can go tend to Holly while I go to your home warren, alone and unprotected, yet I hope you realize you're defying Frith's orders to follow and protect the cross-bearer and if anything happens to me, all of you will be to blame as your Prince, Ella-what's-his-face, gets weaker and allows Elil-rah to defeat him and take over your land."  This immediately silenced the rest of the rabbits as they were unsure what to do, and Holly felt his heart burst as he decided to give them the incentive to follow Damien's orders.  After all, in the grand scheme of things, what was more important: Holly or El-ahrairah?

                "Just go," Holly hissed in pain, and the other rabbits turned to stare at him.

                "Holly?" choked Campion, but Holly was obdurate in his decision.

                "Just go!  Leave me behind, and go along with the cross-bearer back to El-ahrairah's warren!"

                "Holly, we can't!" wailed Bluebell, sniveling, "I wanted to do the very exact deed you wished to do so back when we were attacked by the Efrafans and the Ilips, and you chaps did not leave me behind!!  We shan't leave you to the same fate!"

                "But that was because Justin did not want to leave you behind," Acorn said softly, realizing, "And he was the cross-bearer back then.  Now...Damien is the cross-bearer."  Acorn nearly choked with repulsion at the mention of Damien's name.  Hazel looked at Holly, still hesitant and recognizing that all the other rabbits were looking up to him and Bigwig to make a decision.  Holly pleaded with Hazel one last time, calling him by his full title.

                "Hazel-rah, please, remember our oath to El-ahrairah.  We promised him that we would do whatever it takes to bring the cross-bearer back to the warren in Fenlo!  Please, if nothing else, do this for our Prince and Lord of all Rabbits."  Though the ice in his gut refused to melt, Hazel made his decision.

                "We'll go," he said shakily, much to the dismay of some of the rabbits, especially Campion, Bigwig, Bluebell, and Silver, "I promise, we will send several rabbits back to retrieve you Holly the instant we get Damien to El-ahrairah.  I promise."  Holly nodded his understanding approval.

                "Come, Justin," Campion whispered to the teenager who was still on the floor, his paws gently wrapped around his shoulders, but Justin noticed that Campion's eyes were watering.  "Come, we must go."

                "Campion, but Holly -" Justin pleaded softly, tearfully.

                "He made his choice, he'll be fine," choked Speedwell as he whispered encouragingly to Justin, "Come..."  He cursed himself as he nearly lapsed on calling Justin "cross-bearer", realizing things weren't getting any better for Justin.

                "Come on, young Justin, let us leave," Speedwell finished lamely.

                "Whoever said that _he_ was coming along?" Damien snarled as he turned around abruptly, glaring at Justin who looked back at him blankly.  Surely there was nothing wrong with him coming with them?

                "That wimp would only get in our way!" belittled Damien, continuing, "He stays with the old rabbit!  We leave _both_ of them behind!"

                "What?!" exclaimed Hawkbit.

                "No, you shan't!!" cried Pipkin.

                "Watch me," the cross-bearer said coldly.

                "You can't!" protested Strawberry, "Justin was the cross-bearer, he's our friend!  We cannot leave him behind!"

                "_I_ am the cross-bearer now," Damien asserted callously, and then a horrible, gruesome idea formed in his mind.  "If any of you still have reservations about this...well, we cannot debate over this if Justin happens to meet a similar accident such as Holly."

                Hazel and the others recognized the threat clearly.  Dandelion whispered, "You wouldn't."

                Yet the smirk on Damien's face let them know that he was mad enough to accomplish the task.  Hazel and Bigwig, with pained expressions, nodded towards each other, even though to make their choice felt like they were ripping their own hearts out.

                "We'll leave," Bigwig replied hoarsely, "Justin, try to take care of Holly for us, all right, chap?"

                Blackberry followed suit, though he actually seemed distant as he glanced back at Justin, commenting, "Justin, I am truly sorry."

                Hazel could not even bear to look at Justin's shocked face as his voice threatened to break, "Take care, Justin."

                Damien was pleased as he saw more and more of the rabbits abide by their leaders' decisions, though Pipkin, Speedwell, Fiver and Campion nearly had to be dragged away by Silver, Hawkbit, Bluebell, and Bigwig, and Blackberry.  Justin knew he should have been understanding, should have tried taking into consideration on how the rabbits had to obey, and yet all he could focus on was how they were leaving him, after all they had promised him.

_                Bigwig snarled to King Darzin, "If you ever come within a smell's distance of Justin or any of my comrades, I will make you regret it!  And tell your dark master Elil-rah that he will never be able to lay a paw on the cross-bearer, not while I'm still alive!"_

                "I won't give up.  I won't leave you." Silver whispered, crying, as he and Justin were entombed in the avalanche.

                Speedwell recited in his story, "All the rabbits said, 'Look at that human!  He's so sad and lonely!  We'll adopt him and make him a member of El-ahrairah's family!  We'll care for him like he was our very own!'  And from that day on, Justin never knew pain, sadness, or hurt, for he continued to live in the warren, with the Watership Down rabbits as his best and very close brothers and El-ahrairah as his father in the burrows of light and friendship."

                Pipkin smiled, his eyes twinkling with tears of joy and love, and said, "And you'll always be my friend...and the cross-bearer who I'll always protect and always be by his side with all my mind and heart."

                So it was all a lie.  So it was under the condition that Justin remain as the cross-bearer.  So it was all pointless. 

                Justin felt his frustration, his hurt, his trust and compassion shatter as he muttered audibly with bitter scorn for himself and for his former friends, "Fine!  Fine, then!!  Go ahead and leave me!  Forget me!  Just go away and leave me behind!!  It's not like everyone else hasn't done it to me before!!"

                That hurt.  A lot.  And it even got through some of the rabbits as they winced inwardly from the inured yet indignant words of accusation.  Albeit Pipkin, Silver, Fiver, and Strawberry looked regrettably at the sight of Justin on his hands and knees, his head bowed and hidden from sight as the teenager let the hot tears of disappointment, offense, and loneliness plop on the grass, none of the rabbits faltered in their strides as they galloped east with Damien, their new cross-bearer, towards El-ahrairah's warren, leaving Holly and Justin behind.  If Justin had looked up for that moment, he would have seen Damien sneering at Justin's loss, and the rabbits glancing back with heavy hearts.

                Holly was gasping as the pain in his side was burning excruciatingly, the deep incision across his skin and tissue spanning from his ribs to his right hind leg was bleeding freely, mixing with his sweat-dampened gray fur and staining his ruined silver and white tunic.  The whiskered, aged rabbit just blankly looked at the fleeting image of the rabbits leaving without him as he managed to prop himself up on his forepaws.  He knew it was the right thing to do, the only thing to do, the instinctive ways of rabbits must follow, without question, without guilt, and without sickening angst and emotion.  In fact, Holly himself had earnestly insisted that they leave him behind moments earlier.  So why was it that he felt so old, so useless...so hurt?

                "Aaaauuugggh!!" he groaned as the effort of rising had made his wound open up even further, sending more agony into his body.  He sank to the ground, but to his surprise, Holly felt a pair of hands awkwardly but firmly support the Owsla captain by his torso and neck before he could hit the grassy ground.  It was Justin, his face wet but still full of stubbornness and kind worry.

                Holly gave the teenager a tired, weak smile, but he gasped with slight annoyance, "Young one...please...there's no need for you to stay here.  Let me be.  I'll...be all right.  Please, young one, just go back home where you'll...be safe, where you won't be in danger.  Just...leave me behind."

                Justin just sadly looked at Holly before casting his eyes downward as he whispered, "No.  If we're going to be left behind...I want us to be left behind _together_."

                Holly didn't have much strength to protest this as Justin helped Holly move towards a fresh area of cool grassy ground underneath the elm tree before he passed out from the pain and effort.

                                                                                ***

                As it turned out, things were not faring much better for Hazel and the rest of the Watership rabbits as they stopped to rest as the sun began to set, letting the evening drift in gently.  While Silver, Hawkbit, and Bluebell were trying their best to stop Damien from getting out of hand, the rest of the rabbits were miserably contemplating what had happened.  Bigwig, Blackberry, and Hazel tried their best to boost the morale of the Owsla, but not without much success.

                "Everyone, come on," Hazel tried to give confidence while the rest of the Watership rabbits sulked and brooded silently, staring at the grass, "Please, it won't make things much better if we just squat around and sulk.  We need to concentrate!  We're not too far from El-ahrairah's warren, and we must remember that, though it is painful, it had to be done.  El-ahrairah gave us orders to -"

                Pipkin was inconsolable as he turned to Hazel fiercely, whimpering, "Orders?!  _Orders_?!  Hazel-rah, how can you believe that?!  El-ahrairah would have never asked us to follow Damien!"  Hazel was taken aback; this coming from Pipkin, one of the most loyal rabbits he had ever known?  Pipkin was now sobbing with great, racking moans that caused the small rabbit to bury his head in his paws.  "And we left Holly behind!  He was just fighting for Justin's honor and defending him, and Damien was the one who injured him!  And yet we had to leave Holly behind because we needed to follow the new human!"

                "Damien is the cross-bearer, Pipkin," Hazel reminded the Owsla soldier gently and reasonably, "Our lord and prince, El-ahrairah himself, has commanded us to stay with and protect the human cross-bearer regardless of what needs to be done because of it, and I'm sure El-ahrairah deserves nothing less than for us to follow his dying pleas of help."

                "And what about Justin, Hazel-rah?!" Buckthorn snapped angrily, hot tears leaking out of his blue eyes.  He was crying as well.  "What in the name of the Black Rabbit did _he_ ever do to deserve this from Frith and El-ahrairah?!  He was our friend, our comrade, who did nothing but show us friendship and understanding, and yet we broke his heart and conveniently forgot all he had ever done for us!  He was the cross-bearer too!"

                "I know how you feel, Buckthorn, but Damien is the cross-bearer _now_," Blackberry emphasized, coming to Hazel's defense but having difficulty in choosing his words carefully, "He's the only one who can help us with El-ahrairah's plight, and Justin...simply cannot do that for us anymore.  That is all there is to the matter, chap.  Simple as that, and nothing more.  After all, it is perhaps for the better.  If Justin was too weak to be the cross-bearer, it would be better for a stronger man to take his place."

                Campion stood up on his hind legs and got into Blackberry's dark face, roaring furiously, "'Weak'?!  '_WEAK_'?!!  How dare you, you ignorant, shortsighted scamp!!  Is _that_ all that Justin is to you?!  A tool, a pawn, an implement that we can toss aside like moldy flayrah or hraka when it is no longer of any use to us?!!"

                "It is the truth, Campion!" Blackberry objected evenly and crossly, his voice concrete in his common sense and wisdom, and the tone angered Campion even more.

                "You...!" Campion managed to heatedly sputter out, but Strawberry gracefully stopped Campion before his paw could cuff Blackberry across the face.

                Speedwell jumped in, protesting, "What about our oath, our promise, Hazel-rah?!  We swore to Justin that we would never leave him, that he would always be welcome as our friend and family, and that we would never stop caring for his sake and well-being!!"

                "Justin was one of us!  And Holly too!  How can you expect us to forget that?!" Acorn demanded angrily.

                "We haven't forgotten that, Acorn!" Blackberry said sharply, "But we made those promises of protection and friendship when Justin was the cross-bearer, not as an ordinary human!  Now since Damien is the cross-bearer, there is no reason for us to stand by Justin!  Damien needs us now!!"

                "As if that pompous, cruel bugger would ever want anything from the likes of us," insinuated Acorn as he glanced at the raven-haired human.

                "It is not as if we have left them for dead, buckos," Bigwig growled impatiently at Acorn, but he did so with a heavy heart, "Holly is a tough chap, and he cannot die in the land beyond life!  Damien may have hurt him, but he'll be all right after hrair days of rest and healing.  We did the reasonable and sensible thing to do, to leave one of our own behind if they are too injured and tender to keep up with the journey!  Holly wanted it that way!  I know it, Hazel-rah knows it, and by Frith, the rest of you tharn, stupid duffers should as well!!"

                "And what of Justin?!" snarled Dandelion unrelentingly, "He isn't a spirit in the land beyond the living!  He is a physical, flesh-and-blood, living human!  He'll be killed out there, without the cross or any of us to defend him!  Aren't you three even worried for him?!  Don't you even care?!  After everything he has done for us, after all the battles and trials we faced together, after all the time we spent with him?!!"

                Bigwig, unable to look at Dandelion in the face, just shamefacedly averted his gaze to his left; he could not answer that without any conflict.

                "Dandelion, Justin is not of our concern now," repeated Blackberry edgily, earning glares from Dandelion, Pipkin, Campion and Buckthorn.

                Hazel tried to ameliorate the hard feelings between the divided groups before any more arguments and tiffs would shatter the close bonds of brotherly closeness even further, speaking loudly, "That's enough!  All of you!  We do not need to come to blows on this!  Please!  El-ahrairah is getting weaker and weaker, and the light of the cross is the only force that can save him!  We must not stop in our mission, not when we are so close to completing our task!  We are doing what rabbits need to do!  Holly and Justin will understand!  We are not betraying them, and we must remember that we must remain loyal to El-ahrairah!"

                Strawberry gave Hazel a very cold frown.

                "What do _you_ know about loyalty?" he muttered with disgust and repulsion, still sore at Hazel for his indecision to defend him when Silverweed and Cowslip framed him earlier.  Hazel was taken aback, staggered, by this retort, and this gave the graceful opportunity for Pipkin, Strawberry, Dandelion, Speedwell, Buckthorn, Campion, and Acorn to hop away, giving Hazel, Blackberry, and Bigwig the metaphorical cold shoulders.  Fiver, who had been watching from the sidelines, followed them silently.

                "Fiver??" Bigwig questioned hoarsely.  Fiver looked at Blackberry, Hazel, and Bigwig with sad pity.

                "You do not need to ask; you three know where I stand in all of this.  I'm sorry, Hazel," he whispered sadly, and he left.  Hazel felt his world crumble even further; now his own brother was losing faith in Hazel's support and decisions.  Shaken and hurt, Hazel tried to temporarily find refuge from the dark pangs in his gut by attempting to talk to Damien and to let him know more about the land beyond life and to discuss any strategies that they may need to collaborate on if they ever met up with an enemy.  Yet, he may as well been focusing on talking to a rock.  Regardless of Silver, Blackberry, Bigwig, Hawkbit, Bluebell and Hazel's presences, Damien was completely deaf and all he concentrated on was how much he could do with his cross, so irritatingly enough, while the rabbits were trying to instruct him, he was wildly cutting down branches with the bearerang, levitating trees out of the ground and leaving deep craters, shattering rocks into pieces simply by looking at them, causing noticeable destruction.  Hazel fought for control of his ire and frustration as he and Bigwig tried to talk some sense into Damien with using the cross-bearer powers so recklessly, but Damien was unwilling to listen.      

                "And why should I, 'Hazel-rah'??" Damien scoffed with smug disdain at Hazel's Chief rabbit title, as if being with the rabbits was beneath him, "In case you haven't noticed, I'm the cross-bearer, and I don't need to listen to anyone except myself!!  And you stupid, worthless furballs should follow suit!"

                "That is enough!" growled Silver, his frustration at Damien's domineering demeanor threatening to destroy his self-control, "Damien, listen to yourself!  The cross-bearer can only call on his powers if his heart is pure and unselfish, and if you carry on like this, you may endanger yourself and El-ahrairah's health!  Please, don't risk it!"

                "I could never lose such awesome power," Damien replied haughtily, his eyes gleaming with wicked eagerness at such potential at his fingertips, "My heart will always be strong, and I will never allow any being, not even you dumb mutts, to get in my way!  I told you flea-ridden English rabbits that I would heal your Prince, Ella-what's-his-name, and I will!  When I say so!  Until then, I would highly appreciate it if you annoying pests didn't pester me with questions and pleadings while I experiment with how much glorious and wonderful acts I can do with this cross!  Such power!  Such light!  And it is all mine!  MINE!!"

                "I wish it wasn't," muttered Hawkbit to Bluebell, but unfortunately, Damien heard the loud-mouthed rabbit.

                "WHAT WAS THAT?!!" the Adonis roared, glaring at Bluebell and Hawkbit.  He shouted so loudly, he got the attention of every creature around them as they looked on nervously.  Bluebell looked intimidated, but Hawkbit, ever so stubbornly sincere and caustic, forced himself to continue sarcastically.

                "You heard me, you arrogant slave-driver!  Ever since we met you, you've been nothing but rude, insensitive, and stubbornly conceited, treating us like we're your servants and putting our Lord's healing treatment as a condition!  If you were any type of being, you'd realize that we must work together as one, not as your subordinates and you as our superior!!"

                "Like that queer, Justin??" Damien laughed, "You've gotta be kidding me!  He was nothing!!  I'm surprised that you were able to tolerate his stupid whining, his fragile ego, his own lost, delusional world!  He wasn't a man, but a meek, little mouse, hardly worth being called the cross-bearer like myself!!"

                Bluebell had enough, and he retorted angrily, "I would rather deal with a mouse than an embleer rat!"

                "Hmph!  What an attitude problem, one that needs a major adjustment!" chuckled Damien as the cross flashed in orange sunlight at his verbal command, "Both of you, BURN!"

                To Hazel and the other Watership rabbits' horrors, Bluebell and Hawkbit were suddenly engulfed in harsh, bright sunlight, the same type of intensive power that was used against the king of rats, Veil Guplea, when he tried to attack Campion.  Only this time, it was Bluebell and Hawkbit who were getting the brunt of the punishment as the light started to sear their flesh and singe their fur.  Hawkbit squealed as he sank to his side, twitching and Bluebell was crying in agony as he sank on all fours, curling himself into a fetal position.  From the look on Damien's face, it was evident that he would not stop the torture.

                "NO!  STOP THIS AT ONCE!!  DAMIEN, STOP!!" yelled Hazel with extreme concern as he immediately went over to Bluebell and Hawkbit's sides, trying to help ease their pain somehow.  "PLEASE, STOP THIS!!  THIS WILL NOT HELP US WITH ANYTHING IF YOU CONTINUE!!"

                "No," Damien said in a low, snide, cutting tone as the cross gleamed brighter, and Hawkbit and Bluebell screamed louder and louder, their bodies now engulfed with red heat.  Buckthorn, Silver, Bigwig, and Campion finally decided to make a decision and moved threateningly towards Damien with angry, scandalized retaliation, but Damien's voice cut through them, snarling.

                "Attack me, and I'll never heal your Prince!"  That had an enormous effect as all four of them halted immediately, though unwillingly and every fiber of their bodies screaming against the decision to stand down.  Hazel was desperate as he stepped in front of Bluebell and Hawkbit, shielding them from Damien's penetrating glare.

                "Please, stop this!  Don't hurt them!"

                Damien then had a very sickening and appalling grin on his face as a terrible thought sprouted in his mind.

                "Bow your head," he commanded.  Hazel, along with the rest of the rabbits, was taken aback.

                "What...what did you request??"

                "I ordered you to bow your head," Damien retorted slowly, "Submit yourself to me!  Bow your head and acknowledge my leadership!  If you don't, then I'll hurt those two fleabags over there even more!"  To emphasize his point, actual small flames started to alight on Hawkbit and Bluebell's hides, their dark furs alight as they transformed into small, glowing embers and ashes, the air soon bringing in the early wafts of flaming flesh and fur.  At a loss, Hazel just gave Damien a irate, appalled defiant stare...before he, the legendary Chief Rabbit of Watership Down, Owsla warrior of El-ahrairah, the leader of the cross-bearer expedition, painfully winced as he closed his eyes and bowed his head on all fours towards Damien.  The ultimate humiliation for Hazel.  He could hear small gasps from the rest of the audience above the pained whimpering of Bluebell and Hawkbit.  Bigwig and Buckthorn's faces crinkled up, as if both of them were about to break into tears as the sight was too painful for them to watch without causing some ache in their hearts.  Dandelion, Pipkin, and Acorn were tharn, dazed, their eyes wide, glassy and their bodies so rigid, they could have been carved from stone.  Fiver buried his head in his paws and started sobbing, which was cue for Silver to softly wrap his paws around the little warrior, giving the little comfort for the bile that was rising in both of their stomachs.  Blackberry, Speedwell, and Campion were stony, but for different reasons: for Blackberry, it was because such a submissive act was necessary in order for Damien to cooperate, for Speedwell and Campion, it was because no reward was worth doing such an act in the first place which made both of them miss Justin enormously.  Strawberry's reaction was probably the most deprecating and pejorative as he shut his eyes, turned his head away and whispered sorrowfully to himself, "Oh Hazel-rah, you...you fool."

                Hazel felt his sweat of disgust and unbearable intolerance bead on his back and neck as Damien scoffed, pleased that he made Hazel grovel to his presence.

                "Hmph, you're like a dog, only more pathetic!  I'm surprised that El-ahrairah allowed to let such a belittling, submissive rabbit as yourself into his esteemed Owsla!  It's the sorriest sight I've ever seen!"  The teenager turned away abruptly, but not without flicking his hands and releasing Hawkbit and Bluebell from the searing torture, the fiery, burning light vanishing in a flash.  Hawkbit and Bluebell both lay on the cool grass, gasping with pain and in mixtures of whimpering pleas and chocked sobs of pain.  Indeed, they certainly looked awful.  All over their bodies were red and pink welts emerging from the charred blank patches of burnt fur, parts of it still sending puffs of gray smoke into the air, and some of the welts had already developed white blisters which popped, revealing exposed lines of pink, oozing tissue.  It would be many days of constant cleaning and supervision before Hawkbit and Bluebell would ever be well again.  Hazel and the other rabbits rushed hurriedly towards the two as Damien went off, ignoring all of them completely.

                "Hawkbit, let us help you!" Hazel pleaded, but Hawkbit, extremely furious at being mistreated, lashed out unreasonably at the first being he saw...which unfortunately was Hazel.

                "Don't touch me!" he snarled with contemptible disgust, though one of the reasons he was still crying was due to the way he blamed himself rather than Hazel for leaving Justin, "Embleer Frith, how could you do such a thing, Hazel-rah?!!  We weren't worth you forsaking your pride and honor of being a rabbit!!  How could you?!!  I didn't need to know that I had to force you to bow to...to _him_!!"

                "I...I thought -"

                "By Frith and Inle, not even El-ahrairah would do such an deed!!  I do not even know why I even look up to you as a Chief Rabbit, you...you rotter!!"  With that, the contentious rabbit wobbled, with the help of Speedwell and Dandelion, away from Hazel.  Everyone else followed, though some threw sad glances at Hazel, as if they no longer had faith in his abilities; the image of Hazel surrendering to Damien was shattering.  Pipkin and Bluebell, before leaving, tried to give Hazel some encouragement, but they fell on deaf ears as Hazel, now more than ever, wished he could truly perish in the land beyond life, to be devoid of any emotions...and of any guilt and blame.

                                                                                ***

                Justin was getting worried as darkness fell onto the lands, the grass and trees starting to cool as dusk emerged and the sun was vainly trying to prevent the last of its sunbeams from being extinguished as it sunk lower and lower into the horizon.  He was all alone with Holly, who was still heavily injured and still unconscious from the loss of blood, yet he was resting peacefully enough, with Justin's tattered flannel shirt covering him like a blanket, though it did little to keep him warm.  Without the cross, Justin had no light, and there was no moon tonight, so it made the darkness even more threatening and overwhelming.  The stars shining above did very little to lessen the gloom surrounding the land, but it was nowhere as depressed as Justin's heart.  He couldn't think of anything but how Damien came, mocked him, ridiculed him, Holly getting hurt, and the rabbits of Watership Down leaving him to fend for himself in the land beyond life, vulnerable to any animal or one of Elil-rah's Owsla.  Yet Justin found it difficult to care.  He was actually thinking of suicide, and death might as well be the only thing he could think of to get out of his predicament.  Without the cross, none of the rabbits would be willing to help him, El-ahrairah wouldn't wish to see him, and he had nowhere to go since the cross was possibly the key in returning back home...where he would be mocked, teased, and bullied by his father and schoolmates.  In other words, Justin was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

                Justin just wrapped his arms around his knees as he sat, slightly shivering.  Yet, faint noises coming from behind him made him snap to attention, a bit fearful that something was approaching.  His breath quickened and wisely, the teenager went over behind the elm tree, with its thick, scratchy trunk shielding him from view, and peeked cautiously out.  His breath caught in his throat as he saw, despite the darkness, two large, bulky shaped walking this way towards him, though still oblivious at the adolescent who was hiding.  Justin could hear them conversing...but despite his dread, he could have sworn that their voices were oddly familiar.

                "Oy, mate!  Quite a haul, isn't it?!" one figure said cheerfully to the other.

                "Quite true, mate, and of course, nothin' quite like roasted apples over an open flame unless you share it with your best chum of long moons and away from Volgnamass's treacherous and bitter authority, eh mate!"

                Volgnamass.  The word rang in Justin's mind in a flash as he uttered a soft gasp.  The two figures were weasels, the same armored ones who wore chain-metal armor and who mad their teeth and claws encased in shiny steel alloy and who tried to kill Justin and Acorn after kidnapping them.  And if they were close, then so was Volgnamass' army, and once they found him...

                Suddenly, he heard one of the figures stop suddenly, his nose sniffing in the air wildly, "Wait!  It's...great seasons o' sun and showers!  Can you smell that, mate?!"

                The second one agreed wholeheartedly, "I can!  Great moons and Frith!  It's the human!  I smell him too!  The chap's close-by, I daresay!"

                Jesus, the two have caught Justin's scent, and Justin silently berated himself from not running while he had the chance, but even if he did run...what about Holly?  He was still unconscious and defenseless.  As silently as he could, Justin crept back to Holly's side, whispering urgently, "Holly, please wake up!  Please!  There are weasels here, and they caught my scent!  We have to get out of here!  Please, wake up!"

                Yet Holly simply uttered a soft moan as he slightly twitched, and Justin was lost.  Before he could think of anything, a cold, metal claw grabbed him by the shoulders.  His heart leaping out of his throat and his head pounding with extreme panic, Justin shrieked as he tried to fight the weasel off.  The weasel yelped in surprise as Justin punched him in the chest and against the chain-mail covering, and regardless of the number of kicks the adolescent managed to set in, the weasel managed to get behind the teenager and pin Justin with a firm bear hug, preventing the boy's hands from hitting him.  So this was the end, Justin was finally going to die and there would be no more pain and sadness.  However, several seconds passed, yet the weasel did not slay him.  Justin, though extremely scared, said defiantly as he was struggling, "Let go of me!!  Please, you can kill me, but leave Holly alone!  Please!  Just kill me and get it over with!!"

                Yet the next words were the best ones Justin had ever heard for the whole day.  The weasel lessened his grip slightly as he said softly, "Cross-bearer!  Wake up, lad!  Don't be scared!  Do you not recognize us?!  It's your mates, Sneezewort and Lousewort!  Come on!  Stop!  It is us, cross-bearer!"

                Justin felt his heart leap up to his throat again as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and glanced upwards to see that he was staring into the sage, yet fierce face of the light-browned Sneezewort, though now his eyes were registering concern and kindness for his friend.  And behind him stood the goofy-faced, simple-minded white weasel named Lousewort, who was staring at the scene with a mixture of surprise and humor.

                Sneezewort continued, slightly exasperated but still jovial to see his friend and the being who had helped the two escape injury and Volgnamass' cruelty, "Oy, lad!  Whatcha' tryin' ta' do, hurt yourself?!  You would have bloodied your knuckles and paws if you continued to bash in my metal armor, cross-bearer and...oh spears and shields."

                Sneezewort cursed that last phrase softly and with troubled confusion as Justin, at the word "cross-bearer" started trembling and though he stubbornly kept his mouth firmly shut and his teeth gritted, Lousewort could notice that the teenager started crying again, weakly holding on to Sneezewort's paws as if he could not possibly stand on his feet without some sort of support.  Wordlessly, Lousewort just knelt down in front of the human and stroked his head as Justin, pained, softly told them everything.

                Justin was still emotionlessly talking for a good half-hour later, white and detached, his strength worn out, as Sneezewort was sitting behind Justin with his metal paws wrapped protectively around the teen as he numbly sat on Sneezewort's lap.  This was relatively easy considering that Sneezewort was almost twice as large as Bigwig.  Lousewort looked sincerely indignant and upset as he made camp while taking note of Justin's testimony.  The two were truly a blessing for Justin and Holly.  With dry brush and a click from Lousewort's metal claws for sparks, they soon had a small, warm fire crackling brightly.  Sneezewort managed to chew some light green, sweet, clean bog moss into a poultice he had gathered earlier from a medicinal leather pouch he carried and used it as a light dressing to cover Holly's immense wound, explaining to Justin that it could help the rabbit heal faster by stopping the bleeding and preventing infection.  Also, Lousewort managed to cut down four evergreen boughs, as tall as either of the two weasels and their branches lush and full of soft pine needles, and laid them out as mattresses for them to rest on; they were certainly warmer than the ground, and after helping Justin gently lay Holly on one of them, Holly was resting very comfortably next to the fire as the two weasels and Justin talked, though Justin was still very miserable, even after eating some of the fruit and nuts rations Lousewort was saving.

                Lousewort said thoughtfully, "I never thought that such a thing could have happened, young one.  I daresay, none of the legends we have heard about the cross-bearer had ever mentioned such a condition, and even if it was true, you were still able to do many good and benevolent miracles with that cross of yours."

                "It was never mine to begin with," Justin quivered as his voice threatened to break again, "I should have known better than to even think that I could ever be happy, that this would be different.  Now, everyone's left me, and I'm all alone and no way to go back home, not that I would want to!  Nobody wants me back there either!"

                Sneezewort held Justin a bit more firmly, trying to comfort the adolescent and possibly prevent him from suicidal thoughts or thoughts of dark despair as he said softly, "You may not be the cross-bearer, but we'll still protect you, you know."

                Justin laughed hollowly, very cynical.  "That was what Hazel and other rabbits said, that was what my mother said, and that was probably what God said too!  I can't trust anybody now, and no one cares how much I hurt, how much I just need someone right now, and the only reason Holly stayed with me was because of default since he's too injured to do anything else but wait with me!  The minute he gets all better again, he'll leave me too!"

                Justin tried to curl up in a ball as the thoughts brought forth a fresh wave of sobbing, yet Sneezewort tried to raise the boy's spirits.  "We aren't lying; we will stay with you."

                "Yeah, right!" Justin's voice was uncharacteristically bitter and harshly distrustful as he shut his eyes, "What do you know about being abandoned, about no one wanting you?!  What do you know about being alone in a world where everyone hates you?!!"

                "My, how quickly you've forgotten.  Don't ya' remember how we first met, why we even left Volgnamass and Elil-rah's Owsla in the first place?"  Lousewort's voice was sardonic as he gave Justin a funny look.  The adolescent then remembered; Volgnamass attempted to injure them and then leave them behind, kicking them out because of their supposed incompetence, yet the weasels were nothing but loyal, good warriors who did not deserve to be mistreated, and when Acorn and Justin helped them out, they escaped, abandoning their past lives as soldiers for Elil-rah's army.  Justin blushed.

                "Sorry."

                "Conveniently forgot, did you?" replied Lousewort coolly, yet the smile on his bright face let Justin know he took no umbrage to the outburst.

                "So...so what do we do, now?" Justin asked, wiping his eyes.

                "Well, we were hoping you would tell us, lad," replied Sneezewort, "After all, me n' Lousewort are renegades from our own army, and we do not have anything planned, but remember young Justin, we'll gladly return the favor for the kindness you have shown us previously.  If there is something you wish for us to do, just say it, and we shall gladly help you."  Justin honestly could not think of anything to help himself, primarily because he didn't need protection anymore due to the loss of his powers, but then his eyes fell on Holly.

                "I want you to take Holly back to the warren of El-ahrairah in the meadows of Fenlo."

                "What?"  Lousewort looked genuinely confused.

                "I want you to take care of Holly for me," Justin repeated lucidly, "Holly is still too weak to journey back to El-ahrairah by himself, and...and I know the rest of the guys will be very worried about him in the meantime.  But if Holly was back at the warren, he could get better care, and he would be reunited with his friends and his family."

                Sneezewort said softly, "And what about you, Justin?"  The morose teenager did not answer that as he slightly cast his eyes downward, and Lousewort guessed what Justin wanted.

                Lousewort stated softly, "You wish for us to leave you behind, do you not?"  Justin still didn't answer.

                "Justin, there is no point for you to throw your life away, mate," the white-furred weasel encouraged softly, "And you shouldn't be so hard on the rabbits; they are your family too and they would be glad to see you again."

                "They would not want to see me, and neither would El-ahrairah for that matter.  Damien is the cross-bearer now, not me.  Besides, it's just as well.  No one here would care if I lived or died, now that I can't be of use to anyone."

                "I would care, young one," croaked a voice, and all three turned around to see Holly, who had finally regained consciousness, and it was apparent that though the sage, elderly rabbit was still troubled from his wound, the moss poultice did rejuvenate the Watership Owsla warrior significantly.  Holly managed to give Justin a tired smile, though he was slightly unnerved at the sight of Sneezewort and Lousewort, not to mention the fire flickering warmly close by.

                "Glad t' see that you are awake, old one," Sneezewort managed to tease the rabbit considerately.  Holly gave him a mock, wry glower.

                "I may be old but still spry enough to cuff the living daylights out of you, you duffer."

                "How...how're you feeling, Holly?" asked Justin tentatively as Lousewort and Sneezewort chuckled, "And...how long have you been conscious?"

                Holly smiled, "It was around the moment when I heard Sneezewort remind you that he and Lousewort still owed you a favor and that they were willing to assist you with whatever you wished for.  And I still stand by what I said, young Justin.  You may not be the cross-bearer, but I would be greatly pained if anything happened to you, and I daresay that the rest of the buckos from Watership Down feel exactly the same."

                "But they _abandoned_ me -" began Justin, flaring.

                "Because they had to follow the orders of El-ahrairah, because they did not wish to endanger our Prince and Lord of all Rabbits, and...because if they did take you along with them, Damien would have killed you right then and there.  Do you not, remember, young one?"

                Justin was still mulish.  "Damien still wouldn't want me to be with you, and all that mattered was _his_ opinion.  If the others did care for me, they would have still stood by me regardless of the consequences."

                "No," Holly said sharply, feeling some discipline was needed to make Justin realize the truth, "it is El-ahrairah and Frith's decisions, not his, not yours, not even Hazel-rah and the others'.  For Frith's sake, Justin, do not act like a spoilt, selfish kit who covers his ears and whines at every single moment his elders try to give advice or try to make one see the real truth.  You are far too gentle and noble to act as such, and you know the truth as well as I do!  Do you honestly believe what Damien has told you?  Hazel-rah, Bigwig, Silver, Speedwell, Campion, and the rest of the bloody chaps care for you!  They did not wish to abandon you, they did not wish to harm you nor cause you grievance!  Yet, do you still thoughtlessly wish for them to forget how their Prince, their ancestor, their benevolent leader, is dying and forsake the only thing they need to help him, all for your sake?!  Do you still wish for them to ignore another suffering creature in need, all for you?!  If you still do, then you are no better than Elil-rah himself!  As for Damien...yes, he is the cross-bearer who will fight Elil-rah, but I still stand by my conviction that El-ahrairah and Frith would be pleased and welcoming to see you if you come to their warren!  And...I still think that regardless, you shall always be our friend and the only one any rabbit would be willing to declare with joy as the cross-bearer.  I would stake every tuft of gray fur on my body on that, young one."  Justin had no idea he was quivering again until Sneezewort gently tightened his arms around the frail teen.  Holly then turned to Lousewort.

                "Am I right to say that we can rely on you and Sneezewort to accompany us back to the warren in Fenlo?"

                "You can," Sneezewort said, his face uneasy but his mouth set in a determined, thin line, "We haven't forgotten the kindness Justin showed us awhile back.  We know the risks, and we shall gladly accept them."  Holly nodded his thanks.

                "We shall start at daybreak, mates," declared Lousewort in a final tone.

                                                                                ***

                Early, as the sun began to break up the night sky, causing it to turn to a light blue in the eastern horizon, Lousewort, Sneezewort, Holly, and Justin set forth towards El-ahrairah's warren, though unlike the rabbits, who went directly eastward, Holly convinced them to head directly into the neighboring forests which would provide better cover and shield their scents with all the wild flora that abounded the region.  Holly almost made a speedily recovery, and it would be another day or two before he would be back to his vigorous self, though it was apparent that his wound was still troubling him.  As they journeyed, Justin, who was riding on Sneezewort's back, then had a sudden thought.

                "Holly, I'm just curious.  I remembered when Damien attacked you after provoking you about being the eldest rabbit in the entire group that was sent to retrieve me.  Well, Hazel and the others died of old age too, and yet they look relatively young in the land beyond life, as if...as if exactly how they were pictured in the stories about Watership Down I've read back in my world.  And yet you...please forgive me if I offend you, but you...well, still look rather old.  Why is that?" he asked awkwardly.

                Holly took no resentment to Justin's inadvertent questioning, replying, "To be honest with you, young one, I do not know.  When an animal of Frith passes away and is brought to the land beyond life by the Black Rabbit of Inle, Frith decides how the spirit of that animal should appear once they enter.  He could make it so that the rabbit that has stopped running could be as old as the day he or she died, or Frith could make them younger, when they were strong, robust, full of fighting spirit like Bigwig, or as young as a complete kitten, innocent, playful, and dependent on a mother's nurturing care.  So, the truth be told, though all creatures in the land beyond the living have endless masses of vigor and vivacity flowing in them and their minds in entirety, Frith decided that I, that is, my spirit, should be a bit older than the rest of the chaps from Watership Down once I entered the land beyond life.  Yet, it is of no matter.  After all, pelil éan, atha néan."

                Lousewort, who had never heard of Lapine before in his entire life, looked at Holly inquisitively, "Oy, mate!  What in the name of seasons of wind and rain does that mean?"

                Holly replied proudly, "It means 'old legs, young heart'."

                Justin chipped in helpfully, "So Holly is basically saying you may have an old body, but what's important is that his heart is still young and energetic, so it's the heart that's important.  In other words, you're only as old as you want to be, as much as you feel."

                "I could not have said it better -" yet Holly left that sentence to hang as he stopped abruptly, sniffing the air, and following suits, Sneezewort and Lousewort halted too.

                "Holly?" Justin asked breathlessly.

                "Lendri," growled Holly, "and I recognize that treacherous scent anywhere!  It is Lord Brock!"  Justin's blood ran cold at the thought of the badger who had previously tried to kill him and ended up tackling both he and Pipkin off the ledges in the mountains.  The badger that was just as large as an Ilip and was nowhere as sane and controlled as one either, with ruthless demeanor and teal eyes that registered nothing but poisoned ice and stone.  If he was here, if he managed to walk away from his fall after the mountains...Justin shuddered, his breath quaking and mixing with his sharp inhales of cold air to keep his head level.  Sneezewort felt Justin shake with fear on his back, and he whispered encouragingly, "We won't let him get to you, lad.  Not without a fight."

                Justin couldn't answer back; his throat was too dry.  Narrowing his eyes, Lousewort plunged into the underbrush noisily, disappearing immediately into the thicket.

                "Lousewort, wait!" Holly called out harshly, outraged that the weasel would do something so foolish, yet Lousewort conveniently ignored the Owsla rabbit.  Sneezewort explained.

                "He went to scout the area, mate, but don't be alarmed.  If Lord Brock is here, he would be less likely to believe that a weasel, a member of Volgnamass' army of Elil-rah, would be lying to him about the whereabouts of the cross-bearer.  So, if Lousewort sees that Lord Brock would be an immediate danger to the young lad, he would trick him into believing that our scouting parties turned up no scent nor trace of the cross-bearer and drive him away while we sneak out quietly."

                "But you and Lousewort aren't part of Elil-rah's army anymore," Justin said.

                "Yes, but Lord Brock does not know that, and that would give us an advantage to delay him."

                Holly was still irritated.  "Sneezewort, that is a foolhardy plan!  What if Lord Brock does not believe Lousewort?!  What if he already guessed the truth or if he has spotted us from the underbrush?!  What if he caught our scents?!  We should have ran the instant I smelled his scent instead of wasting time talking!"

                "He would have caught on to Justin's scent anyway, Holly," Sneezewort snapped, "and unlike you, I'm not the one yelling loudly enough like a duffer for all enemies to hear and track us down with."  Before Holly could retort, Lousewort came crashing back, his eyes wide with disbelief.

                "Lousewort, what happened?" Justin asked.

                "Er, I think you mates ought to see this with your own eyes.  It is the badger, Lord Brock, but I do not think he is in a position to perform any threat of harm on us."  Morbidly curious (and on Holly's part, still a little suspicious of trusting the word of elil), the four of them quietly snuck through the bushes and trees to see the sight of Lord Brock imprisoned by Elil-rah underneath a knobby, contorted oak tree as castigation.  Lord Brock was truly a miserable sight.  Leaves and cobwebs stuck to his fur in a shaggy, filthy mess of dust and dirt, making his beautiful black and white pelt, once lustrous and glossy, now squalid, unkempt, and sordid.  His paws and body was entwined with manacles made of twisted roots and vines, so painfully tight that they were biting into the badger's flesh.  Only the badger's head and paws were protruding out of the grassy terrain, and it appeared the rest of the badger's body was painfully compressed by the trunk of the tree, allowing sticky sap, termites, and ants to painfully and madly scuttle on his body.  The fur underneath his clouded teal eyes were wet, indicating that Lord Brock was crying, and the lack of food and water was complete torture for the creature, and since he could not already perish in the land beyond the living, the badger was wasting away, his frame appearing sallow, malnourished, and his dry, parched throat was rasping with cacophonous noises.  Lord Brock, upon seeing Justin, immediately became furious.

                "YOU!!!" he roared as the earth slightly quivered as Lord Brock, finding new strength in his anger and refueled temper, tried to extract himself free from the convoluted mass of roots.  Holly, Sneezewort, and Lousewort backed away slowly, yet it was obvious that no amount of thrashing and struggling would ever free Lord Brock.  He collapsed, close to fainting from exertion, panting but still had a murderous look in his eyes.

                "So, come to laugh at my misfortune, Justin?!" Lord Brock growled, "I swear, by the dark beast, I should have killed you when I had the chance!  You ruined everything!!  I swear, I will kill you, Justin!!  Damn you, all of you!!"

                "Let us leave," whispered Lousewort, but as Holly and Sneezewort agreed, Justin said lucidly and loudly.

                "No."

                "Justin??" Holly gaped, incredulous.  Justin jumped off Sneezewort's back and carefully walked up to Lord Brock until he was only inches from the badger's huge, trapped paws.  Lord Brock just glared at Justin, heaving with sobs of frustration and embarrassment and fatigue, before the teenager spoke.

                "If you want food and water, we can help you," Justin offered.  Lord Brock felt his enmity and hostility fade away at he thought of food and water, and though he wanted to kill Justin so much, hunger and thirst won out the argument.  He nodded, defeated but still irritated and glowering.

                "Justin, have you gone mad?" Sneezewort demanded angrily as he grabbed Justin by the shoulder, "You could have been killed!"

                "Sneezewort, we can't leave Lord Brock there without helping him!"  Lord Brock grumbled several curses at this statement.

                "He still wishes to eradicate you!"

                "He's in pain!  He probably hasn't had food and water for several weeks!  He's suffering!  We can't just walk away and ignore him!!"

                "I can live with that," huffed Holly darkly.

                "Sort of like how Volgnamass and Damien could live with it when they abandoned all three of you?"  Now it was Justin's turn to glare as he threw the question in their faces; he had them there and they sighed, resigned.  Though the leftover rations of berries and nuts Lousewort carried were barely enough to satisfy a rabbit, much less a badger, Justin and Holly and Sneezewort gathered each huge piles of blackberries, wild toadstools, mint, and various assortments of seeds and nuts.  Lousewort managed to empty the contents of his medicinal pouch and filled it with clear water from a far off stream.  Of course, combine the fact that a small pouch full of water would not be enough to even wet Lord Brock's throat, the fact that it took ten minutes of running at full speed to bring water back and forth for one roundabout trip from the stream to Lord Brock, and the fact that even with Sneezewort helping with his own pouch, over fifty trips before Lord Brock thirst was quenched was enough to make Lousewort wish he kept his mouth shut about Lord Brock's incarceration.

                As Lord Brock ate his fill, none too gently, he blamed Justin for his punishment, describing to the four how he was saved from the fall off the mountain only to be saved by Elil-rah and put underneath the tree as punishment for trying to use the cross to overthrow Elil-rah's rule and how only the cross-bearer could be the one to free him with his power.  The memories were enough to work up the badger, now with enough food and water for rejuvenation, and he struggled to wrench himself out of his prison, shouting curses and threats the instant he laid his paws on Justin.  Feeling that it would be safer to leave, Holly, Sneezewort, Lousewort, and Justin left, but as they made their way eastward, they could still hear Lord Brock roaring.

                "DAMN YOU, JUSTIN, THIS ISN'T OVER!!  YOU MAY NOT BE THE CROSS-BEARER NOW, BUT THE INSTANT DAMIEN FREES ME FROM MY PRISON, I WILL KILL YOU!!!  YOU RUINED MY LIFE, MY CHANCES FOR FAVOR FROM THE DARK LORD, MY QUEST FOR POWER!!  DO YOU HEAR ME, JUSTIN?!!  I WILL BE FREE AND I WILL KILL YOU!!!  DO YOU HEAR ME?!!"

                "Such a nice way of showing gratitude," grumbled Sneezewort sardonically as the yowls and howls of ire and unreason echoed in the forests, "The bloody duffer did not even thank us for the efforts."  Yet Lousewort noticed that Holly appeared troubled.

                "Holly, whatever is the matter?"

                Holly looked at Justin while his mind clicked rapidly at what Lord Brock had just told them.  He asked calculatingly, "Justin, did...did you ever mention to Lord Brock that you lost your powers of the cross-bearer?  That you lost your cross?"

                Justin shook his head, unable to see what Holly was getting at.  "N-no."

                Holly then turned to Sneezewort and Lousewort.  "Did either of you mention to Lord Brock about what happened with Justin and Damien?  Did you ever mentioned the new cross-bearer's name??"

                "We couldn't even if we wanted to, Holly," Lousewort told him, "Me n' Sneezewort were too busy fetching water and gathering food to bother telling Lord Brock stories he wouldn't be in the mood to hear.  But why?  Why all the questions, mate?"

                Holly did not answer, but instead kept a very thoughtful silence as they ran amongst the trees, weeds, grass, and bushes, the screams of Lord Brock getting fainter and fainter, like a distant nightmare one best leaves forgotten in the crevices of obscurity.

                                                                                ***

                "Embleer Frith, we wasted so much time when we could have been traveling and getting closer to El-ahrairah's warren!" Speedwell cursed softly as they galloped at the peak hours of darkness later that same day to Strawberry.  It was now night, the sun had retired long ago.  After the incident with Hawkbit and Bluebell's punishment, it was discovered that their injuries were far too extensive to ignore, so unanimous, the rabbits spent the rest of the time caring and licking Bluebell and Hawkbit's wounds, tending to them and helping them cope with their burns and sores.  Damien, though annoyed, used the time to continue heedlessly practicing his powers on various objects.  By now, he was able to achieve far greater things with the powers of the cross of light than Justin was ever able to, including creating a geyser of water from an underground spring to erupt and create a small pond, was able to telekinetically summon and push rocks and trees with such force, they shattered and fragmented, practiced shooting with a newly-created golden bow, strung with silver thread, which shot out arrows of painful sunlight that exploded and charred everything they touched, and, most remarkably, was able to create animate creatures out of their shadows, bona fide, life-like, yet horribly disfigured and humanoid, like gruesome monsters with gleaming eyes of harsh yellow.  All these acts made the rabbits slightly edgy and tense, especially since Strawberry and Silver swore that they heard Damien muttering something about needing targets to practice the full amount of damage and effectiveness of the jewel's light.

                "I know, chap," whispered Strawberry surreptitiously as he gave Damien, who was riding on Bigwig's back a wary look out of the corner of his eye, "By the fur and paw of the Black Rabbit, it sickens me to see him act like this without feeling the slightest remorse for torturing Bluebell and Hawkbit!  Look at them wince, and Bluebell is nearly limping, the poor chap!  And the cross-bearer expects them to be able to journey despite their wounds, as if he does not care that they could befall serious impairment and harm from the forced running!  I do not know why we must listen to him!"

                "Because he has the cross, Strawberry," Blackberry chastised, overhearing the rabbit as he galloped alongside him, "and Hazel knew that if we refused Damien's wishes, he could easily use his powers to force us to agree as he did with Bluebell and Hawkbit."

                "Then why won't Damien heal them?!" Dandelion asked incredulously, "It would be far better for us in the long run, and Justin always -"

                Dandelion then stopped short, leaving the sentence unfinished and suspended, as a wave of grief and regret washed over him at the mention of Justin's name.  He knew he shouldn't have, but it was not very easy to forget their former cross-bearer and friend, his compassion, his cheerful personality.  Dandelion felt his ears droop as he slightly bowed his head.

                "You miss Justin too, do you not?" Speedwell asked softly, in understanding.

                "Yes, I do," admitted Dandelion.

                "I do not care what Damien says," Strawberry said bitterly, nearly forgetting to whisper, "I cannot and will not believe that Frith and El-ahrairah would have chosen Damien to replace Justin!  Yes, he may have faults, yet what creature does not??  And Justin was never one to misuse his powers!  So why should he have been replaced?!"

                "I do not know, Strawberry," Blackberry shushed Strawberry as Damien glanced at their way a bit suspiciously, "Yet, we cannot question Frith's word and decision -"

                "You mean what _Damien says_ is Frith's word and decision," Speedwell corrected irately.

                Blackberry continued in rigid conviction, "- and the point is, we do not have any choice but to listen to Damien because he is the only one who can help us fight Elil-rah and bring peace and tranquility back to El-ahrairah's warren and heal our Prince's sickness."

                "I don't care!" Dandelion snapped, "I would forsake everything if I could only see and be with -"

                "Justin?!" Damien's voice rang out sharply, and at the sound of his voice, the rabbits stopped abruptly (also to Hawkbit and Bluebell's relief since they felt that some of their wounds began to bleed again) and stared in the far off distance a little to their left in a clearing a bit outside the surrounding woods.  They were now currently in a huge plot of land next to a gargantuan, unfathomable lake, lapping against shorelines of mud and several crags and precipices of black rock and comfortably snuggling against the forests and trees surrounding it.  A bit far off to the precipice, warmly gathered around a small fire, was Justin, happily chatting with a light brown and a white weasel wearing chain-mail armor amongst a barren patch of dry dirt.

                "It's Sneezewort and Lousewort!" gasped Acorn, recognizing them, "Justin must have met up with them after we left!  The blokes must be helping him get by and protecting him!  By Frith, it looks like your premonition was right, Fiver!  They would be helpful to Justin eventually!"

                Damien leapt off Bigwig's back, his eyes now glittering as a very malicious smile formed on his face.  He grasped the cross around his neck and muttered a very silent prayer, closing his eyes and his mouth moving, but barely detectable.

                "Damien?" Pipkin asked, confused, yet the cross-bearer ignored him as he continued praying.  Suspicious, Bigwig marched up to Damien, growling, "Just what are you up to, wretch?!"

                A second later, Bigwig halted as Damien now was alert and no longer praying as the golden sword appeared into his hand and he now threateningly pointed the weapon directly at the rabbit's head, the point barely an inch or two away from his face.

                "Don't touch me!" Damien snarled.

                Bigwig, though submissive, still glared at Damien with mistrust and skepticism.  "Just what are you planning, Damien?"

                "I need a little target practice," replied the raven-haired Adonis gruesomely, and immediately, all the rabbits, with sickening realization, what that meant.

                "No, you shan't!" gasped Fiver.

                "Watch me," growled Damien, "Justin is siding with weasels, elil who are part of Elil-rah's Owsla, and yet the wimp, trying to find an easy way out, is fraternizing with our enemy!  He betrayed us!  He has to die for his stupidity and betrayal!"

                "You do not understand!" growled Blackberry as he made his way to the front of the group and stared down at Damien, "Sneezewort and Lousewort are weasels who abandoned Volgnamass' army because they were cruelly mistreated and their leader banished them after they kidnapped Justin and Acorn!  Yet they became friendly and saw the truth, that what they were doing was wrong, and Fiver told us that it would be merciful if Justin could heal them!  Justin is not fraternizing with the enemy!  He is being helped by two weasels that owe him a great debt for the kindness and love he has shown them!  Those two weasels are no longer part of Elil-rah's Owsla!"

                "Are you calling me a fool?"  Damien's voice was brutal and building with pressure.

                Blackberry, though wise yet prudish, knew then where his loyalties lay, and squealed heatedly, "More so than Justin, you self-righteous -!!"

                Yet what Blackberry said was lost immediately as Damien widened his eyes as a single, powerful telekinetic force struck Blackberry directly in the chest, sending the agonized rabbit flying back by thirty feet before crashing onto the ground.  Pipkin, Fiver, and Dandelion went over to the buck's side while the others just stared at Damien with absolute hatred and indignation.  Damien gave no notice as he teleported before any of the Watership soldiers could do anything.  Justin, Sneezewort and Lousewort, all whom heard the commotion and the telltale flash of orange sunlight in the far distance, yet before they could investigate, Damien appeared in front of them magically amidst a flurry of sparkles and glowing dust.  Realizing the sudden threat, Lousewort got in front of Justin, shielding him as Sneezewort crossed his arms and glowered menacingly at Damien.

                "What do you want?" Sneezewort rumbled.

                "Justin's head on a stake," sneered Damien.

                "It will not happen without a fight, you false impersonator!" roared Sneezewort, but he simply braced himself, wisely forgoing the option of charging towards Damien, especially since he was carrying a sword.  Damien then widened his eyes and with a flash, despite his heavy form and body, Sneezewort was sent flying with a forceful telekinetic blast exactly like Blackberry.  He landed roughly on a patch of grass not too far off, but laid sprawled out, unconscious.  Lousewort immediately tried to reach for Justin.

                "Justin, quickly, get on my back!  I will carry – what in the name of Frith?!!" Lousewort yelled as he and Justin noticed that he was unable to walk, his feet remaining stationary and attached to the floor, and glancing down, they both realized that vaporous, black wisps of smoke was rising from Lousewort's shadow as Lousewort's hind paws were sinking slowly into the darkness, like quicksand.  Lousewort struggled to wrench his paws free out of the yawning, engulfing mess, but he too was sent flying and collapsed on his stomach, barely awake as he groaned and struggled to rise.  Justin turned to face Damien who was fitting another bright, vicious arrow of harsh light into the string of his golden bow before drawing back his arm, aiming the weapon at Justin's heart.

                "Damien, what are you doing?!" Justin asked, flabbergasted, "I didn't do anything to you!"

                "I know, and that makes this all the more fun!" snickered Damien as he was about to let loose the shaft.  Yet miraculously, a bit on Damien's left, the dirt around him exploded before Holly emerged from the Slack Run and tackled Damien, who was so caught off guard, he had no way to defend himself as he released the deadly shaft prematurely and it struck the fire next to Justin, setting off dangerous sparks and embers and extinguishing several branches of wood from the pile.

                The Slack Run is a defensive strategy used by rabbits in case of attack, as described in "Watership Down" in which a deep ditch in the earth was made and a rabbit is placed into it before being lightly covered with a thin layer of soil for camouflage, hidden from view.  Thus, whenever an enemy was close by, the buried and covered rabbit could spring up out of the blue beneath the antagonist, completely taking him or her by surprise.  Bigwig had used this before to attack Woundwort when he laid siege on Watership Down and now, Holly was using it to save Justin's life.

                Damien screamed as Holly burrowed his teeth into the teenager's throat, but with another invisible force of light, Holly was pushed back, hollering in pain as he crashed against a rock embedded into the dirt.  With blood pouring down his front and staining the collar of his blue and white letterman jacket grotesquely, Damien, now illuminated completely with sunlight, this time, unlike Justin's power, the luminosity was harsh, severe, blinding, and ardent with power and uncontrollable frenzy.  Damien was now focused on disemboweling Holly, but before he could take a step, a thick, medium-length tree branch struck Damien on the temple, flying in a circular, revolving motion as it flew in the air.

                "Leave Holly alone, you jerk!!" rang out a voice, and Holly struggled to rise as he groaned pleadingly.

                "Justin...don't, please..." the old rabbit croaked.

                Damien turned around and glared at Justin who picked up another thick, wooden branch.  Justin brandished it like a baseball bat, all the meanwhile yelling, "Adrenaline rush!  Give me your best shot, you jerk!"

                Damien's eyes narrowed as he grinned malevolently, showing all of his teeth like a demented, rabid animal.  With a fling of his hand, a flash of orange blaze shot out from the cross and hit the branch Justin was holding, sending the sap and wood into a flaming mass of embers and charcoal.  Justin stared at his weapon wide-eyed before dropping it with a yelp.

                "Oh...crap," Justin stuttered in shock, realizing that attacking Damien may not have been his best option.

                "Time-freeze!" snarled Damien, and with a sudden outpouring of light, Justin, to his horror, could not move!  Damien had cast the powers to stop time on his own body, just as Justin had done before with countless enemies.  His arms, his legs, felt like stone, heavy, unwilling to listen to any of his commands from his nervous systems and his brain, remaining stationary, numb, stiff, frozen, and regardless of the lack of breathing or the fact that he could not blink his wide eyes, Justin could honestly say he could not feel any sensation of pain whatsoever.  However, it looked liked he was going to find out the hard way, especially since Damien now summoned a powerful, lethal surge of white lightening from the sky, the thunderous electricity generating painful crackles and pops as they formed into a ball in Damien's tightly clenched hand, wildly shifting and glinting.

                "Justin, DIE!" he yelled, and with a mad prod, the cross-bearer flung the ball of lightening directly at Justin's chest.  And with Justin immobilized, he couldn't dodge it.

                "No, stop!!!" cried Hazel, but it was too late.

                "Double crap!" Justin thought to himself as the lightening struck, causing a mild explosion of searing heat as fragments of the ground had shattered from the impact of energy and caused a huge cloud of debris and dust to immediately spew out of nowhere, blocking Hazel's view and hiding the gruesome carnage in obscurity.  Damien laughed, a low, cold, apathetic, shrill mocking glee of the insane.

                "Take that, you weak, pathetic, bas-", yet the words died in Damien's throat as his body was convulsed with disbelieving rage and wrathful antagonism when the dust cloud cleared away to reveal something completely unexpected.  The time-freeze spell had worn off, and now Justin was kneeling down in extreme and dismayed concern at the sight of Bigwig, Pipkin, Campion, Strawberry and Acorn, horrifically injured as they lay twitching and smoldering from the lightening.  As it turns out, Damien was so intent on killing Justin, he did not see the five rabbits sprint off in the last possible moment and shield Justin from the entire force of the attack, their furry bodies making an impenetrable wall as the orb of deadly heat struck them and not the teenager.  Without Acorn or Campion or Pipkin or Bigwig or Strawberry, Justin would have perished.  Damien was beside himself.

                "What?!!  You miserable, pathetic scum dare betray me?!!  And your Prince?!!"

                Bigwig, though heavily injured, managed to give Damien a snide, aloof glare.  "Figured it out just now, didn't you, you crack-brained slave-driver?"

                Pipkin managed to comment fervently, "We would never betray El-ahrairah and Frith, Damien..."

                "...but we are simply doing what our hearts have been telling us to do," finished Strawberry, adding, "And our hearts tell us, all of us, that we should have never abandoned Justin!  Even without the cross, the young one is still our cross-bearer!"

                Justin felt his eyes well up again with relief and slight comfort, despite the fact that he was still in grave danger.  Campion rested his head in the cradle of Justin's arms, unable to speak, but relieved that he was able to protect Justin, as Justin whispered hoarsely, "You guys...thank you."

                Damien growled as this time, a ball of red and orange flame emerged from his palm, "If you chose to side with that twerp over me, then all of you can suffer with him!!  I'll burn all of you to hell!!"

                Yet Damien was unable to do so as, with a huge, magnanimous cry of rage, Speedwell, Buckthorn, Silver, Fiver, and Hawkbit leapt upon Damien, tackling, cuffing, scratching, and yes, even biting, unwilling to let Damien attempt to murder Justin for a second time.  Seeing the first five rabbits springing to action was more than enough to encourage them to do the very same.

                "Get off, you flea-ridden pests!" Damien shrieked as the rabbits overwhelmed him so much, they brought him to his knees as he vainly tried to pummel them off.

                "This was for setting me on fire, you wretched bugger!" snarled Hawkbit as he cuffed Damien so hard on the neck, blood gushed forward.

                Silver, who was struggling to pin down Damien and preventing him from using his hands, yelled urgently, "Hazel-rah, quickly, go and see if Holly and the others are all right!   We can detain Damien!"

                "Easier said than done, chap!" gulped Speedwell as a fireball Damien managed to throw at aimlessly nearly singed one of his ears off as it shot past him into the night sky.  Still, he and Fiver were proficient enough to pinion Damien's arms to the grass, preventing the murderous teenager from summoning even more fire.  Hazel, Dandelion, Bluebell, and Blackberry sprinted across towards the fallen wounded of the party.

                "Are you two sure you're all right?!" Dandelion asked breathlessly as Sneezewort shakily stood up, propping himself against Dandelion and clutching his head painfully.  Lousewort, who was less injured, managed to rise of his own accord.

                "Oy, I think we are, mate," Sneezewort groaned as he slightly winced from the throbbing bruises he received all over his legs and back,  "Thank Frith we have metal armor or we would have come out of that landing a lot worse off."

                Suddenly, there was a howl of exuberant rage as the cross around Damien's neck flashed and the momentum from the force of light blazing around Damien sent the rabbits attacking him flying far in various directions.  Damien, now with even more bruises and cuts from claw marks and numerous attempts to bite him, was now seething.

                "I'll punish all of you right now, for defying Frith and my will!  And all of you can just watch as I kill Justin and rip him apart before you very eyes!"  Hazel, Blackberry, Dandelion, and Bluebell tried to gather around protectively, but Justin, unafraid made his way through and face Damien, his eyes powerfully calm and registering the prayers he was making silently in his head to God and Jesus.

                "Justin, don't!" Hazel yelled in panic.  Damien just smiled at the pitiful attempt.

                "Finally trying to face me, without a weapon to defend yourself with?!" sneered the cross-bearer in contempt.

                Justin said compellingly, "I don't need a weapon, and I'm never helpless, not as long as I have my heart and my friends."

                Damien rolled his eyes at Justin's nauseating speech.  "_Your heart_?!  Please, spare me the moral lessons unless you wanna see me hurl!  What good is your heart gonna do, especially since all you have is your pathetic hide, your weak beliefs, and those spineless rabbits whom you are so desperate to look up to since no right-minded human ever would?!!  What good is your 'special' heart gonna do for you?!"

                Justin managed to look at Damien right in the eye as he spoke, looking at his antagonist with pity, as if he truly knew something that Damien would never be able to comprehend in his lifetime.  "My heart is everything to me, since I have my faith, my soul, and my friends, all with me because of it!  Holly helped me see that!  As long as I have Hazel, Fiver, and the rest of the rabbit Owsla from Watership Down, I won't ever be weak!!  Because we care for each other ever since this whole mission began, and to tell you the truth, all of them are more important than all the powers that cross could have ever shown!  You may be unstoppable because of that cross, but I've learned that other things like friendship, loyalty, honor, faith, hope, and love, all of that is true power!  To tell you the truth, I don't even care about being the cross-bearer anymore!!  My friends, both the Watership Owsla and the elil like Sneezewort and Lousewort, are more than anything the necklace could have ever blessed me with!"  With this, Justin's voice became harder as he clenched his fists.  "And _you're_ the one who's weak, Damien!!  The cross isn't the real power, it's only a representation of it!  You don't put your faith in an object!  You put your faith in God and all the blessings He's given you, but your problem is that you're too shortsighted to see that the biggest blessings and power you had wasn't the cross but the Watership rabbits who swore to protect you!!  And as long as I remember that in my heart, I won't ever be weak or pathetic!!"

                Before Damien could offer a malicious and spiteful retort (perhaps even attempt to kill Justin again), the impossible became reality.  The cross around Damien's neck reacted violently, blazing in orange sunlight and sparkling in a passionate fury as it began to fade.  The Adonis was horrified as he vainly tried to grab at the silver chain and crystal trinket.

                "NO!!!" he bellowed with disbelief, but it was too late.  The necklace vanished and to everyone's joy (and Damien's horrified mortification), it reappeared back around Justin's neck, much to Justin's shock and surprise, only to have his face melt away into relieved exhilaration.  There was no question about it.  Justin was now the cross-bearer again.

                Damien was now screaming loudly enough to wake the dead, his voice erratic with disbelief and outrage, "NO!!!  THIS CAN'T BE!!  THIS CAN'T BE!!!  HOW THE HELL COULD I HAVE LOST THE CROSS AND THE POWER OF LIGHT AND FRITH TO...TO SOMEONE LIKE YOU?!!  HOW?!!  IT WAS MINE!!!  IT WAS SUPPOSSED TO BE MINE!!!"

                "Because the cross knows which human was meant to truly be the cross-bearer!" Holly crowed triumphantly, enjoying the look of humiliation on the smug Damien's face.  "It does not take much to see that Justin, our Justin, is the one with the stronger and purer heart!!"

                "And _we_ should have known better," Blackberry murmured quietly as he gave a sheepish look to Justin, not sure if Justin was willing to pardon him for a second time for being incredibly boorish.  Justin just grinned, letting the forgiven Blackberry off the hook.

                "Oh please!  You guys can't get rid of me that easily!"

                "It appears that no matter what, with or without the cross, Justin will always be our gentle, loving cross-bearer," Buckthorn sighed weakly, placing a reassuring paw on Justin's shoulders.

                "Frith and Inle, I guess that means we are forever bound with him!" Bluebell said jovially.

                "My, what a shame!" Hawkbit joked sarcastically from the distance, "And just when I was enjoying getting struck by Damien's powers every tharn moment!"

                "While I hate to break up this sentimental moment, Justin, for Frith's sake, could you please heal us while you're _still_ the cross-bearer?!" Acorn panted with a bit of urgent humor as he, Pipkin, Bigwig, Strawberry, and Campion were all still lying on the floor, heavily wounded from Damien's initial attack.  Damien, however, was still bellowing his wrath like a mindless zombie.

                "THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE!!!" screeched Damien, his face flushed and flecks of spit flying out of his frothing, angry mouth, "HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?!!  ELIL-RAH PROMISED ME THAT THE SPELL WOULD MAINTAIN THE CROSS INTO MY POWER FOREVERMORE!!!  HOW COULD SUCH A TWERP SUCH AS HIM COULD HAVE NEGATED ELIL-RAH'S POWERS?!!"

                "What was that?!" Buckthorn's ears twitched furiously, "Did that chap say what I think he had just mentioned?!!"

                "So Damien was working with Elil-rah all along!" gasped Fiver.

                "We figured that out earlier," Holly snarled, giving Damien a look of pure contempt, "We ran into Lord Brock in the forest, imprisoned underneath a tree, and we found out that Lord Brock, without any of us chaps mentioning the subject, already knew that Justin was no longer the cross-bearer and that Damien had taken his place!  However, I got suspicious of that!  How could it be possible that Lord Brock knew, without running into any of us ever since that fateful day on the mountain?  The only way he could have known...was that if someone who was plotting with Elil-rah told him, and since it was apparent from scent that there were no other tracks recently made by any elil of members of Elil-rah's dark Owsla, it proved that Damien must have plotted this with the dark beast!  Don't you see?!  This was all a clever ploy by Elil-rah!  Damien had no intention of healing El-ahrairah, and once he had the powers of the cross-bearer, he and Elil-rah would have been unstoppable!  He would have immediately reported back to his dark master like the wretched servant he is!"

                "I knew I had him when I said he was an embleer rat!" snarled Bluebell.

                "I should have known!" growled Silver, now actually willing to give Damien some well-deserved payback.  He certainly would never kill anything, especially in the land beyond the living, yet he was willing to make an exception with Damien, especially since the power-hungry wretch had previously tried to kill Justin.  Sneezewort and Lousewort stepped alongside Silver, the light of the stars glinting off their chain-metal armor and claws and teeth.

                "Let us help you rabbits too, mate!" growled Sneezewort as he stood upright in a fighting stance.

                "Justin is our friend; we shan't leave you rabbits to do the fighting by yourselves!" Lousewort added, his goofy features slightly darkened at the memory of Damien attacking himself, Justin, Sneezewort, and Holly for no apparent reason.  Damien now looked at the rabbits making a vast circle around him.

                "It is finished, Damien!" roared Bigwig.

                "You have lost this one, you bloody rotter!" screamed Strawberry.

                "Is it??" Damien smirked as he began to laugh insanely, his cackles bordering on the line of sadistic and fanatical.  At this, Damien was engulfed with a luster of crimson radiance, making his appearance even more malevolent and wicked in the moonless, night sky, causing the few, dark clouds amongst the stars and the lake to glow slightly pink from the harsh, evil aura.  To their shock and repugnance, Damien laughed in an insane, vacant, and wraithlike as his skin and tissue actually melted.  Like wet paint, rivulets of flesh and skin dripped and fell off to reveal a slightly bloodstained, yet evil-looking old, gray rabbit.  The rabbit was gaunt and thin, almost malnourished, but the rabbits face had a look of pure sedition and filth, his black eyes narrowed and a slight tuft of white fur underneath his chin gave him the look of a crazed, old bearded man.  His sides were heaving as he rasped in a hoarse yet baritone expression, "I will NOT turn back to Elil-rah empty-handed!!  I will kill you, Justin!!  You have pestered me long enough!!"

                "Who...who is that??" Justin gasped.

                "Greenweed!" grimaced Holly as if he tasted something foul and utterly revolting; even dry hraka would have left a better aftertaste than mentioning that old rabbit's name.  Justin then remembered where he heard that name before.  In "Tales From Watership Down", in "The Story of the Comical Field", Greenweed was a underhanded, double-crossing rabbit who lived next to an abandoned human house and a comical field which had a maze consisting of hedges and bushes, and he served under a dark creature that allowed him safety from elil if Greenweed would agree to make friends with rabbits and tempt them into entering the comical field, only to be led to a grisly fate of being lost and then killed by the dark beast as food.  El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle, after pleading their case to save their warren from King Darzin to the Black Rabbit of Inle, were allured into the maze after befriending Greenweed, but luckily, El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle were able to escape out of the maze of the comical field, and after confronting Greenweed, they forced Greenweed to abandon his tricks and servitude to the dark carnivore and left him in an honest rabbit warren.  Or, at least that was the case.

                "Whatever is the matter, Greenweed?!" snarled Acorn in scornful derision, "The other rabbits at the warren finally realized you for the filthy, lazy, slothful rabbit you always were and banished you for being such a duffer?!"

                "Smart words, coming from such insignificant brutes such as yourselves!" Greenweed lashed out, "Now witness the true extent of Elil-rah's glorious command!!"  With that, Greenweed started to glow in a red appearance once again as his fur began to darken and his body began to enlarge, broadening, extending, widening his bony frame with sinewy muscle and might and forceful dynamism, until he was a foot taller than Sneezewort and Lousewort, and quietly radiating with power and strength as the rest of the rabbits, astounded, could see that Greenweed had now transformed into a youthful, brawny version of himself, as if he had plunged into the spring of eternal youth and vim.

                "Justin, freeze him!!" called out Hazel, alarmed, yet there was a scream followed by a muffled thud and a groan, and the rabbits turned around, to their dismayed apprehension, to witness Lord Brock, soiled and encrusted with dirt and grime, towering over them as a little way off, Justin was on his side, unconscious as blood began to trickle out of a deep gash on the side of his head.  Since the lendri was downwind, none of the rabbits were able to sense him by scent, and without Justin awake to use his powers, they were definitely in trouble.

                "Lord Brock?!!" squealed Pipkin, now shaking and quivering at the huge shadow towering over them, "How?!!"

                "That...that is bloody impossible, mates!!" gasped Sneezewort, "That horrible badger was s'pposed to be trapped underneath the oak tree we passed by a while back!!  'Tis impossible!  We heard you say only the cross-bearer could free you from your prison!!  And Justin did no such thing for such a dark bloke like you!!"

                "I daresay I have a very good guess of who was the duffer who had a paw in this perfidy!" growled Dandelion as he glared back at Greenweed, "It was Greenweed!  The treacherous blighter freed Lord Brock from his punishment in case he needed additional help to assassinate Justin!  He did it with the prayer he uttered before he tried to attack Justin and Sneezewort and Lousewort!!"

                "Smart guess, Dandelion" snapped Greenweed, "Quite a shame that you did not realize the truth until it was too late!"  He then glared at Lord Brock.

                "And having you certainly did not help much with matters, you brainless, embleer oaf!!" he griped, "You and your foolishness and lack of caution led to Holly guessing the truth immediately!!  Elil-rah shall not be pleased to hear how you have let slip that vital information!  You are truly fortunate that the old fool was not able to warn the others in time!"

                "Shut up, you!!" barked Lord Brock, "I haven't the time to argue with a conniving, devious wretch such as yourself!  I will keep my part of the bargain!  Keep the rest of those blasted rabbits busy, Greenweed!"  With that, the large badger advanced towards the still form of Justin.

                "GET AWAY FROM HIM!!!" yelled Hazel as he, Buckthorn, Strawberry, Speedwell, Acorn, Silver, Pipkin and Blackberry charged towards the badger while Bluebell made a secret effort to try to reach the cross-bearer and try to drag him away from danger.  However, Lord Brock knew that tactic well.  With a sudden lunge, he managed to brush past the other rabbits and gave Bluebell such a hard clout, Bluebell's neck broke upon contact and the rabbit lay twitching on the grass in a bloody mess.  With one paw, he roughly picked up the body of Justin and with his other, he clawed at all the rabbits as they advanced and attempted to attack him, injuring many at once.  However, this gave Sneezewort and Lousewort the advantage to assail the large badger, and hidden by Lord Brock's blind spot, both armored weasels strategically attacked, literally climbing on the badger's hide as they tried to reach for the badger's face, hoping that they could blind him.  Lord Brock howled in pain as Sneezewort sunk his metal claws and teeth into the badger's fur, drawing forth steady fountains of blood, and with mad ire and a swipe of his paw, Lord Brock managed to pry Sneezewort off his arm, leaving the fallen weasel sprawled onto the grass next to Bluebell.  Furiously and mercilessly, the badger managed to grab Lousewort with his teeth and tried to bite the weasel in two.  The pressure caused Lousewort to scream, but then, miraculously, the chain-metal armor the weasel was wearing snapped and painfully embedded itself into Lord Brock's gum, hooking and gouging itself into the pink, fleshy tissue and the tongue, and enraged, Lord Brock dropped Justin as he vainly tried to pick the metal out of his mouth.  Luckily, Lousewort was able to wriggle himself out of the ruined armor before he could get stuck and fell back down to the ground below after a long fall.  Shakily, he tried to stand up and grab Justin, but with unexpectedly, Lord Brock saw him, and with a fierce cuff, he sent the white weasel flying away, though not as brutally as Sneezewort.

                Meanwhile, the battle was not faring much better with the other against Greenweed, who was standing on his hind legs.  Holly, who was still injured, could not directly assault the rabbit and just helplessly held his bruised side and watched Dandelion, Campion, Bigwig, Fiver, and Hawkbit tackle and head-butt Greenweed.  Yet it appeared they were not doing well.

                "What in the name of Frith?!" cried out Campion as he was already scrabbling onto Greenweed's back and attempted to bite him, only to have his teeth painfully jar as if he had tried to bite metal, "I can't sink my teeth into him!!  His fur is impenetrable!!"

                "And I cannot scratch him!  My claws aren't doing any damage!!" wailed Fiver as he was upon Greenweed's shoulder, helplessly seeing his claws were now chipped and broken from striking.  Wordlessly, Greenweed grabbed Fiver by the hind leg and Campion by the throat before slamming them together painfully and then tossing their unconscious bodies directly into Dandelion and Hawkbit, the impact leaving them stunned and reeling.  Bigwig, with a snarl, pounced on him, yet Greenweed was undaunted as he managed to catch Bigwig by the scruff of the neck and started choking the brawny rabbit with both paws.  Bigwig squealed as his airway tightened and, to no avail, he tried to cuff and scratch Greenweed's hide, trying to force the rabbit into releasing him, but Greenweed sneered.

                "You fool!" he hissed, "Did you not guess?  This is my gift from Elil-rah so that I could defeat you, you and your precious cross-bearer!!  I am invincible underneath this rock-armor for he gave me the power to transform into a golem, a living and breathing creature made of rock and the hardest stone!!  No matter how much you try to attack me, not even your strongest rabbit in El-ahrairah's warren can damage the hard covering protecting my body from your attacks!!  Of course, it is irreversible, but all the more reason to celebrate my victory over you miserable lot!!  No longer am I Greenweed, the old, frail rabbit in legends told, but Greenweed, the impenetrable and unstoppable rabbit servant of Elil-rah and the true mercenary who managed to kill your precious cross-bearer!!"  With a final twist, Greenweed broke Bigwig's neck and left the brawny rabbit there to lie still on the grass, rasping and in unbearable pain, blood seeping out of his mouth.  Holly felt at loss; he was next, and if five rabbits could not stop Greenweed, then he would not certainly have a chance.  Desperate, Holly closed his eyes and prayed as he erratically stood on his hind legs.

                _Justin, please, El-ahrairah, Frith, please, help me!!  I cannot win this without aid, and I have no idea what to do!!  Please, Frith and El-ahrairah!!  You sent Justin so that I could protect and care for him!!  You showed Justin would always be the cross-bearer and our friend!!  Please!!  I must win this war, for Justin's sake!!  Give me power, an idea, a strategy, anything to help me win!!  I can't let Justin and my family be finished like this!!  El-ahrairah, you always said that it is one's heart that makes the difference in battle, so please give me strength!!  Help me use the power and strength in my heart!!!_

                Phenomenally, the instant Holly thought this prayer, as Lord Brock gingerly picked up the unconscious form of Justin, ready to kill the teenager, the golden cross began to glow softly, radiating with the strength and purity of Captain Holly's heart.

                Holly closed his eyes as he felt the soothing warmth of the sunlight from Justin transfer into his own body at the remembrance of those memories, the pains of his wounds erasing from the wonderful, exhilarating sensations inundating him in an instant.  Greenweed was undaunted, though slightly confused, at the appearance of Captain Holly glimmering in white and gold for a brief moment, before the halos submerged and Holly was left unaffected, breathing heavily but staring at Greenweed with an undefeated, grim, and courageous expression in his whiskered face.  Compared to Greenweed, Holly now appeared to be the exemplar of true eternal youth and vigor, a blessing to all of El-ahrairah's children in the land beyond life.  And if Greenweed had looked closer, he would have noticed that Holly's paws, especially his ebony-colored claws, were shimmering with a faint outline of orange and golden sunlight.  Greenweed began to stomp towards Holly, fearless, standing upright on his hind legs, his petrified armor sending heavy vibrations through the grass and dirt, all the meanwhile yelling a command at Lord Brock who was in the far off distance, away from Holly and himself, "Brock, kill the boy now!!!"

                "I am not your servant, you wretch!" the badger growled, but he leaned his snout closer towards the limp form of Justin in his left paw, his jaws advancing closer and closer to rip and break the cross-bearer's unconscious body into pulp.  Immediately, Holly's paw flicked out in an instant towards Lord Brock's face.  Greenweed was confused; the rabbit was appearing to only hit thin air and not even the fastest rabbit runner in the entire land beyond life could reach Lord Brock in time.  Yet a howl of pain from the large badger indicated otherwise.  To Greenweed's dismayed anger, somehow, Lord Brock had a series of three, long, parallel gashes running horizontally across his face and eyes, and they appeared to be the work of a rabbit's claws.  He now dropped the limp body of Justin as he busied himself with pain.

                The frenzied, elderly evil antagonist squealed again, temporarily forgetting to take the time to wonder how such a feat could have even occurred, "What are you doing, you fool?!  Kill the cross-bearer now before you have lost the chance!!"

                "Be quiet, you cowardly, shriveled old blackguard!!" bellowed Lord Brock impatiently and with maddening irritation and being unexpectedly injured as he raised his paw, ready to squash the adolescent into a bloody pool, yet Holly furiously flicked his paw behind him again.  In a spilt second, the badger's paw exploded in a messy, gruesome discharge of fur, skin, and soft tissue, rent to pieces; Lord Brock once more hollered with suffering, as he now clutched his injured, throbbing paw to his chest, the white bone sticking out of the hacked flesh as strong trickles of blood began to stain the badger's white-furred belly.  Before Greenweed could stop him, Holly flung his other paw in the huge eli's direction, and shrieking, the badger flew backwards by several feet before landing onto his back, his soft stomach now cluttered with deep gashes and jagged cuts.  Too busy with pain, the huge badger curled into a fetal position as he cried hot tears of misery and torment.  And all this had been done in a matter of seconds...and without Holly even physically touching the huge badger, who towered over the Owsla captain by many-fold.  Greenweed was confounded, but Holly did not waste a single moment of safety.

                "Lousewort!  Hurry!!"  With a mad dash, the armored weasel managed to skid over to Justin's unconscious form, picked up the teenager like a baby in the cradle of his arms, and swiftly carried the teenager away from danger, where he collapsed in a nervous heap next to Sneezewort.  Sneezewort checked Justin worriedly, but was relieved to find that Justin was bruised and hurt, but was still breathing and had no broken bones, miraculously.  Holly then turned to Greenweed who was furious beyond comprehension, his body quivering with searing rage underneath his stone skin as the bulky rabbit advanced towards Captain Holly, intent to breaking every single bone in his body until the rabbit was no more than a recognizable pulp for hindering his plans.  Sneezewort, thought terribly injured, worse than his chum Lousewort, managed to stand upright, holding his bleeding left side with one metal paw.

                "Holly!!" the weasel hollered, "Let me help you!!  I can still fight!!"

                Holly, however, was adamant as he answered back, growling as he stared down at Greenweed, "NO!!  JUST WATCH OVER JUSTIN AND THE REST OF THE BUCKOS ALONG WITH HAZEL!!!  THIS IS MY FIGHT!!"

                "You miserable, troublemaking, ancient, weak pest!!  You have been in my way for the last time!!  I'll rip you to pieces!!" snarled Greenweed as he progressed closer and closer to Holly.  Holly just looked at him coolly.

                "Hraka, embleer wretch!" he sniped as he flung a glowing paw at Greenweed.  Greenweed smirked as he barely felt the magical blow, a few faint scrapes made in the gray cast, causing a few tiny chips to fly out but no serious damage nevertheless.  The rabbit servant of Elil-rah crowed as Holly flicked his paws at his rival several times again in quick succession, only to have his swipes of his rending attacks bounce off harmlessly from Greenweed's chest, torso, and head.  Holly, seeing it was pointless to continue, felt his mind race furiously as the armored antagonist charged after him, yet then Holly noticed that behind him, the dark lake was shimmering against the light of the stars, the dim outline of the shores and surrounding trees barely visible as the deep, black water threatened to swallow up everything underneath the night sky.  Holly then felt inspiration hit him, and feeling some extra help would be needed, he nodded ever so slightly towards Lousewort and Sneezewort, hoping that they understood.

                Bracing himself with years of Owsla expertise, Holly ducked the cuff that would have likely cracked his skull and with a flying leap, Holly dodged the second cuff that hit the spot Holly was squatting on a moment ago, the ground erupting with a small burst of sod, dirt, and grass.  With a little difficulty, Greenweed managed to extract his stuck paw from the dirt and saw that Holly was running away towards the lake, all the meanwhile throwing insults.

                "By Frith, are you that slow, Greenweed?!  Did you live so long next to the comical field that your dark master did not even bother teaching you how to fight?!  By the fur and tail of El-ahrairah, no wonder our Prince was able to find his way out of the comical field and subdue you for your treachery so easily!  You are truly helpless without Elil-rah's power!!"

                Greenweed was not fooled; he knew that Holly was trying to distract him from exterminating Justin so he turned back his attention to the human adolescent.  Yet, unfortunately, he turned back too late as the bodies of Sneezewort and Lousewort flung at him, scratching at his face madly.  Greenweed screamed as he clutched his face painfully, now full of hot, red, deep gashes from the metal-encased claws of the weasels.  Since they were harder than rock, they did far more damage than Greenweed anticipated.  Yet it was still unfinished.  Without giving Greenweed a chance to recover, using his chain-armor as protective padding, Sneezewort rammed his upper body directly into Greenweed's hard chest, sending him flying for a few feet before he landed on his back, breathless and his ribcage pounding painfully from the brute strength of Sneezewort, who was far more powerful than a solitary rabbit.  Seizing his opportunity, Lousewort, with a laborious grunt, managed to heave the heavy golem over his head and with a roar of exertion, the white, hefty weasel flung the stone Greenweed towards the lake, yet Holly, with sinking insight, grasped that it was too short.  Greenweed, though at the edge of a precipice, which was precariously overlooking a deep section of the murky water, was still safely on land, though oblivious to what Holly, Sneezewort, and Lousewort were trying to achieve.  Though a bit lightheaded and dizzy, the enemy managed to brag, "You have not defeated me yet, you pathetic weaklings!!!"

                Holly then managed to combine his power to rend, rip, scratch and shred objects to pieces at will with inspiration.  With all the strength he could muster, he aimed his power directly at the ground, and the dirt beneath Greenweed's paws crumbled, swallowing the golem's hind legs and embedding them deep into the soil, and the addition of Greenweed's heavy stone body made it all the more difficult for the wretch to extract them out easily.  Distracted, Greenweed tried to yank his paws free, and this was the moment Holly was waiting for.

                  "NOW!!!" he yelled and with a lunge, Holly, Sneezewort, and Lousewort charged together, a powerful, massive force of strategic teamwork and combined effort as they all rammed into Greenweed at once with all of their might.  WHOMP!  With a scream, Greenweed went sailing into the very middle of the lake where he collided into the cold, gloomy water with a colossal splash.  Exhausted, yet wary, all three of the animals climbed to the very tip of the cliff and watched the scene below.  It was very apparent that Greenweed was frantically trying to stay afloat as he thrashed, bucked, and screamed, churning the water into a froth while futilely trying to swim.  Unfortunately, with horror, he realized he was being dragged deeper and deeper into the infinite fathoms of the lake despite his best efforts.

                "What...is...hap-...-penning?!!" the rabbit managed to sputter and choke out audibly.

                Holly said in a tired yet triumphant voice, "A fatal flaw, Greenweed.  One that you had forgotten to foresee!"

                Lousewort added in a satisfied voice, "Your stone armor may protect you from attacks and make you invulnerable..."

                Sneezewort finished for him, "...yet like all rock, once in water, it weighs down and sinks to the bottom!  You forgot that stone does not float, you wretch!"

                "No!  NOO!  NOOOOOO -!!!" Greenweed managed to scream with disbelief before the dark water took him, silencing the enemy and leaving only a messy trail of air bubbles rising at the surface.  Yet, hypnotized, Holly, Sneezewort, and Lousewort did not turn away as they slowly watched the stream of air bubbles lessen and lessen until they halted completely.  Greenweed had run out of air, and still alive and conscious, he would continue to sink deeper and deeper into the hellish darkness, devoid of light and warmth of any kind before he would reach the very foot of the lake.  Unfortunately for Greenweed, the lake was bottomless.

                                                                                ***

                "Are you sure you are all right, mate?" Lousewort asked Justin weakly as he cradled the boy in his furry arms.  Justin managed to nod; he had regained consciousness after Holly and Sneezewort and Lousewort managed to bathe his face with their tongues.  Without further ado, the adolescent gently held his cross and whispered a single command.

                "Heal."

                With a great flash of light, all the Watership Down Owsla, including Holly, and the two weasels were completely energized, mended, and full of life and ease, no longer unconscious from the brutal wounds that they had received.  Unfortunately, this also included Lord Brock.  He managed to rise, yet Holly immediately dashed in front of the badger's face, holding up a paw and growling menacingly.

                "I _still_ have the rending powers Justin blessed me with his cross," Holly rumbled loudly, "I can still tear you to pieces without laying a single paw on your body, lendri!!"  Lord Brock flinched, but did not move.

                "I am giving you a chance.  Leave now, and never come back!  Never return to seek vengeance on Justin again, or else I will not show you any mercy!"  With a poisonous glare, Lord Brock tore into the woods, clearly terrified of Holly's threat, retreating as fast as he could run.  It was evident, as the rabbits watched him disappear into the distance, that he would never, ever bother Justin and the Watership rabbits ever again.  Holly sighed, relieved.  He really did not wish to engage into another confrontation, yet the rabbits started to titter madly with praise.

                "Holly, old chap!  That was amazing!" marveled Bigwig, his eyes wide with relieved admiration for his friend and fellow Owsla captain.

                "You did it!  You actually did it!!  O Frith and Inle, you won!!" cheered Dandelion as he playfully stamped his happy giddiness onto the ground.

                "By the fur and paw, what a remarkable display of power and cunning!" gasped Bluebell.

                "You are a true example of a leader, Holly-rah!" praised Strawberry, playfully tackling the old captain on his back.

                "Well done, bucko!  Well done!!" laughed Silver, "By Frith and El-ahrairah, you received such great blessings of power!"

                "'Pelil éan, atha néan'," quoted Justin, grinning.  Holly cast him a fond glance as he lowered his head so that his eyes were level with the cross-bearer's.

                "And I could not have been able to do it without you, young one," Holly whispered affectionately to the teenager, his red eyes twinkling, as he brought his nose to Justin's.

                "Ye' got that right, mate!" cheered Lousewort as he hugged Justin fiercely from behind, relieved that both of his newfound friends have made it out safe and that he and Sneezewort had actually participated in keeping Justin, the famous cross-bearer, safe.  Sneezewort soon followed suit, chuckling as he embraced Lousewort, Justin _and_ Holly altogether with his wide open arms, "Even without the cross, you'll always be our mate, true and good, and the only cross-bearer in our eyes."

                Justin didn't mind as he smiled and let the old rabbit and the two weasels softly get close, nuzzling his face; he was starting to get used to the Lapine culture.  Yet, as the Watership rabbits rejoiced in Justin and Holly's victory, Hazel, from a distance, heard all of the praise and commendation with a heavy heart and soul.  Rigid and stunned, Hazel could only just mournfully listen to his rabbits conveniently ignored him as they focused on Holly's bravery and resourcefulness, feeling the pangs of self-doubt, disgust, and blame eat away at his faith and confidence.

_                "What do you know about loyalty?" Strawberry accused, his glare of hostile ice penetrating Hazel's assurance._

                "By Frith and Inle, not even El-ahrairah would do such an deed!!  I do not even know why I even look up to you as a Chief Rabbit, you...you rotter!!" snarled Hawkbit in tearful repugnance, his tone of voice harsher than normal.

                "Hmph, you're like a dog, only more pathetic!  I'm surprised that El-ahrairah allowed to let such a belittling, submissive rabbit as yourself into his esteemed Owsla!  It's the sorriest sight I've ever seen!" sneered Greenweed, still disguised as Damien.

                "You do not need to ask; you three know where I stand in all of this.  I'm sorry, Hazel," Fiver whispered sadly as his looked at his brother with a stinging look of pity and faithless tolerance.

                Fiver, who was joyously celebrating alongside Silver and Hawkbit, felt a sudden chill in his backbone, alerting him of something wrong.  He turned around to see Hazel edging himself away from the group and disappearing into the ferns and bushes, covered by the dark shadows as twilight draped across the sky.

                "Hazel??" Fiver asked worriedly, and his brother, the past Chief Rabbit of Watership Down, turned to Fiver at the sound of his name.  Fiver nearly gasped.  Hazel's face was sad and miserable beyond words, his features aged, worn, and drained, erasing the former aspects of light, coolness, reliance, and benevolence.  Yet what was most disturbing was his eyes; they were no longer light brown and sparkling under the light, but instead, were dim, hollow, emotionless, and no light was reflected off the black pupils, but instead, Hazel's eyes seemed completely engulfed with an obscure shadow centered from his soul.

                "Hrairoo, please...I...I need some time alone.  Holly...can handle and take care of everything...without me for now," Hazel choked in a glum, miserable voice, nearly disembodied, and without another pause, the rabbit disappeared within the thicket.  Fiver shivered from the cold, distant aura Hazel, his brother, left behind.

                "Hazel," Fiver murmured apprehensively.

/*

Author's note: The quote "_Pelil éan, atha néan_" is a Lapine quote I read from fellow fan fiction WD writer Loganberry's site.  What does it mean?  Go to Loganberry's Bits n' Bobstones link in his profile (or search on the web) in order to find out! =:)

Next: HAZEL-RAH in "Hazel-rah and the Black Rabbit of Inle"

**This** chapter will be up within a WEEK!  That's right, you heard me!  Within a week!  Now that summer is here, I can devote more time writing!

Liked this chapter?  I hope so!  Got something to say?  Got something to suggest?  Constructive criticism you would like to offer?  Push the "Review" button!  All reviews and constructive criticism are welcome!  R/R please! =:)

*/


	24. Hazelrah and The Black Rabbit Of Inle

/*

Author's note: Sorry about the delay, but seriously, I had the worst case of writer's block with this chapter, but I'm finally finished!  Enjoy the chapter of the last (but not the least) rabbit protector of Watership Down, Hazel-rah! =:)

Ugh, this is official: Hazel has the longest chapter out of all the fifteen rabbits.  This was 40 pages on my computer!  But I'm finally finished!  Enjoy!

*/

CHAPTER 23 

                "Are we still lost, Bigwig?"

                "We are _not_ lost, Dandelion!"

                "Um...Bigwig, I am quite sure we have passed this spot already!  It has already been marked with our paw prints!"

                "I know what I am doing, Holly!" Bigwig growled impatiently.

                "You have said that for the past three times, Bigwig," grumbled Campion, rolling his eyes in deep aggravation, "Bigwig, we are all tired, and we need to face the truth!  We have been running amongst these hedges, following the path of Frith, the scent of smells, markings, the flow of a breeze, anything!!  Yet we are all still no closer from finding our way out of these thickets and bushes anymore than when we have first started!  We need to rest!"

                "We can rest once we find our way out!"

                "Embleer Frith, Bigwig!  Must you always be so stubborn?!  We cannot possibly keep going on at this rate!" Strawberry growled angrily.

                Blackberry, though tired, tried to offer some reason, saying, "Actually, Strawberry, it would be best if we could find our way out of these brush muddles.  With such thick cover, it may keep us out of sight, yet it also prevents us from catching scent of any of Elil-rah's Owsla, making this area a perfect place for them to attempt an ambush."

                Bluebell, extremely annoyed with the nonchalant, wiser-than-thou, logical attitude Blackberry carried in his voice, snapped, "You know, that reasoning of yours can sometimes get very annoying, you black-eared duffer!"

                Blackberry growled back, taking insult.  "At least I am trying to offer assistance, unlike some rabbits who hop around, making comments and terrible jokes out of that big mouth of yours!"

                "I am not the one who has the big mouth in this Owsla, or the big head for that matter!"

                "Enough, you two," sighed Dandelion wearily as he and Fiver stepped in between the quarreling Bluebell and Blackberry, "Fighting will not solve anything, and there is no need for brawls.  We may be lost but we will find our way out, as always.  El-ahrairah and Frith are guiding us, and we won't fail, not as long as we keep believing that."

                "Dandelion, be quiet!" snapped Bluebell and Blackberry simultaneously as they kept giving death glares at each other.  Buckthorn broke in gracefully, addressing to Fiver.

                "Fiver, is there any way we can find a way out of these mess of hedges and bushes?  With your second sight?  It may be of some help, and the quicker we are out of this copse, the better."

                Fiver shook his head, explaining, "I'm sorry, but I cannot sense anything, Buckthorn!  All I can see is darkness and emptiness, nothingness, the unknown vast of space and barrenness, naught!  My second sight for some reason is not giving me the visions needed to help guide us through this mass!"

                Buckthorn then turned to Justin, who was riding on Holly's back, "Justin?  Your cross?"

                The young adolescent shook his head despondently.  "No, my cross also isn't working for some reason!  I kept praying for it to act as a compass so we can get out of here, but it's not being responsive!  It's as if it won't listen to me."

                "So basically, we are hopelessly lost..._again_!  Thanks ever so much, Bigwig!!" groaned Hawkbit, and his voice was now so discordant and astringent that Bigwig had to force himself to slowly count to four before he could yield to the enticement of strangling Hawkbit.  Holly noticed Bigwig was slightly quivering underneath his fur, and he placated the seething, boiling soldier lightly on the shoulder, trying to ease him.

                "Do not let Hawkbit get to you, Thlayli.  He is still your comrade."

                "Bury him alive...head-butt him into a lake...toss the duffer off a mountain...there must be some way to get rid of him!" hissed Bigwig to himself, obviously lost in his incensed need of brutal violence.

                "Hazel-rah, what do you think?" Pipkin asked the Chief rabbit, hoping he could provide an answer, yet the leader of the Watership Owsla did not even act as if he heard the question.  He was so melancholy and cheerless, his entire face was riddled with creases and creases of worry, despair, blame, guilt, and self-hate amongst the coffee-colored fur.  He no longer the light-hearted, spirited, yet clam, wise, and strong soul Justin remembered him as when he first met the rabbits of Watership Down, his eyes keen, compassionate, and never wavering between vacillation and fear, yet he appeared to be drained, weary, and oblivious to everything around him.  Holly, Campion, Bigwig, Fiver, and Blackberry all attempted to talk to him after he emerged from the thicket shortly after Holly had defeated Greenweed, and Lousewort and Sneezewort (after discussing matters about Justin's safety with Holly) had agreed to go ahead of the group towards El-ahrairah's warren in the meadows of Fenlo, leaving the rabbits behind while they go and try to warn the Owsla of El-ahrairah of the cross-bearer's approach.  But, it was no use.  Hazel, clearly distraught and broken, needed some time alone, and though Bigwig, Fiver, Pipkin and Campion were against this idea, after much one-sided attempts of conversation and discussion (in which Bigwig got so annoyed with Hazel's dreary silence he was about to cuff his Chief rabbit), the rest of the rabbits and Justin understood that Hazel needed some time in isolation for reflection and meditation.  It was ultimately up to him whether or not he would step out of his misery.

                Speedwell gently hushed his friend as he led him away quietly as Hazel hopped behind the rest of the rabbits, trailing last.  "Not now, Hlao-roo, Hazel-rah is not in the mood for chatter.  The poor bloke is taking it quite hard, ever since Fiver was abducted for the trials in the Land of Yesterday and Tomorrow, and the recent attacks of Greenweed, Lord Brock, and Cowslip are not helping him with matters much."

                "Poor Hazel-rah," murmured Pipkin unhappily, clearly in pain at seeing his friend and mentor in angst.

                "I know, I wish there was something we could do to help him," Justin acquiesced, bothered that Hazel still could not snap out of his doom and gloom, thus abandoning his role as the leader of the fellowship to scatter in the wind.

                "I am just as irritated and worried as you two are, but sulking and brooding over it until Elil-rah comes will not help with matters!" snapped an irascible Bigwig who overheard their discussion, "Look, I certainly do not wish for Hazel to remain in this state, and I would surely wish for nothing more than for the chap to get back to his old self!  Yet I do not think that Hazel-rah is in his right mind yet to help us lead the Owsla and protect the cross-bearer just yet, so as of now, just trust Holly and me to command this mission for El-ahrairah, all right?!"

                No one else refuted this rearrangement, so everyone silently adhered to Bigwig and Holly as they kept exploring and wandering for a possible exit out the thick, tortuous brush.  Blackberry, as he hopped along, noticed that there was something odd about the entire copse and vegetation they were in.  The bushes and hedges surrounding them were unnaturally thick, so thick that not even the strength of ten rabbits would have been enough to tear their way through the thick brush; they were almost as hard as stone.  And the hedges were starting to grow in uniform shape, displaying almost perfectly trimmed tops, exact light tones of green and yellow, and rectangular walls with flawless edges and corners.  In fact, the thicket and the fields no longer appeared to be creations of nature, but of man, and yet there was no scent of any other human except Justin around them.  However, all of this seemed so eerily familiar; Blackberry was sure he had heard something like this before...

                "Bigwig, will just admit that we are all pointlessly lost?!!" snapped Hawkbit, riddled with ennui and impatience.

                "Hawkbit, will you shut up?!" barked Bigwig, done in, "I know what I am doing!"

                "_That_ would most indeed be a first!"

                "O Frith and Inle, this is exactly like being lost in the heather when we first arrived out of Sandleford back in the physical world!" Silver groaned softly, having a good inkling of what was about to emerge from the ongoing sniping.

                Furious, Bigwig was now roaring in front of Hawkbit's face for the insulting remark, standing on his hind legs and none too gently was roaring in the smaller rabbit's face, his fur bristling, his ears and whiskers twitching, and his brown eyes hard and narrow.  "Now listen to me, you furry, rat-tailed, obtuse, wretched excuse of a mud-hole!!  As of right now, I am the prime leader of this mission, and El-ahrairah has trusted myself and Holly and Hazel to help bring the cross-bearer back to his warren!  The last thing we need is some whining buck that's worse than a helpless kitten to tell an Owsla captain what to do and to spread dissention in this group!!"

                "Embleer Frith, Bigwig, this is exactly like the incident with Blood Whitetail and the Wolfen Gale all over again!" snapped Hawkbit, bristling, "Can't you see that we need rest and work together as one?!  You can't push us until we are at the brink of exhaustion or ignore our concerns and opinions on what we think are best!!  Just because you are a commander and an Owsla captain does not mean your decision and word outweighs the general consensus!!  We are supposed to act as one for Justin's sake!!  At least Hazel-rah never acted this boorish!!"

                "I'm not Hazel-rah!" Bigwig snapped.

                "Frith in a barn, _that_ is certainly something I am grateful for!" sneered Hawkbit, "El-ahrairah forbid if even Hazel-rah should turn out to be as stubborn, obstinate, dense, short-sighted and violent as you, you inconsiderate -!"  That was all Hawkbit was able to manage to verbalize before a swift, hard cuff from Bigwig struck him across the face and sent Hawkbit reeling onto his back.  While wiping the trickle of blood from a gash on his mouth with his forepaw, Hawkbit gave Bigwig a mixture of pure indignation and outrage, and Bigwig glared obdurate daggers back just as harshly.  Holly was shocked; certainly, there were many instances when Bigwig has cuffed Hawkbit, yet those were times in jest or moderate discipline.  This time, as Acorn and Speedwell helped Hawkbit rise, Holly could see that Bigwig simply hit Hawkbit because he vindictively wanted to hurt him out of spite and opprobrium.

                "Bigwig, that is enough!" Silver cried as he tried to place himself between the two, yet Hawkbit furiously stood up, murder in his eyes, wrenching himself free from Acorn and Speedwell's grasps for control.

                "Hawkbit, no!!" cried out Speedwell.  Yet the significantly smaller, blackish rabbit, with a roar, charged, barreling past Silver before he could grab him and directly and brutally tackled Bigwig, knocking him off his feet.  Instantly, there was an uproar as the others of El-ahrairah's Owsla shouted for the two to cease, amidst the gasps, bellows, curses, and pleadings for peace.  Disregarded, Hazel just still remained static and glum.

                "Hawkbit, stop it, please!" Pipkin and Fiver pleaded as they along with Justin tried to pull Hawkbit as he and Bigwig were tightly wrapped along each other's body, trying to maintain their hold as they kept scratching and biting.  Campion and Buckthorn were trying to pin down Bigwig, but bucking, he threw them off as the adrenaline and blood rushed in his veins, exacerbating the situation as Hawkbit managed to sink his teeth into Bigwig's shoulder, and in painful retaliation, Bigwig sank his claws into his aggressor's face once again, leaving back deep, hacked gashes on Hawkbit's head.  If it continued any longer, Bigwig and Hawkbit would both be seriously mauled and battered, yet Justin and Acorn then came up with a clever way to break them apart.

                "Multiply!" shouted Justin, and in a flash on golden light, twenty-odd replicas of Acorn appeared out of thin air, and with stratagem and quick tactic, both Bigwig and Hawkbit, though struggling and writhing, still invigorated by their anger, were dragged apart and both being pinned down by at least ten Acorn rabbits each.  One bold Acorn replica, who positioned himself by squatting atop Bigwig's chest, spoke in a clear, firm voice, "Bigwig, we will release you once you call for a truce."

                Bigwig remained stubbornly silent, embarrassed beyond comprehension.  Then another clone, who held Hawkbit with a secure bear hug around the argumentative rabbit's shoulders, asked the panting Hawkbit, "And you, Hawkbit?  Both Justin and the rest of the chaps agree that if you two can at least _pretend_ to be civil towards one another, then we'll feel safer to let the two of you go."

                Hawkbit just gave an annoyed growl before he glared at Bigwig.  Silver and Holly sighed, rolling their eyes.

                "We would also be willing, though acquiescent, with a temporary, forced compromise between the two of you.  And, no, the two of you do not need to be sincere in the compromise either as long as you leave each other the bloody hell alone!" Holly declared in a tired voice.  Hawkbit and Bigwig, whose faces were now as red and flushed as Elil-rah's glowing eyes, shared a submissive look between them.

                "Truce, chap?" rasped Bigwig.

                "Truce...and now, WILL THE EMBLEER LOT OF YOU GET OFF ME?!!!" screamed Hawkbit, his voice rising with great irritation, strained and hoarse.  The multiples obliged, and their job done, they vanished into smoke, wafting into the clear air above.  Despite the fuming glowers Bigwig and Hawkbit flashed towards each other and the strings of curses running through their heads, they begrudgingly kept silent as Justin healed the both of them with his cross, his light sealing their wounds in an instant, though Justin had to bite his tongue from reprimanding the both of them as well.  In the interim, the rest of the rabbits were discussing what to do alongside Holly, minus Hazel who was apart and separated from them.

                "Holly, we need to rest.  I'm not so sure that the remainder of us can keep this up, and Pipkin is close to collapse," Campion said thoughtfully.

                "Normally, I would agree, Campion," Holly said, "yet, there is something...perplexing about this place, and it makes me feel uneasy, as if I remember something such as this before."

                "It is probably just fatigue, bucko," Strawberry tried to soothe sensibly, "There is probably nothing to worry about!  If there was danger, the Fiver would have been alerted from his visions of the second sight."

                "No, Holly has a point.  There _is_ something odd about this place.  Haven't the rest of you noticed how strangely homogeneous and perfectly shaped the surrounding vegetation is around us?  It is as if...as if we are in some sort of a man place!  Never in nature has anything been this faultless!  Listen, I agree we would need rest, and we will, but I would certainly be less apprehensive if we were out in the open where we could at least get a clear view of any attacks or armies from Elil-rah's Owsla."  Dandelion, Speedwell, and Acorn gave numerous sounds of agreement.

                Campion then queried, "But in order for us to do that, we need to find our way out of this growth, and Justin cannot use the cross to guide us as he did last time in Nekas' caves, and Fiver has no premonitions of the path that could lead us towards the exit of this tharn place.  How are we do leave?  We are practically stuck."

                "Wait a minute!  There might be another way!" Justin exclaimed, silently kicking himself for not thinking of it sooner.  Hoping it would work and that his powers would not go on the fritz again, Justin clasped his cross and started to pray.  To his excitement, it succeeded as the golden sword with the amethyst handle appeared with a flurry of sunbeams into Buckthorn's paws.  Buckthorn then understood what Justin wanted him to do.  With a roar, the strong buck charged with the blade above his head before bringing it down on a particularly dense area of shrubs with a fierce, downward slash.  There was now a large, yet narrow opening through the barrier of bushes, hacked open by Buckthorn's sword.  From the gap, the rest of the Watership Owsla could see that it had opened up to a lesser dense area, littered with damp soil, dead leaves, and several black, barren trees, gnarled and shriveled from age against the cloudy, clod sky.  There wasn't a single ray of sunlight penetrating through the afternoon atmosphere.  Still, it was better than being cramped and clustered in such claustrophobic environments.

                "Excellent thinking, young one!" praised Blackberry as the rest of the rabbits grew extremely reassured at the prospecting hope, and the sight did manage to calm down the previous exchange of blows between Bigwig and Hawkbit.  "Come on!  Let us -!"

                Yet to everyone's surprise, the hedge quickly, with odd, gurgling noises, healed itself, enclosing the gap once more again.  Stunned, they could only watch as the wall of bushes grew and grew with an incredible rate, crackling and rustling until the opening Buckthorn had made had completely disappeared, the plant barrier was now completely renewed and intact, with no trace of the damage Buckthorn had made moments before.

                "What in the name of the Black Rabbit?!" Buckthorn bellowed.

                "Frith in a hole!" Silver gasped.

                "Normally, I would find this comical if it wasn't so intimidating," gulped Bluebell.  Blackberry then gasped at the word; he then realized why this seemed so vaguely proverbial.

                "Embleer Frith, now I remember why this was so familiar!" cried out Blackberry, holding his head with his paws, "This is a comical field!  A comical field!  Exactly how El-ahrairah was in the story!"  Blackberry's words sent chills in everyone's backs, including Justin's, who recalled that in "The Story of the Comical Field", the antagonist Greenweed sent victims to be devoured by a dark, unknown, evil creature by sending them into the comical field.  The comical field was a man-made maze, a labyrinth, with walls consisting of thick bushes and winding passageways, like the hedge mazes found public gardens in Justin's world.  However, the difference was that once a creature was unfortunate enough to step paw into the comical field, they would never find their way out again only to become feasted upon by the dark creature, such as the Minotaur trapped in the maze built by Daedalus in Greek mythology.

                "Wait..." said Justin weakly, "...if...if we're in a comical field, then...then where's the monster??"

                The adolescent could have sworn that the temperature of the air had suddenly dropped at the sound of his question.  The rabbits, including Hazel (who had probably snapped back to attention at the imminent danger), began to look apprehensive and fearful.  Holly immediately took charge.

                "Buckthorn, quickly, try to force another opening through again, and for El-ahrairah's sake, do not stop and give it a chance to seal itself up again!  We'll try to jump through when -!"  Yet what Holly said was lost as a loud roar reverberated throughout the thicket.  It was a hellish screech unlike anything Justin had ever heard of before, though similar to the cry of a eagle mixed with the deadly growls of a lion and a bear with a touch of foghorn mixed together to form something intense, something huge, something rotten, desolate, and evil to its very core.

                "What...what was that?!" whimpered Pipkin, shivering, yet Fiver, who was next to his friend, began shaking as his eyes suddenly glazed over.  He was having another vision of warning premonition.

                "Fiver?!" Acorn gasped.

                "The Unknown...the evil...a second light in the darkness...It is coming," sniveled Fiver, holding his head painfully as the bleak images barreled through.

                "Fiver, what in -?!" yet that was as far as Speedwell was able to ask before the ground started to rumble and shake madly, nearly throwing all of the fellowship off-balance, and to their dismayed terror, the entire comical field was swiftly and drastically changing as well, with the walls breaking apart, moving wildly in different directions, and forming new barriers.  It was as if the comical field was now alive, and all the hedges and bushes were doing their absolute best to prevent the rabbits from escaping...and to divide the Owsla apart from each other.

                "Help!" yelled Pipkin as he and Fiver were suddenly elevated above their comrades' heads as a new wall sprouted rapidly from underneath the ground and their forepaws, and before the two rabbits could do anything about it, their were stuck standing on the very top surface of the hedge as the column rose higher and higher with no intention of stopping.  Before Justin could react with this cross, another wall, thick, green, and bushy, skimmed across the dirt with hasty effectiveness, attempting to cut off Dandelion, Speedwell, Acorn, and Justin from the rest of the group.

                "Justin!" Campion hollered as he and Strawberry endeavored for rescue, but it was too late.  The hedge automatically positioned itself in front of the four, sealing them off into a separate, different compartment of the maze away from their fellow warriors.

                "Hey!" shouted Justin.

                "O Frith and Inle!  We're trapped!" exclaimed Dandelion as he placed his paws on the hedge while standing on his hind feet, trying to see if he could push or budge the barrier away from them.  As Acorn was trying to comfort Justin, Speedwell suddenly sensed something was watching them, and from the corner of his eyes, he could have sworn he saw something dart between the hedges.  He wasn't sure...but it was black, huge, and certainly foreboding enough to make his fur turn cold.  He turned around sharply.  Nothing was apparent, but Speedwell, though he could not explain it, knew that whatever it was, it was close.

                "Dandelion, something is coming!  We aren't alone here!  Something's coming!" Speedwell shrieked.  Acorn and Justin looked around wildly at the warning, but they could view nothing but the green walls and the moist, brown dirt.  Dandelion, though, hollered as loud as he could, hoping the others could hear him on the other side of the wall, "Campion!!  Strawberry!!  We're trapped!!  Embleer Frith, get us out!!  Hurry!!  Speedwell thinks he can sense something approaching directly for us!!"

                Campion and Strawberry's faces blanched at this.  Buckthorn took action.

                "Stand back!!" he commanded as he, still carrying the golden sword, thrust the trusty blade as hard as he could onto the hedge.  It was no use as the brush, immediately after succumbing to the harsh, cold metal, instantly healed its gashes and cuts made from the weapon, showing no damage.  It was repairing itself faster than previously before.  Campion, Strawberry, and Buckthorn felt their hearts plummet with consternation.  Meanwhile, Justin was trying his best to use his power to get all of them out of the enclosed room as Speedwell and Acorn braced themselves for attack.

                "Teleport!  Teleport all of us out of the comical field!"  Nothing happened, and there was only a silent, anticlimactic setback as another harsh, slobbering growl from the unknown lurker in the maze thudded all around them.

                "Oh no!  It won't work!" groaned Justin.

                "Then we'll all still be snared in this tharn trap without anyway to escape from the brute that's tracking us!" panted Speedwell, his mouth slightly frothing from fear.

                Dandelion then hit upon an idea.

                "Justin, wait, if we cannot teleport everyone out of the comical field, try teleporting everyone back together at the place we were previously!  Bring us back all together and on the other side of this wall!  That way, we'll be away from the monster even though we will all still be stuck in the labyrinth!  Hurry, chap!"  Justin understood, and trembling, he grasped the necklace in his hands and prayed silently as Speedwell, Acorn, and Dandelion gathered around their friend, and to their extreme joy and respite, a flurry of golden embers and sparks completely engulfed them before disappearing back to their Owsla.  As they vanished, everyone in the maze could hear an unearthly, furious shriek of disappointment as the mysterious, nameless creature could do nothing but watch its prey escape from its clutches.

                For the time being, Fiver and Pipkin, while cowering from the dizzy heights as the hedge continued to rise higher and higher, they too, found themselves surrounded by the cross' power of teleportation as the strange appearance of lights and dust swallowed them entirely, only to bring them back along with Justin, Dandelion, Speedwell, and Acorn, all six of them becoming visible in front of everyone's eyes.  Now, the group was finally one again, reunited.

                "Justin!" gasped Strawberry, relieved, and Hazel was seen touching noses with Fiver, apparently now back to his sensible, alert self, brought back to the reality of the battle.  However happy the rest of the team was for Hazel being back, they knew they needed to focus their attention on the upcoming danger.

                "Now what do we do?" gasped Strawberry, "Justin's cross will not work for specific tasks, and the creature is still trying to track us down exactly like it has tried to achieve before with El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle!  And with the comical field altering itself by Elil-rah's will, it will not be long before we are all separated from each other again if we stand around and do nothing like tharn kittens!!"

                There was another roar as rustling and snapping and crashing noises emerged from all around them.  It was plain indication that whatever the evil carnivore is, it was now on the move and quickly doing its very best to track down and corner the Watership Owsla along with Justin.  Bigwig finally decided on the best alternative, headstrong action.

                "Everyone, run!" he barked sharply, taking into command and hurriedly lifting a scared Justin upon his broad back, "For Frith's sake, run!  Holly, Buckthorn, Bluebell lead us!  Everyone else, stay close together and do NOT lag behind!  Stay close and run!!  RUN!!"  Immediately, without any further hesitation, the entire Owsla of Watership Down raced, galloping madly yet unified, as their paws and feet pounded relentlessly on the terrain, following Holly, Bluebell and Buckthorn, the three of them using every sharp wit and clever thought they could gather despite their frantic panic threatening to break through their senses.  Wordlessly, albeit there was panting, gasping, and terrified glances over their shoulders, the group wildly ran, following any opening or gap that appeared.  Unfortunately, there were various efforts of the hedges trying to separate them again by establishing new walls and blockades, yet Justin was prepared and cast his time-freeze on the entire comical field.  It worked in the sense that the hedges could no longer sprout and move, no longer threatening to confuse and hinder their rabbits from escaping.  Regrettably, however, it was apparent that the power of stopping time had no effect on whatever was catching them as the monster, now further determined and angered by the flashes of sunlight, was apparently running harder and more recklessly in its thirst for the hunt.

                "By the Black Rabbit, the creature is unstoppable!" uttered Bluebell in alarm.

                "At least we won't have to worry about those blasted plants trying to block our way in the comical field!" panted Silver as he scurried along, "So things haven't gone bad yet, chap!"  As if on cue, the instant the rabbits and Justin turned around a corner, to their horrified apprehension, they all realized that beyond the corridor of plants ended at a large, brown, wall of rock, obviously from the side of a mountain.  After outrageous twists and turns, vain attempts to try to find a path out of the cursed comical field with an insane, bloodthirsty monster, the entire Owsla had ran straight into a trap with no way out!  There were no other passageways, and the only possible route out of the predicament would be back...towards the monster that would trailing shortly behind them.

                "By the way, did I ever thank you duffers for aiding us with your tracking abilities?" Hawkbit growled scathingly.

                "I do not believe so," Bluebell averred vacantly, half paying attention to Hawkbit and half dreading on what other possible solutions could not help them get out of this.

                "Good, then I'll keep doing it!" snapped back the castigating rabbit rudely.

                "We have to turn around!" Holly ordered bravely, though he knew to be willing to run into one of Elil-rah's creatures and endangering the cross-bearer was certainly less than pragmatic.  "We can't just stay here and await our fate helplessly!"

                "If I'm for the Black Rabbit, that tharn, embleer creature is coming with me!" growled Bigwig, "Justin!  Transform me into a dog, quickly!  It may be enough to stop this monster of evil and for me to delay it long enough for you buckos to escape!"

                Bluebell complained, "But Bigwig, it still will not solve the problem of having us to search and discover for a way out, and considering that Justin's time-freeze will not stay for long, it will not be long before the comical field tries to separate us again!"

                Blackberry added, "And even if we did manage to stay together, you will still be left behind at the mercy of that monster, and the plants all around us will constantly alter and adjust themselves so that it will ensure that we will never find our way out!  The only one who was able to find escape was El-ahrairah, and even _that_ was pure, random luck, something we cannot depend on to protect the cross-bearer!"

                Another roar of bombastic triumph rang out in the air, this time loud enough to make the bushes and hedges all around the Owsla quiver slightly, and though Justin could not see it, the beast was truly frightening and shocking as he could hear its hot breath, its heavy feet ripping up sod and grass in its wake, the faint plops of drool dropping from its mouth, and its gargantuan, heavy body as it slowly, terrifyingly, made its way in the passages of the labyrinth.  It was close, so very close.  And the fact that the teenager could only imagine what the creature would be like was enough to make him light-headed with fear and the deepest terror.

                Pipkin then squealed, "What if we made our own exit out of this comical field?!  We could make a new opening out and be able to escape from the creature!  After all, in the story, the beast would not leave the comical field; it would not travel beyond the boundaries of the hedges!"

                "I already tried that, young one," said Buckthorn, "Do you not remember, with the sword of the cross?  The hedges and the walls of the comical field would immediately close up as soon as I drove my blade into them.  It is of no use, Hlao-roo, for if I simply tried again, the barriers of brush would just close up again!"

                "Then, why can't we try doing it into the ground and dig our way out...or...or how about through the mountain?" whimpered Pipkin.  The other rabbits and Justin looked at him with incredible, marveled wonder.  It was a simple question, yet it was brimming with a cunning inspiration worthy of El-ahrairah.  Pipkin looked embarrassed, thinking he said something stupid.

                "Well...I thought....I thought -," the small soldier stammered, thoroughly nervous, yet Blackberry cheered excited, cuffing Pipkin lovingly, "Great golden Frith, young one!  You've hit it upon the mark!  You're right!!  You are absolutely right!!"

                Justin was already on it, praying with renewed, fervent passion as he grasped the cross with one hand, and in a flash, both Strawberry and Holly were showered with gold, yellow, and orange, their entire bodies shining with a faint outline of sunlight before vanishing again.

                "Holly, Strawberry, I gave both of you your powers of rending and seismokinesis!!  You guys can use it to make a path through the mountain!  Hurry!!" Justin shouted, almost pleading as the unknown drew closer and closer, growling and grumbling.  Holly, with a cry of might, threw his paws towards the mountain, and with a tremendous, shattering explosion, through the dust and debris floating in the cloudy air, to their happiness, a deep cavern, large and inward enough to house all of the rabbits, was now formed in the dark rock, the opening cracked with ugly, jagged edges and miniscule pieces of shiny quartz.  Holly was successful and strong enough to shatter the rocks into pieces

                "Come on!  Hurry!  Get in there, you tharn duffers or I'll rip your ears off!!" ordered Bigwig brusquely as he, Hazel, and Campion herded everyone inside, avoiding the sharp, large bits of mineral littered on the ground.  Once they were all within the cave, without further ado, Strawberry raised up his paws and immediately, with a soft, rhythmic thundering, a wall of thick, impenetrable rock rose above the soil and dirt from the ground and sealed off the opening to the cavern, hiding and blocking the Owsla and the teenager safely from the clutches of the monster.  Safe at last, the Watership rabbits and Justin held their breaths in the stifling, murky darkness of the cave as they heard the creature finally approach the area where they were previously standing only mere seconds before.  Despite the faint traces of light originating from Justin's cross, the cave was still dark enough to make all the occupants shiver as they heard the screeches of enraged, cheated, disappointment, and the wall of stone that Strawberry had summoned shook violently as the brute was slamming its heavy paw into the rock, hoping to break it down.  The stone barrier held fast, but Strawberry and the others saw that tiny cracks were beginning to surface from the buckling pressure, and it would not be long before the living horror would succeed in breaking through.

                "That won't hold it off for long," commented Dandelion worriedly.

                "Hey, look at this!" exclaimed Justin in surprise as the rest of the fellowship of El-ahrairah turned around.  Apparently, Holly's powers tore the mountain deep enough to reach a second cavern, almost like a tunnel, conjoining the two.  And they could feel cold air, blowing softly like a gentle breeze, though it was certainly cold, misty, and gloomy.  Under the gentle glow of the sunlight, Justin could see that the stone was no longer brown, but black, almost like marble and so frigid to touch, it burned.

                "Well," sighed Hazel in defeat, though he did seem to improve emotionally and psychologically, appearing more and more like his old self again, "It's not much, but we do not have any choice.  The longer we stay here, the further the danger increases when the...whatever the creature is that was chasing us...breaks through.  At least if we travel, we will be able to find a way out by following the smell of fresh air in the runs.  Come on!  The faster we hurry, the sooner we can find ourselves out in the open, and I daresay I shall be in the mood for some silflay and cowslips, eh chaps?  Come on!"  Their spirits raised by the sound of Hazel's strong, authoritative, yet gentle demeanor along with the thought of food and rest was enough to get all of them to follow with great haste up the tunnels.  Yet, if they remained at the cavern for a bit longer, they would have heard a secretive, sickening, eagerly murderous voice, disembodied yet viciously baritone and untamed, chuckle from the other side of the rock wall of the comical field, "THE BLACK RABBIT, JUSTIN...THE BLACK RABBIT SHALL DELIEVER YOU TO YOUR DEATH, CROSS-BEARER."

                                                                                ***

                "It's so cold, it hurts to even breathe," shivered Dandelion as Hawkbit and Pipkin huddled next to him for shared warmth as they hopped along the stone run.  They had been in numerous caverns and winding passageways, branching out to other stone burrows and caverns.  It was almost as if they were in another maze, but luckily, they were able to smell the fresh air that was guiding them towards a possible opening out.

                "Embleer Frith, this is even colder than that one winter back at Watership Down while we were planning on building Vleflain!" griped Hawkbit.

                "I remember," commented Acorn thoughtfully, "That was the winter when I had stopped running, and it was the worst frost we ever experienced back in the physical world.  If Kehaar did not warn us, both Vleflain and the Honeycomb would have surely perished."

                "And _I_ remember that story too," Justin added, "In 'Tales From Watership Down', that was the same winter you all met Flyairth, and she came to live with you at Watership Down."

                "O embleer Frith!" groaned Bigwig, trying to keep his mind off the frost and grateful for the conversation, "Do not remind me, young one!  I am still having nightmares of when I first met that unbearable, jumpy, troublemaking doe!  Her and her tharn, 'white blindness' paranoia!  I tell you, Justin, that winter was nearly enough to make me scratch out my own fur!  If it was not for the fact that I could spend my frustrations out on Hawkbit, I would have surely gone mad!"

                "I _knew_ it!  I knew you were picking and bullying me more than usual on that winter!" Hawkbit whined in a bragging voice, "Yet I can probably understand why.  That Flyairth, always so jumpy and opinionated and stubborn!  I would be highly surprised if there was any buck who would have been willing to even to touch her!"

                Blackberry gave a secretive glower as his ears slightly flushed red.  Justin, however, noticed this and gasped.

                "Blackberry??" he asked with disbelief and pleasant surprise, "You...you and Flyairth??"

                Blackberry did not answer, but now, with wide eyes of embarrassment and shyness, the black-eared buck's entire face was now blushing.  As the other rabbits chuckled, though some, such as Bigwig and Hawkbit were taken aback at the news, Bluebell, coming to his friend's defense, guffawed, "Actually, they are close friends, Justin, but I daresay that our ever-so-intellectual genius has a little affection going for the doe, eh chap?  Ever since they met back at Watership Down, Blackberry was quite taken with her, and even though they never had a chance to express it, after they both came to the land beyond life, they had a chance to grow close and...be intimate."

                "Wow," Justin was able to manage, smiling and fighting the urge to chuckle, "Well then, Blackberry, I'm...happy for you and Flyairth."

                "O Frith and Inle, Justin!" moaned Blackberry, now mortified and hot despite the cold temperature, "It is not as if we are mates, you duffer!  We are simply good friends with complementary and shared views, nothing more.  And we respect each other greatly; she admires my intellect and wits and cunning inspiration."

                "I'm not so sure that is _all_ she admires about you, you black-eared duffer!" chortled Silver as he tweaked the spot between Blackberry's ears on his head affectionately.

                "That is enough, everyone," Hazel said in a final tone, though one could detect the amusement in his voice, "You've all had your fun with Blackberry long enough, and additionally, there are some more good news!  Look!  It is getting lighter at the end of the run!"  All the rabbits turned in front of them to see that Hazel had spoken the truth.  Despite the steep slope of the run, almost as if they were traveling through the mountains again, they have been journeying to for the past hour or so, they were all relieved to see that there were faint traces of white, pure light from the outside world competing with the faint shimmer of golden sun from Justin.  It would not be for long now until they would finally be able to be out in the open and get a well-deserved rest.  Everyone was done in and exhausted.

                "It's not much further," Silver sighed with relief, yet, as with Murphy's Law, he spoke too soon.  Suddenly, to Justin and the rabbits' horrors, with a gentle rumble of moving rock, the end of the tunnel sealed up, closing off the only exit the Watership Owsla knew off.  Now, they needed to search for another way out.

                "Frith in a hole, this just gets worse and worse!" moaned Dandelion.  Silver and Campion turned to Strawberry violently.

                "Strawberry, did _you_ do this?!" asked Silver, and Strawberry's eyes narrowed at the accusatory tone in the light-furred rabbit's voice, again infuriating the reddish rabbit of the sense of mistrust from Silver he had received before.

                "No, I did not!" he snapped, "Embleer Frith, Silver, you have a real hard time accepting the fact that I'm loyal to El-ahrairah, don't you?!"

                "You certainly cannot blame me," snapped Silver back, "After all, you are the only one here who can control the earth with the power Justin blessed you, not to mention you were still a part of Cowslip and the Warren of the Shining Wires!"

                "Silver, that is enough!" Campion shouted hoarsely before turning to Strawberry, "Strawberry, is there a way you could use your power to unblock the run and let us out?"

                "Not until that crack-brained, fat buffoon over there apologizes!" snapped back Strawberry, obviously hurt.

                "Those insults were uncalled for!" snarled Silver.

                "And I have a lot more in mind if you desire to hear the truth!" growled Strawberry.

                "I think we were better off in the comical field with the evil elil," murmured Dandelion uncomfortably and wryly to Speedwell, Acorn, and Bluebell.

                "Is it too late for us to go back?" Speedwell quipped dryly as he looked on at the intense argument.

                "Look, Strawberry, stop being so stubborn and self-righteous and remove the embleer wall of rock!  What else do you propose to do besides standing there and being an idiot?!" Silver said sharply.

                "Frith in a barn, I know what I would _love_ to do right now!" growled Strawberry, holding up a paw threateningly in front of him, in plain sight of Silver.

                "Just you try it!" snapped Silver, ears pointed straight and fur bristling.

                "Enough, you two!" yelled Campion as he and Fiver got in between the two quarrelsome rabbits and forcefully got in their paths, knowing that neither one of them would be willing to hurt Campion and Fiver physically to get to the other.  Fiver then begged to Strawberry.

                "Strawberry, please, don't fight!  You know Silver does not mean it and that he trusts you, but we are all just...strained and scared!  This tharn place of cold is no place for warm hearts and brave spirits such as ourselves, so of course we are all extremely edgy and quick-tempered.  This isn't going to help us or Justin, and you still have the powers of Digger and Swift-Warning to manipulate the earth and rock, so use your gifts to help the rest of us get out of here!  Please!  We can discuss apologetics later."

                Yet before Strawberry could even act, a voice sounded above all of them, shadowy, calm, serene, yet so mysterious and ethereal, like trying to grasp water and fog as it slowly flowed into pools of ice water with only the faintest of lulling noises.

                _Strawberry would not be able to move the rock even if he wished it so, for my power and my warren can only prevail here alone, and it is of my will and decision to not let you rabbits of Watership Down and El-ahrairah leave._

                Horror-struck, Justin and rest of the rabbits slowly turned behind themselves and glanced upwards to see that they were all staring directly into the face of the Black Rabbit of Inle.

                Justin's breath caught in his throat as he felt his heart quicken, his breath come out in short, small pants, making small puffs of fog in the cold, artic atmosphere.  In "Watership Down", the Black Rabbit of Inle was an angel of Death in the form of a rabbit who served Frith, the god of all rabbits, by bringing death to animals and accompanying their spirits to the land beyond life.  If a rabbit or any animal were meant to die, that their time has come, then the Black Rabbit would bring death to the animal, whether it be sickness, a predator, or the gun of a human.  The thing was though, the Black Rabbit of Inle really _was_ a rabbit, with his own warren and his own Owsla of shadows and darkness, which was exactly what the Black Rabbit represented, darkness, death, and fear.  And, in the story, "El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inle", the Black Rabbit refused to take El-ahrairah's life in return for saving his warren from the siege of King Darzin, saying it was not his time.  Even when El-ahrairah resorted to trying to infect himself with the White Blindness, the Black Rabbit finally relented to save El-ahrairah's warren and he and his shadow warriors drove away King Darzin and his soldiers.  In short, the Black Rabbit was not necessarily an enemy, yet one could definitely argue he was not an ally either.  Justin took in what he was seeing.  The Black Rabbit was large, almost as tall as lion, King Darzin, and standing up on his hind feet allowed him to tower over the rabbits by more than twice their heights.  Unlike the rest of the Watership rabbits, each having a distinctive scent, the Black Rabbit had no smell, and actually smelled like...fresh, bare, clean nothingness.  He had no scent.  The entire pelt of the rabbit was blacker than night, blacker than ink, with not one fur out of place and meticulously groomed and kept short.  Though he was a rabbit, Justin could feel that there was practically no warmth radiating from his body; he was as wintry and lifeless as the unfeeling rocks that made up the tunnels.  The Black Rabbit's face was deep, solemn, yet, in a very demented and strange way, wise and fatherly, and even though his eyes were glowing in a crimson glow as pure and flawless as fresh blood, Justin could honestly say he felt no form of threat from those eyes that were analyzing them calmly and coolly.

                The rest of the rabbits were shivering and trembling with petrified awe; even though they had all met the Black Rabbit of Inle before, they still could not bear to face him for long without having the roots of fear and ice take hold of their bodies.  Though some such as Buckthorn, Holy, Hazel, Fiver and Campion were doing their best to maintain their gazes, the rest, especially Pipkin, were shivering and whimpering.

                Hazel forced himself to remain composed and gracious under the presence of the overwhelming spirit as he spoke cordially, "My lord, the Black Rabbit of Inle, please let us go.  We...we mean you and your warren no harm for we are -."

                _I know who the lot of you are, Hazel-rah_, the Black Rabbit said coldly, as if he was slightly irked that they did not give him credit for his acute discernment and omniscience, **_and_**_ about Justin, the human armed the with light of Frith and God in his jewel, the cross he wears around his neck_.  He then turned unexpectedly towards Buckthorn, giving a slight nod of his head as greetings.

                _Buckthorn, I see that you are well_.  Buckthorn just stared blankly at the Black Rabbit before humbly averting his gaze and mumbling a slight, embarrassed response.  This, however, got some of the interest of the others, despite their fears and surprised that the Black Rabbit knew their friend a bit more intimately; they never found out, after Buckthorn fought off Hufsa, whether or not it was true that their friend had actually won a tournament of bobstones against the messenger of Death.  The Black Rabbit then turned to Hazel, frowning, as the Chief Rabbit tried to speak calmly and earnestly.

                "My lord, please, why are you holding us prisoner?  We have not committed any crime, and Justin is not one of the Thousand.  My lord, please, let us leave so that we can help El-ahrairah and heal him before Elil-rah kills him!  Please, we need to finish our mission.  Allow us to leave your warren."

                _No, I cannot do as you ask, Hazel_, the Black Rabbit of Inle replied.

                "What?!  Why not?!  We need to get to El-ahrairah!  For whatever reason?!" protested the other Watership warriors heatedly.  The Black Rabbit of Inle paid no attention to the objecting rabbit soldiers as he focused his eyes on Hazel and Justin, who was still riding on Bigwig, next to him.

                _All of you are free to explore my home, for you are all welcome guests, not prisoners, but I do not wish to allow you, Hazel, or Justin, to leave this warren at this current time, especially since Elil-rah's minions are tracking you and your Owsla which could endanger your task to return back to Fenlo.  Additionally, I do not wish any of you to leave until the serious matter of endangerment and reckless ineptitude in your leadership skills as a Chief Rabbit in this mission is taken care of._

                "What?" gasped Justin, thoroughly confused.  The Black Rabbit of Inle then turned to the cross-bearer sternly.

                _I must admit, young Justin, I **do** have reservations about allowing a human, one of the Thousand, to enter in my bode, my sanctuary and home.  It is not a pleasant thought, and despite what El-ahrairah swears by, I do not agree that a human boy is the key to helping Frith fight against Elil-rah.  All men have caused despair and torment to animals ruthlessly and without just cause, and yet here, standing before me, is a human, one who is truly more evil than any other animal in the entire land beyond life, possibly even more so that Woundwort, and yet I may possibly have to aid your Owsla into helping him.  It is hardly a tolerable compromise._

                "It was not his fault!  He never asked to be chosen!" Silver snapped heatedly despite his cold stomach turning over with dread.

                "My Lord, Justin is not an enemy, and El-ahrairah trusts in his power and judgment, so there is no reason to have such a lack of faith for our friend!" pleaded Fiver.

                _El-ahrairah also trusted Hazel in leading the Owsla of Watership Down to fight against Elil-rah and protect the cross-bearer, but after hrair brushes with danger and near-failures of having the human killed, I can honestly say with conviction that I do not believe Hazel  is capable of continuing his duty as the commander.  The rest of you, the members of the infamous Owsla of El-ahrairah, all of you have proven yourselves worthy as rabbits of the highest nobility, for all of you have shown blessings of power and courage and cunning worthy of El-ahrairah's legacy, all used to protect Justin.  Yet what troubles me is that Hazel has not proven himself, and if the cross-bearer has not chosen to bless him with power, then I am justified in thinking that perhaps, it would be more beneficial if Holly or Bigwig took control of Hazel's duties for the time being._

                Hazel looked stunned, appeared shocked that one of Frith's most influential and powerful servants, the Black Rabbit of Inle, was showing condemnation and scorn at his efforts to keep the group together and to protect Justin.  The rabbit then clouded his face as he drooped his head a bit, obviously hurt.  The rest of the group just looked at Hazel blankly, dazed and astonished that the Black Rabbit of Inle would exhibit such formality and remoteness to their friend.  Justin then broke in awkwardly.

                "You...you want us to forsake Hazel as the Chief rabbit, as the leader?  But...but you can't do that!"

                The Black Rabbit answered coldly, _I do not need to explain my actions and my decisions to you young one so do not be impertinent with me.  Though El-ahrairah may have delegated the responsibility to Hazel, I, or Frith, can overlook such a decision if it feels it will endanger and compromise your safety and the safety of the land beyond life.  But it is of no importance as of now.  You must all be tired, weary and hungry.  My warren is free to you all for rest, and in the Grand Hall of my warren, there is a quaint spread of grass and flayrah for you all.  Though none of you are allowed to leave the premises, you are all free to explore and run about...**but**, a word of caution.  I am fairly sure that all of you are familiar with the stories about El-ahrairah's last journey here, where he has tried to infect himself with the White Blindness from the holes and pits of disease, pestilence, and plague.  I shall tell the lot of you right now, you are all forbidden to enter there.  After the last experience, I have placed a seal in the holes and runs of affliction: those who dare enter shall never leave and to defy my wishes and warnings shall lead to...**unpleasant** consequences._

                Hazel's head perked up at these words, and so did the rest of the Watership Owsla, astounded from the austere and stark tone in the Black Rabbit's voice.  Justin could have sworn that the mysterious messenger of death was staring directly at him almost already accusing him.

                _Enjoy the humbleness of my abode and rest, but heed my warnings._  With that, the Black Rabbit inexplicably vanished into thin air.

                                                                                ***

                "I cannot believe the Black Rabbit said such things!  The nerve of him!" growled Buckthorn, seething inwardly, which was an odd sight considering that Buckthorn was usually not one to lose his temper so easily.  "How dare he?!"

                "I know, chap, but getting yourself all riled will not help with matters," Silver sighed wearily.  After their encounter with the Black Rabbit, though Bluebell was quick to point out that it was more as a condemnation, the rest of the rabbits agreed that they could not stay in the warren.  It was bleak, dismal, and it threatened to drain out every bit of warmth, courage, and positive emotion from their hearts and bodies.  If El-ahrairah could hardly stand to remain in such a place for so long, then what chance did the rabbit warriors of Watership Down have?  It was also because unlike them, Justin was still very much alive and has not stopped running yet, so the atmosphere and ambiance had a more disastrous toll on the adolescent's health and body.  He was actually so cold, his skin already turned slightly blue from just several minutes of exposure to the warren's frost, tomblike surroundings.  It was clear to the rest of the rabbits to leave as quickly as possible without explanation and without telling the Black Rabbit for Justin would not even last an entire day in the cold runs and tunnels.  Without eating the food (for in the story, if one ate the flayrah given by the shadow Owsla of the Black Rabbit, their thoughts and secrets would become apparent, betraying themselves to the Black Rabbit about their plans), the Watership Owsla spilt off in different directions, hoping they could all cover more ground and find an exit quicker than expected.  Hazel, who was now extremely forlorn and despondent at the Black Rabbit's severe criticism, did not join in the search, and Justin volunteered to stay with him.  None of the rabbits objected to this, for they knew Justin could not be of much help, especially when they all found out, to their dismay, that the cross again refused to function for some bizarre reason, so now, the teenager could not use the cross as a compass to search for the nearest exit nor could he use it to teleport everyone out.  In short, he was powerless, but the rabbits comforted him, telling him that they would find the exit themselves and that he needed some rest from the long journey.  Now, Hazel and Justin were enjoying each other's company in the run where they met the Black Rabbit while the rest split up and went in their own groups.  Right now, Silver, Buckthorn, and Pipkin were together in one run while Bluebell, Speedwell, Fiver, and Acorn were in another group of tunnels, Bigwig, Dandelion, and Blackberry were hesitantly wandering in the Grand Hall, and finally, Campion, Hawkbit, Strawberry and Holly were exploring a long trail leading deep underground where they swore they could smell faint traces of fresh air.

                Meanwhile, in another mesh of runs, Speedwell, Fiver, Bluebell, and Acorn were discussing matters with Hazel-rah as they carefully pawed through the ice and marble.

                "Replace Hazel-rah?  I cannot believe it!  We could never do such a thing!" Speedwell said in outrage, flabbergasted.

                "Well...maybe....maybe the Black Rabbit has a point," Acorn commented hesitantly, "I mean...well, look at everything that has happened so far.  Ever since Hazel-rah saw Fiver get carried off into trial for the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow, he hasn't been the same since.  The poor chap is taking it quite hard, and because of that, it has been taking a great deal of toil on his role as our leader.  He was not able to defend Strawberry and could not comfort him when Strawberry lashed out at him, blaming him for Justin nearly getting killed, and he had to leave Holly behind in order to follow that embleer Greenweed.  Perhaps, it _would_ be better if Hazel-rah did not take on so much responsibility because it isn't going to help him get better and regain back to his old self.  After all, Holly and Bigwig could handle matters just as well."

                "Acorn!" snapped Bluebell furiously, "Are you mad?!  How could you say such a thing?!  Though I do concede that perhaps Holly could aid Hazel, Bigwig could not lead a rabbit to flayrah!  After the mess in the comical field, this only convinces me that Hazel-rah, regardless of the mistakes he has made, is still a vital part in our mission, and I for one do not care if he was never blessed with the cross, if he never got to prove his valor!"

                "Will you two shut up?!" snapped Speedwell, cuffing both Acorn and Bluebell on their heads, "Need I remind you two duffers whose brother you are condemning about in front of him?!"  He pointed a paw at Fiver, who had his back turned to them.  Yet, the seer was perfectly still and trembling with hurt.

                "O Frith and Inle," cursed Bluebell to himself.

                "Me and my big mouth," groaned Acorn to himself as he ran a paw over his face.

                Speedwell then approached Fiver, sincerely apologetic, pleading, "Oh come on, bucko, don't cry.  You know Bluebell and Acorn -"

                Fiver then gasped out loud, interrupting the white rabbit, "Oh no!  It's here!"

                Bluebell asked, bewildered, "What?!  What in the name of the Black Rabbit are you talking about?!"

                Fiver then turned to them, his eyes wide and glassy with shock as he received his vision of the mystical, second sight, "The false one!  From the comical field!  It is here, right here in the warren of the Black Rabbit of Inle!!  Justin and Hazel are in danger!"

                On cue, all of the rabbits, the Owsla of shadows, and the Black Rabbit of Inle himself, heard the telltale, unearthly screech of the lone monster from before in the hedge labyrinth.  Realizing what this meant, Fiver, Speedwell, Acorn, and Bluebell ran as fast as they could back to the tunnel where Hazel and Justin were waiting.  Once they got there, to their dismay, they found it empty.  Justin and Hazel were gone, vanished, disappeared.  The other Watership rabbits caught up with them.

                "We heard the roars of the beast from the comical field!!  What in the name of Frith happened?!" gasped Strawberry.

                "Where are Hazel and Justin?!!" Campion practically screamed in worry, seeing that the run was empty.  Outside, Buckthorn and Dandelion were sniffing all along the runs.

                "We have their scents!" cried Dandelion, "Hazel clearly ran in this direction!"

                "Poor chap, he must have carried Justin away from danger the instant he heard the roars of the creature.  He must have been trying to locate us!" Blackberry moaned, cursing himself for not bringing Hazel and Justin along with them.

                "Follow those trails!" ordered Bigwig, and off they dashed with Dandelion and Buckthorn in the lead.  deeper and deeper they went in the network of convoluted, tortuous tunnels, sloping deeper and deeper underground until they all emerged into a large cavern, dimly lit with blue phosphorus gleaming on the large stalactites frozen at the top of the cavern.  In the room, there was a lone opening, large enough to allow an Ilip to pass by, to a tunnel leading further into the ground.  Dandelion's sharp nose then caught the faint, departing scent of Hazel from the mouth of the tunnel.

                "They went in there!" he said sharply.

                "Which means that the eli from the comical field followed them into the tunnel!  We have to help them!  The poor chaps would not be able to come out of it, even with Justin's powers!" Holly bellowed.  He, Buckthorn, and Bigwig barreled right through, with the others following them, but to their surprise, something powerful thrust back, and to Bigwig, Buckthorn, and Holly's shock, all three of them were sent flying backwards, colliding with the other rabbits and falling into a tangled heap.  There was a brief period of regaining one's bearings and muttered groans

                "Silver, will you get off me?!" snapped Hawkbit, surprisingly lucid, considering it was muffled since the large, gray rabbit was lying on the quarrelsome Hawkbit's head.

                "What...what in the fur and paw of El-ahrairah happened?!" Blackberry squealed.

                _It is because I cannot allow you rabbits to enter the holes of affliction_, said a voice quietly behind them, and all of them turned to see that the Black Rabbit of Inle himself squatting quietly behind them, gazing solemnly at the group of fourteen.

                "The...the holes of affliction?" Pipkin gasped in terror, realizing what it meant.  The Black Rabbit had just previously said that those who enter the forbidden sites would not be allowed to depart from them as consequences.  Campion and Bigwig, however, were still adamant.

                "Let us in!" roared Bigwig.

                _I cannot, Thlayli._

                "Please, you cannot imprison the cross-bearer and Hazel-rah!!" Campion yelled, "It was not their fault for running into the runs of affliction!  They had no choice!  The monster from the comical field was pursuing them; it was the one that attacked us earlier and forced us to seek refuge in your warren in the first place!!  Please, do not do this!  Black Rabbit of Inle, you _know_ Hazel-rah would never dare to insult your authority and show such disrespect!  Not if he could help it!"

                _I know Campion, but I still cannot allow what you rabbit request of me._

                "WHY??!!!" screamed all the rabbits in impatient, aggravated indignation.

                                                                                ***

                Earlier, in the blocked tunnel, as Justin and Hazel were keeping each other company while waiting for the others to return, they too heard the sudden roars of the incoming creature, the nightmare they thought they had left behind in the comical field.  Unfortunately, they were not able to completely rid themselves of the vermin, they now had to face the perilous menace again, but this time, the only other rabbit who was available to defend the cross-bearer was Hazel.

                Hazel then turned to Justin and fiercely ordered to Justin, rising on his hind legs and getting in front of him, "Justin, quickly, use your cross!  Pray for the other rabbits to help, pray for a time-freeze spell, pray for anything that could stop this animal!  I shall try to delay it!  Hurry, young one!  GO!"

                Before Justin could refuse, Hazel dashed into the darkness of the warren, leaving Justin alone by himself.  There was a vicious cry of surprise from the beast before the teenager could hear sounds of scuffling, cursing, and squeals from Hazel-rah as he and the creature furiously fought.  Justin grabbed his cross and prayed urgently, "Please, please, work this time!  Do something!  Teleport us out of the warren!  Teleport my friends back here so they could help us!  Stop time on the monster!  Do something!  Anything!  PLEASE!"

                The cross remained as silent as before, still softly glowing, but evidently no sudden change in its luminosity and radiance, no sudden surge of marvelous power.

                "Damn it, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Justin yelled at his cross furiously, "Why won't you work?!"  There was a loud noise of an object being struck, and squealing, Hazel flew out of the darkness before crashing to the ground, lying on his side.  Amazingly enough, Hazel was still conscious.

                "I cannot fight it!  It is too powerful for me to battle by myself!  Where are the others?" Hazel managed to sputter out.

                "I don't know, but my cross won't work!  It still won't listen to the prayers of help I've been asking for it!"  Another roar interrupted his frantic explanation, and Hazel seemed to make a decision.  He went on all fours determinedly and ordered, "Justin, quickly, get on my back!  I promised that I would not let anything happen to you, and I shall be damned if I break it now!  hurry!"  Justin scrambled onto Hazel's slender back, and they were off like a shot.  The creature, enraged, started chasing them, and though Justin could not see it for the warren was too dim and murky, he could hear the hot, panting breath, the heavy thudding of the shallow craters the beast made as it pounded its feet against the floor of the run, the snarls of impatience yet somehow managing to express a bit of maniacal, disembodied laughter, as if chasing Hazel and Justin was all a game to it.  Faster and faster Hazel madly dashed, trying his very best to lose the creature trailing behind, but no matter how abruptly the rabbit turned, they could always hear the monster right behind them.  Finally, Justin and Hazel saw a bit of light at the end of the run they were currently on, and encouraged, they both dashed into the grand, spacious, phosphorescent cavern with the single tunnel leading to the underground holes and pits of despair and disease, the only place the Black Rabbit had forbidden them to go into.  Though Justin did not know this.  Suddenly, Hazel's foot caught onto a sharp rock and the rabbit twisted and fell, sending both Justin and himself tumbling onto the dusty ground.  Hazel was disoriented, so Justin helped the rabbit up, though Hazel was so dizzy, he needed to grab onto Justin's flannel shirt, nearly ripping the material as he regained his bearings.  There was another roar behind them, and both Hazel and Justin looked up to see, to their horror, from the run they had emerged from, in the dark, they could see a pair of glowing orbs without pupils and shining with unholy tones of red and crimson, the eyes of the creature gazing at them intently.

                "Justin, run!" Hazel commanded and Justin could only helplessly dash into the hole along with his sole protector.  Deeper and deeper, both of them nearly stumbled in the darkness as Justin felt himself being jerked roughly left, right, and straight ahead before both Hazel and Justin collapsed on the ground, shaken and exhausted.  Yet, it soon dawned on Justin that the creature was not trailing behind them.  They were safe!

                "Hazel!  Can you hear it?   There's nothing trailing behind us!  We're not being chased any more!  We're safe!  We're safe!!" Justin cried, nearly overwhelmed with joyous relief.  Hazel did not answer, and Justin could not see what was occupying him.  The tunnels were so dark, the teenage cross-bearer could not see his hand if it was directly an inch away from his face.  Then the adolescent noticed that there was no soft golden sunlight offering some comfort of illumination, and frantically, he felt all around his neck until he realized, to his horror, he was no longer wearing his cross! The chain was no longer around his neck, and without it, he was helpless!

                "Hazel, we have to go back!" Justin begged, terrified, "I lost my cross!  I can't feel it around my neck anymore!  Without it, I can't summon any power strong enough to stop the creature from the comical field, but I don't know where it is."

                "I know, Justin.  I ripped the cross off your body as you helped me up before we entered the holes of affliction," Hazel replied slowly.  There was a brief, stunned silence, and Justin thought, hoped, prayed, that he did not hear right.  He tried to speak, but his mouth was so dry and tight, he could only manage a small choking noise.

                Hazel's voice then grew a bit louder, "No, you heard me correctly young one.  Your cross is outside the holes of afflictions, in the lit cavern where we saw the eyes of the creature.  Of course, you cross would never have been able to work, but I could not risk it.  Even in the forbidden holes of affliction, your cross could have succeeded in breaking the rules of life and death in the warren of the Black Rabbit, but even so, the fool would take a larger role in your death than he would ever know."

                Justin felt his blood run cold and his skin crawl.  Hazel's eyes were now glowing with crimson hue, the exact same color as the creature that was chasing them.

                "Of course, it was all so simple to trick you," Hazel laughed cruelly, his voice now slightly erratic, like a twisted recording, "There was no creature chasing us in the comical field, there was no creature tracking us down in the warren of the Black Rabbit of Inle.  It was all an elaborate, cunning illusion, a mirage, just to ensure that you, and you alone, Justin would be with me, without your treasured friends, so that I could so easily kill you."

                Justin still was shocked, in extreme disbelief at what Hazel was saying.  It couldn't be true, it simply couldn't.  And that moment of shock was exactly how Hazel was able to send Justin onto the ground with a single, brutal kick into the adolescent's chest with his powerful hind legs.  Justin crashed into the stone wall behind him, and Hazel, his body being a good deal heavier and larger than the boy, tackled the cross-bearer, pinning him down and nearly crushing him, as Hazel went for Justin's throat.

                "NO!" Justin yelled as he threw his hands up and managed to maintain a tight grip on Hazel's chin and lower part of his head as the human boy pushed back the buck's sharp teeth away from his neck with all of his might.  Hazel, still relentless, bucked and struggled, scratching Justin in the process.

                "Hazel, stop, please!" Justin begged, but it seemed that the words had no effect on the rabbit who was once the cross-bearer's kind, loving friend.

                "Why won't you die, you troublemaking pest?!" squealed Hazel irately as his paws managed to pin down Justin's hands away from his face, and once again, the Chief Rabbit reached over to Justin's throat.  "Now die you little...!"

                Hazel's voice broke off, and despite his hear, Justin then noticed that the buck's eyes blinked in confusion, and the entire rabbit's body was shaking before Hazel let go of Justin and staggered back wobbly several feet.  Out of danger for now, Justin saw what was happening.  Hazel grabbed his head, sweating profusely as whimpers of pain leaked out of him mouth, his entire body quaking wildly and uncontrollably, the scarlet callousness fading vacillating between Hazel's tender hazel-colored eyes and then back to the evil tone of Elil-rah.

                "Stop!  STOP!" Hazel screamed to himself, wringing his head as a painful bolt of agony shot through his body, "Stop this!!  I...I won't let you!!!"

                Then Hazel spoke again to himself in the erratic, harsh, vicious, haunted voice earlier, and Justin knew then that something, someone, was controlling hazel.  The buck rabbit was not acting of his own free mind and will.

                "You annoying, little pest!!" Hazel hissed in the demonic voice, "Just die!!  Die!!  Get out and let me kill the young boy without your interference!!"

                Hazel then wavered back to his old demeanor, "No, I won't!!  I won't!!  Leave Justin alone!!  Get out!!  Get out of my head, you...you cursed wretch!!"

                "Fight it, Hazel, fight it!!" shouted Justin at the Chief rabbit, and Hazel shut his eyes painfully, temporarily blocking out the light coming out of his eyes, as he grimly gritted his teeth and held his breath, as if afraid he would explode, visions, tormented thoughts, writing pain and agony, came blazing through his mind and soul in one, unbearable moment.  Hazel could no longer take any more.

                "**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!**" Hazel screamed, throwing his head back and his entire body went limp as traces of smoke started emerging from his nostrils, his mouth, and his fur, at first transparent, but then started to accumulate, thickening, and forming into some, unfathomable shape above the buck's head as the last flicker of crimson life died in Hazel's eyes.  The buck, now free, crumbled to the stony floor, nearly unconscious.  Justin then glanced up into the hellish eyes of the thing that was coming out of him.

                The scream that escaped out of Justin's throat would have rivaled that of Hazel's.

                                                                                ***

                "Hazel was _possessed_??!  By the dark creature from the comical field?!  For the past _two days_?!!" asked Fiver incredulously and with a hint of dreading alarm, realizing that everything that had happened, the comical field, the chase, the sounds of the roars splitting up Hazel and Justin apart from the others, was an sophisticated plot to kill Justin.

                "You knew?!" snarled Bigwig in bubbling, burning outrage, red-hot iron glittering in his eyes and his ears now flushed and perked up straight, "_You knew_?!!  And you did not tell us, warn us?!!  You did not do anything to prevent it, help Hazel and Justin?!!  HOW COULD YOU?!!!"

                The Black Rabbit sighed before clarifying, _Elil-rah sent the creature from the comical field from the legends of El-ahrairah to attack you and eliminate the cross-bearer, but the creature, the beast of the deepest, darkest nature, purely devoid of anything except maliciousness and spite and immorality, knew that unlike previous failed attempts, a more discreet plan was in order.  It sensed Hazel's fatigue, his weakness, his moment of pain, and it most likely offered its services to your Chief, disguised as a blessing to remove and heal the sadness and angst Hazel was feeling in his scarred heart.  By doing so, Hazel allowed the spawn, the parasite to infect his heart, to conceal and disguise itself as your friend, knowing that by doing so, it would have a better chance to murder the young one from the physical world.  The instant you and your band arrived, I could sense the power, the impiety, the darkness which was made to kill and destroy and wreck havoc, a darkness that is unlike my own.  I knew then that the beast was in your Chief rabbit, but I did not say anything because if I alerted the creature, it would have surely killed the human right at that moment._

                "You still could have told us!  You could have helped us!" screamed Holly at the Black Rabbit wrathfully.

                _No, for you overestimate my abilities and powers.  I can only affect those who have fears in their hearts, the darkness of my powers of death and sadness and bleakness may be cold, but never vicious, never murderous, never used for spite and malevolence.  I could not win in a battle against such an evil entity.  Not even El-ahrairah in the story could have managed to stand up to it, much less fight it.  For that is the predicament: I cannot fight a creature that has no fear, that has nothing to lose, that has no worry, no concern, no joy.  All it cared about is itself, its master, Elil-rah, and without fear, without any weaknesses, I would have been powerless to stop it.  Yet then I remembered that the holes of affliction were, after El-ahrairah's last visit, sealed with a special power by Frith himself.  Not even I would be able to break such power, for it contained a curse, of when one who was foolish and unfortunate enough to enter the pits of despair, they would be trapped there forever.  The curse has no effect on spirits such as my shadow Owsla and myself, but it would be powerful enough to stop the abomination of Elil-rah.  I knew that I had to act quickly, while the monster was still in Hazel's body, so I belittled him and Justin, taunting them, and then dropping subtly about the holes of affliction.  I could sense the creature in Hazel gaining interest at such a fact, and it realized that to lure Justin into the holes would be ideal, for the young boy would be far away from your protection and the protective light.  Either way, he would surely die once he entered the holes, but if I dissuaded Justin from going, the creature would have guessed my plans, so I remained silent._

                "And by doing so, you sacrificed Hazel-rah and Justin!!" snapped Dandelion, "Embleer Frith, how could you?!  How could you?!!"

                _It was for the greater good, for I could not allow the evil to stand by in the land beyond life any longer.  Once it would be done with Justin, it would be unstoppable, free to wreck havoc on other innocent creatures and not even my powers would be enough to stop it.  Yet, I would have the power to seal it up forevermore, but if and only if the creature would be willing enough to enter the cursed, forbidden holes and runs._

                "Then let us in!  Break the seal!  Let us go help Hazel-rah and Justin!" Silver shouted.

                _I cannot, Silver, for only those with the power granted by Frith can step through the seal._

                "But _you_ can change it, can you not?!" accused Acorn, "Frith would have never blessed these runs with that sort of power unless if he made sure you had the ability to control it, to rule over it, to break it in case anything went wrong!  Am I right?"  The Black Rabbit chose not to answer him, but the Watership Owsla could tell his silence was explanatory.

                Suddenly, ringing in the air, was the sound of Hazel screaming in agony, and several seconds later, Justin's screams could be heard echoing in the tunnel as well.  The rabbit immediately tuned on the Black Rabbit, their primary fears now melted away to hot anger and frustration.

                "My lord!!" Hawkbit pleaded, sobbing as tears started to well in his eyes, "Please, let us through!!  Let us into the runs!!"

                "Please, open the runs!!!" begged Fiver, nearly shrieking.  Yet the Black Rabbit of Inle did not move, did not reply a response, and he remained silent and stony as he stared at the Watership rabbits unperturbedly.

                "Embleer Frith, open them!!  Let us help Hazel-rah and Justin!!!" bellowed Buckthorn, glaring at the Black Rabbit's untouched resolve at their supplications for coming to Hazel's aid, fuming, "Damn it, let us through!!  How can you even think that this is Frith's will?!  Let us in!!!"

                _No_, replied the Black Rabbit, his voice resigned and already accepting of the unspoken fate chosen for Hazel and Justin, and the indignity of it, the grievance, made Buckthorn so angry, he nearly lost his self-control as he contemplated on rushing towards the messenger of death, throttling him, cuffing him until Buckthorn's own paws were bleeding and broken.  The Black Rabbit, however, seemed to know what the Watership soldier was thinking.

                _I would advise you not to attempt it, Buckthorn, for it will not accomplish anything, and you know far better than to give in to your anger so easily.  Hazel-rah and El-ahrairah have always praised you for your firm, unfaltering doggedness._

                "Don't you dare say their names!!" roared Buckthorn, quivering with rage as Silver and Strawberry restrained him from attacking, "You...you...you do not even deserve to acknowledge them!!  Embleer Frith, you know this is not Frith's will to imprison Justin and Hazel-rah!!!  They have never deserved this, and yet you are keeping them as prisoner to be contained as prey for the dark...thing that is trying to hunt them down in the runs!!  And you knew!  You knew that the creature from the comical field was influencing Hazel-rah from the very beginning, trying to lure Justin to a place where he would never be able to escape and where his power would not work against the monster!!  How could you?!  Embleer Frith, you knew and yet you did not do a damn thing about it!"

                _Hazel-rah has disobeyed the bonds of my command, even with the knowledge of what the punishment will be if any creature sets foot and disrupts the Pandora's Box of afflictions.  Regardless of him being possessed, I allowed them to enter the runs and holes of disease and pestilence because it was the only way I could imagine to trap the creature from the comical field, a pure evil plague that is nearly as destructive as Elil-rah himself, and since only the young boy was his target, I had to allow Justin and Hazel to be tricked and deceived by the monster for it was the only way to allow the foolish entity to confine itself in its shortsighted, thoughtless desire to kill the young one and to please its master.  This was the only way to deceive and stop the creature from wrecking havoc in the land beyond life, and I am sorry that Hazel and Justin must suffer for it._

                "You are not sorry!" snapped Bluebell heatedly, "You do not regret this at all!"

                _You rabbits do not understand.  This was the only way to stop It and I cannot remove Hazel and Justin from the holes because they must ravel out of them with their own free will, exactly how El-ahrairah had done before._

                "No, _you_ do not understand, embleer Rabbit of Inle!!" Buckthorn spat out bitterly, "This is NOT Frith's will!!!  This is not a fate Hazel-rah deserved!!!  How can you possibly squat there and not give a damn about our Chief's fate?!!  I do not care that you are a servant of Frith himself, but if you let Justin and Hazel-rah die...I will find a way to kill you!!  I swear it!!"

                "Buckthorn!" gasped out Strawberry in shock before turning to the Black Rabbit of Inle, yet the foreboding spirit of bereavement showed no emotion or indication that he took offense to Buckthorn's anger, almost as if he understood the grief and pain he was allowing for them.  Meanwhile, the rest of the rabbits were uselessly and vainly trying to break their way into the tunnels where Hazel and Justin were trapped.

                "Hazel-rah!!  Hazel-rah!!!  Are you there, chap?!!  Hazel-rah!!!  Embleer Frith, please answer!!!  Hazel-rah!!!" the rabbits continued to chorus as they vainly kept trying to enter the runs, yet it was no use.  The invisible barrier remained as hard and sturdy as Greenweed's armor.

                "If only there was a way we could help them fight!" sobbed Pipkin frantically, yet Holly, who was studying the dirt walls of the runs fastidiously, trying to spot a weakness or an alternate entrance into the holes of despair and disease when his eyes caught the glint of a telltale golden object, lying nearly buried amongst the dry, powdery dirt.  Blackberry, Campion and Speedwell noticed it too.

                "It is Justin's cross!" gasped Blackberry.

                "But...but then that means that Hazel-rah and Justin..." Speedwell sputtered.

                "...are practically defenseless in the holes of disease and affliction," Holly finished for him grimly, "And since the Black Rabbit won't let us go into the runs, we cannot bring Justin's cross to the young one nor can we help Hazel fight against the malignant evil that is threatening to consume the both of them."

                "Embleer fur and paw, then how can we help them?!" cursed Campion, mad with worry and anxiety, "Blackberry, think, damn it!  There must be a way we can help them regardless of the barrier!"

                Speedwell then gasped as an idea struck him.

                                                                                ***

                Justin was nearly sobbing with fear and his whole body felt so weak, numb and cold from even looking into this beast's glowing eyes, Justin could have sworn that he died of fright and terror.  He could not do anything but lie there awkwardly on his rear while staring at the monstrosity before him that used to be Hazel.  Hazel was screaming with unbearable pain, clutching his body and torso, convulsing and bent over, blood was being vomited out of his mouth at a sickening rate, only to vanish into the black, opaque shadows covering the bleak, dry ground.  The living being, though materializing out of Hazel's flesh and skin painfully like smoke, was physically real enough for Justin would smell its decaying, putrid breath billowing white steam that was so cold, it actually nearly burned Justin's skin, and he could actually feel the wetness of the saliva glistening and dripping from the creature's teeth.  Justin, as he sat there, petrified, allowing the creature to advance towards him, claws sinking into the ground, could not find the words to describe the animal.  The animal was as if it was a creation of every nightmare, every fear, every single sin, evil, darkness, and impurity known to man all combined into one, terrifying, emotionless, savage living monster.  Justin then knew what it was like to face true evil.

                "Who...who are you?" he whimpered, sniveling as his entire body refused to listen to his panic commands of flight.

                The dark, evil beast then rumbled, laughing in delight, its voice like the sound of metal sharpening and grating against rough stone covered with cold, relentless ice, "I AM YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE, YOUNG JUSTIN.  I AM THE BEAST CREATED SPECIFICALLY BY ELIL-RAH TO KILL YOU.  I AM IMMORTAL, AS OLD AND EXISTENT AS THE SKY AND THE EARTH.  I AM ALWAYS IN THE DARKNESS, LURKING IN THE SHADOWS ON YOUR DEEPEST FEARS, YOUR INSECURITIES, YOUR DOUBTS, YOUR HIDDEN SECRETS AND SINISTER URGES, THE URGE OF EVIL.  FOR WHENEVER THERE IS DARKNESS IN ONE'S WEAK HEART, I CAN TAKE AND INFECT THEIR SOUL, CAUSING IT TO GROW DEEPER AND DEEPER IN DESPAIR OR WICKEDNESS.  I HAVE NO NAME, FOR I AM THE HIDEEN PLAGUE THAT WREKCS HAVOC ON LIFE, I STRIVE FOR DISCORD AND HATE AND AVARICE, AND NO CREATURE HAS EVER SURVIVED TO WITNESS MY PRESENCE AND HAS LIVED TO TELL ABOUT IT, EXCEPT FOR EL-AHRAIRAH, BUT YOUR LUCK HAS RUN OUT, YOU SAD, FEEBLE, WEAK WRETCH."

                Justin felt the creature advance, he felt It get closer and closer with its warm, sticky breath of saliva, bile, and the stench of the past creatures who were unfortunate enough to fall prey to its voracious appetite of vicious and brutal hunger.  He needed to buy some time, needed to have a chance for either Hazel or himself to come up with a plan to escape for he was without his cross, and without the trinket's protective power, the adolescent would most likely become It's next meal.

                "But...but how does Hazel fit into all of this?!" he managed to whimper, and for an instant, it seemed that his question would go unanswered, but then It paused, chuckling gleefully.

                "HE WAS BY FAR THE WEAKEST CREATURE I HAD EVER ENCOUNTERED.  POSSESSING HIM WAS FAR TOO EFFORTLESS," It chuckled as Justin suddenly saw the pictorial mirage shimmer in front of him, flashing back to when Hazel ran off into the forest after Holly's victory over Greenweed only two days ago.  Justin could only watch, speechless and horrified at what unfolded before him:

                _"Hrairoo, please...I...I need some time alone.  Holly...can handle and take care of everything...without me for now," Hazel choked in a glum, miserable voice, nearly disembodied, and without another pause, the rabbit disappeared within the thicket.  Fiver shivered from the cold, distant aura Hazel, his brother, left behind._

_                "Hazel," Fiver murmured apprehensively._

_                Hazel just ignored his brother as he continued running into the deep, dark eclipse of the forest, hot tears of embarrassment and disgrace threatening to flood out, but the rabbit just stubbornly held them back as he barreled as fast as he could through the trees and grass, his feet pounding hard against the moss and his breath now coming out in angry, furious gasps of humiliation and ignominy.  At last, when the rabbit could not run a single step further, Hazel just collapsed onto the ground on all fours, angrily cuffing the ground with one forepaw, ignoring the faint numbing as the pain in his appendage was surpassed by the pain he had in his heart._

_                "They hate me!" Hazel yelled to himself as he kept venting his frustrations uncharacteristically, his voice now strangled and tight with regret, "Embleer Frith, El-ahrairah made a mistake!  Embleer Frith, I failed Justin and I kept failing everyone!!  They hate me!  I failed them as a leader, as a trusted ally, and now I've lost them!  All of them!  I can't go back, not after seeing how they feel about me, their pity, their disappointment, their willingness to easily wish for Holly to take my place!!  Embleer Frith, why El-ahrairah?!!  WHY?!!  I never asked to be their Chief Rabbit, to constantly live up to their expectations, to take on every responsibility, every concern, every worry, and every trouble that comes our way!  Why in the name of Frith did you even send me?!  To watch me fail?!!  To take satisfaction in knowing that I'm not the hero everyone makes me out to be?!!  Frith in the sky, I am not you!  I know I will never be as resourceful and legendary as you, and yet it does not stop you from ignoring how much I hurt, how much it kills me to see my friends lose faith in me, even by my own brother!!  Embleer Frith, just let me die!!!  Just let me die and take away all this torment, and then maybe they would be better off without me!!"  His aggravation and energy spent, the brown rabbit now just weakly remained on all paws on the ground, his head bent down and masking the pain that was carved into his face._

                Justin didn't realize he was silently crying until he felt the cold tears fall on his flushed face.  He had no idea Hazel felt this way.

                "Oh my God, Hazel, I'm so sorry," whimpered Justin to himself with miserable distress as he put a hand over his mouth in shock.

                _Hazel was now panting hard, refusing to rise until a mysterious voice then beckoned all around him in the forest.  It was apparent that the voice belonged to It, the carnivore of the comical field, for now Justin, as the sole spectator, could see the forest around Hazel slowly disappear under the gloomy dusk of night, swallowed up by shadows, until there was nothing left except for a small, circular patch of grass and vetch for the rabbit to remain on as the red eyes of It hovered above him like a phantom, mysterious and sinister._

_                "I CAN TAKE AWAY THE PAIN, HAZEL-RAH," the vile creature said in a disembodied voice, not unlike the voice of It Justin was hearing now, but actually mollifying, placating, yet still very deadly, like poisoned honey.  Hazel warily stood up quickly, alarmed._

                Justin was horrified to see the twinge of curiosity in Hazel's face, as if the rabbit was appealing towards the suggestive lie of It.

                _"Who...who's there?" Hazel managed to choke out._

_                "DO NOT BE ALARMED, HAZEL-RAH, DO NOT BE ALARMED.  STEADY THERE CHAP, STEADY.  THERE IS NO NEED FOR YOU TO ACT SO CAUTIOUS OF MY PRESENCE FOR I JUST WISH TO SEE IF YOU ARE ALL RIGHT, IF YOU NEED MY HELP."_

                Hazel narrowed his eyes in mortification as he sighed as looked at the ground, muttering heatedly, "Whoever you are, just leave me.  I wish to be alone."

                _"I AM TRULY SORRY TO SEE THAT, FOR IT APPEARS THAT YOUR FRIENDS NEARLY HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU, WHICH MAKES IT ALL THE MORE TRAGIC BECAUSE I CAN EVEN SEE JUST BY LOOKING AT YOU THAT YOU ARE A TRULY ADMIRABLE AND NOBLE CHAP WHO JUST HAS FAULTS, HAS FLAWS, AND MAKES MISTAKES SUCH AS ANY OTHER RABBIT OF EL-AHRAIRAH."_

_                "Leave me alone," Hazel whispered stubbornly and heatedly, unsuccessful as his tears of hurt and shame spilled out again, though they did nothing to lessen the angry, pained, grieved look on the Chief rabbit's face._

                "YOU ARE ANGRY WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR BROTHER, AND BY THE FUR AND PAW, EVEN WITH THE CROSS-BEARER, FOR THEY HAVE SO EASILY FORGOTTEN HOW YOU HAVE TRIED YOUR BEST EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE HUMAN AND THEIR SAFETY, HOW THEY HAVE EASILY FORGOTTEN THAT YOU ALWAYS HAVE CARED FOR THEIR WELL-BEING, HOW YOU HAVE FOUGHT TO DEFEND THEM AND COUNTLESS OTHERS.  AND YET HOW DO THEY ALL REPAY YOU?  WITH CRITICISM, WITH DOUBT, WITH LACK OF FAITH AND TRUST, AND NOW, AFTER HOLLY HAD DEFEATED GREENWEED, YOU JUST STOOD THERE AND WATCHED AS THE REST OF THE WATERSHIP OWSLA COMMENTED ON HOW GREAT AND SPECTACULAR HE WAS, A TRUE LEADER, LEAVING YOU IN OBSCURITY AND TOSSED ASIDE LIKE MOLDY FLAYRAH."

_                "Shut up," whispered Hazel as his voice got lower and the tears spilled harder._

_                "NO, I WILL NOT LEAVE, HAZEL-RAH, FOR I FIND IT SAD AND TRAGIC THAT SUCH A STRONG SPIRIT SUCH AS YOURS IS SUBJECTED TO UNBEARABLE PAIN AND ANGST AND HUMILIATION.  PLEASE, HAZEL-RAH, LET ME HELP YOU, LET ME EASE YOUR BURDEN, FOR I DO NOT THINK I CAN FIND MY CONSCIENCE TO BE AT PEACE UNTIL I CAN TRY TO MAKE YOU BETTER."_

_                Hazel then paused, painstakingly taking his time, until to Justin's dismay, Hazel asked softly, "How?"_

_                "I CAN REMOVE PAIN, I CAN HELP YOU FORGET ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS, I CAN CLOSE OFF YOUR SENSES SO THAT SUCH TRIVIAL INSULTS AND WOUNDS WOULD NOT AFFECT YOU.  YOU WOULD BE DEAD TO SUCH HARSH PUNISHMENT, DEAD TO SUCH SUFFERING, DEAD TO THE WORLD.  ALL I ASK IS FOR YOU TO TRUST ME, TO LET ME GET CLOSE TO YOU."_

_                Hazel did not answer, but he was breathing hard with a mixture of hope and excitement and wariness, his chest rising up and down painfully as he tried to calm his rapid heart.  The manipulative, shrewd figure then asked, "DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE LIVING WITH THE GUILT, WITH THE REMORSE, WITH THE CONSTANT WISHES THAT YOU COULD GO BACK AND RIGHT ALL THE WRONGS YOU HAVE DONE?"_

                Hazel then said the worst words Justin could ever hear from him.

                _"Do it.  Take away the pain.  I don't want to live with this anymore!  Just do it now!"_

                That was all It needed to hear as the brave Chief Rabbit was now engulfed with black smoke and dark shadowy paws, running over Hazel's body, feeling his fur, stroking his flesh and muscle, and the last thing Justin could view from the flashback was Hazel's face going blank, devoid of any emotion and feeling, before his eyes turned into a vicious, harsh red of Elil-rah's power.

                "Oh my God," Justin could manage to choke out and sob as It turned to face the small, frail human again, the fanged, drooling mouth now set into a wide, vile, repulsive smile.  It clearly enjoyed tormenting Hazel like that, without showing any hesitation, remorse, and second thought.  The creature then took a step towards Justin, but then surprisingly, Hazel, who was still weak from his possession, managed to leap onto the face of It and boldly started ripping into the skin with his claws and teeth.  More annoyed than angry, the horrid abomination just simply swatted the battered Hazel roughly off its face, and completely bruised and destabilized, the Owsla leader lay where he fell.  Justin ran to his side.

                "Hazel!" Justin yelled, trying to help him not black out.  Hazel groaned as he wearily tried to stand, but it was useless.  He was so worn out and tired that he could barely even speak.

                "NOW, JUSTIN, YOU SHALL DIE!!!" It screamed as the horrendous fiend lunged towards Justin who was still kneeling next to a bleeding and panting and exhausted Hazel, unable to do anything to defend himself from It's fangs and ravenous instinct of desecration.

                "Justin...run...please," Hazel whispered gravely and hoarsely, almost sobbing, as he felt the blame and guilt water in his eyes.  Justin did not answer as he saw the moments of his life, his memories flash in front of his eyes as It got closer and closer with each and every instant.  There was a brief yet momentous flash of light as Justin felt something strike him and Hazel, a sudden yet invisible force of momentum yet strangely enough, Justin couldn't feel any pain, any wound, and the light was so beautiful, an instant relief of being in the dark runs.  Am I dead, Justin wondered silently to himself.

                Justin and Hazel then saw what was holding It back.  To their complete surprise and admiration, they saw that directly in front of them, forming an impenetrable line spanning across the width of the tunnel with no possible way for the dark creature to charge through, were the rabbits of Watership Down.  All of them, Bluebell, Campion, Bigwig, Acorn, Hawkbit, Silver, Pipkin, Blackberry, Speedwell, Buckthorn, Fiver, Dandelion, Strawberry, and Holly, were glowing with halos of liberating, blissful sunlight as their astral projections, their translucent, psychic forms, were blockading the creature from advancing any further.  The Watership Owsla just simply glared as they stood there, paw in paw, as the demonic, otherworldly creature roared with a fresh new wave of disbelieving fury and pained surprise as the light from the astral projection line seared its smoking skin.

                "IMPOSSIBLE!!!" roared It, frothing with bile at the mouth.

                "How?" asked Justin weakly.

                                                                                ***

                Outside the holes of affliction, in the Grand Hall of the warren of the Black Rabbit of Inle, all fourteen rabbits, the remainder of the faithful group, were gathered around in a circle, and in the very center of the gathering, lying neatly in the dirt, was the golden, crystal cross attached to the silver chain.  All the rabbits had their eyes tightly closed as they concentrated their utmost efforts into maintaining their astral projections, keeping firm paws on the smooth, cold surface of the necklace.

                "Keep it up, chaps!  Don't give up!  Hazel-rah and Justin are depending their lives on us!" barked Bigwig roughly as they all kept praying and utilizing whatever hidden, inward strength they could muster.  Behind them, the Black Rabbit just watched and waited.

                                                                                ***

                "WHAT?!!  THIS CAN'T BE!!  THIS CANNOT BE REAL!!!  YOU WEAK, INCOMPTENT TWITS SHOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO EVEN DELAY ME!!!  MY POWER, MY STRENTH, MY BIRTHRIGHT OF ELIL-RAH CAN NEVER BE SURPASSED!!!"

                "It can now, you dark, treacherous fool!" growled the astral projection of Holly, "Get away from Justin and Hazel, and stay away!"

                "We will not let you by without a fight!" snapped Pipkin furiously, his voice uncharacteristically brave and strict.

                "You sad, pitiable, wretched fool.  You simply do not understand, do you?" muttered Dandelion.

                "You honestly and arrogantly believe all the lies Elil-rah deluded you with?  You actually think El-ahrairah and us chaps from Watership Down would take this lying down, that we would surrender everything we have ever lived for?" questioned Blackberry fiercely.

                "You think Elil-rah's power is the strongest there ever is, you brainless idiot," scorned Hawkbit.

                "But you are completely wrong, dark one, for friends, family, and Frith's gifts to El-ahrairah and to his descendants are what matters in this world," said Buckthorn coldly.

                "I WILL NOT BE STOPPED!!!" roared It as the dark, ghostly atrocity barreled itself into the line of the astral projections, heedless of the pain the light was inflicting onto it.  The persistent attack was also damaging the astral forms of the Watership soldiers as well, for all of them were wincing in pain as It kept pushing mercilessly and doggedly into them, lashing out with its claws and teeth.  Slowly, but surely, the dark carnivore made headway through the astral projection wall as the forms of the Watership soldiers started to fade bit by bit.

                Bluebell looked over his shoulder and hollered, "Justin, take Hazel-rah and find your way out of the runs!  The entrance back into the safety of the Black Rabbit's warren should be the one that leads you into the light!  Hurry!  Take Hazel-rah and go!  The light and protection from our astral forms cannot delay this thing forever!!"

                "Please, hurry!  Go now, while you still have the chance!" Silver cried.

                "Go on!" urged Bigwig angrily.  Justin, white in the face, nodded as he, nearly stumbling, raced to Hazel's side and helped the rabbit rise off the floor.  Hazel, dangerously weak, could not even manage to hop, so Justin awkwardly let the heavy rabbit lean on him for support, though Justin nearly felt like he was going to subside underneath the tedious work of helping Hazel stagger away from the fight between It and their friends.  Hazel was drained, limp, and nearly in danger of collapsing again, and Justin could have sworn that his back was aching from the load he was half-carrying as Hazel rested thickly onto the adolescent's shoulders.  Justin prayed they had enough time to find the exit, for the beast from the comical field was still roaring, still intent and eager to track Hazel and Justin down.  Minutes, to Justin's anxious horror, passed like mere seconds, and no matter which way Justin and Hazel went, there always seemed to be numerous paths that could be taken, numerous holes that could either lead them into a dead end or to another network of tunnels.  In short, both of them were wandering in a web of endless caverns and runs, and if Justin did not have Hazel's Sense of Smell, he would have surely been off course and disoriented forever with no way out.  Hazel, though still drained, managed to faintly trace the smell of relatively fresh air wafting into the runs and holes, and steadily, yet surely, they both crawled upwards in the rising paths of the tunnels, until, after an hour, to Justin's joy, there in front of them, was the faint, shining outline of the exit out of the holes of affliction, it's path slightly flushed with the pale, blue glow of the warren of the Black Rabbit.  They found the exit, and they could escape back into the comfort of their friends again on the other side.

                "Hazel, do you see it?!  Do you see it?!!" Justin cried excitedly, immense with cheer and elation, "We're going to be back with the others!  We'll be safe!"  Hazel did not answer, but blankly, he nodded easily enough.  Justin and Hazel then began sprinting as fast as they possibly could towards the egress.  The tantalizing sight grew larger and larger as they got closer and closer.

                "Not much father now, Hazel.  Don't give up!  We're so close!" yelled Justin with delight.  Yet as they both approached the exit, something went wrong.  A huge, invisible force painfully shoved them back the instant both Justin and the Chief rabbit got close, and it painfully felt like an electric shock littered with razor blades rushed into their bodies for now both Justin and the rabbit had several small, thin yet bleeding lacerations on their bodies.  It was so intense, yet so swift, Justin did not even register what was going on and did not even have time to yelp in pain.  Trying again, Justin tried pushing against the opening with a free hand, and this time, the energy became more severe as Justin, feeling the sting against his palm, withdrew his hand quickly away to see that his hand and fingers were now slightly red from the burning energy and slightly bleeding.  There was no question; Justin and Hazel could not make their way past the entrance for some sort of protective barrier was hindering them.

                "I...I can't go through?!!" Justin gasped out loud in disbelief as Hazel leaned against him heavily, with the teenager struggling to prop up the injured rabbit.  Suddenly, like distant ripples in a pool of water, gently yet noticeably, the voice of the Black Rabbit of Inle reverberated in the dark chamber.

                _Hazel has been infected by the nightmare, young one, and to allow him to leave the holes and runs of disease and pestilence and death would upset the balance of peace and chaos, life and death, in this realm and in the land beyond life.  I cannot allow your friend to pass.  You must abandon him._

                "No, I won't!!!" Justin yelled as Hazel's heart sank, immediately blaming himself for his mistakes and for dragging Justin into his conflicts.

                _Do not be stubborn, young cross-bearer.  I will not repeat myself again.  Already, I am creating a huge taboo by allowing you to come out unscathed._

                "Then why are you?!!" Justin snapped back, furious at the injustice of it.

                _Because you are innocent, you have not been infected by the dark plague that comes from the creature's influence, whereas Hazel is forever cursed with a piece of that dark creatures soul, a remnant that will forever serve as a permanent badge of shadow and guilt for his weakness.  His spirit has been tainted, and I cannot let him back into the land beyond life, for Frith will not have it so._

                The roars behind them indicated that It was nearly through the barrier of their friends' astral projections.  Justin held on tighter to Hazel, his fingers grasping his soft, brown fur.

                "It doesn't matter!  My cross can erase the darkness leftover in Hazel's body!!"

                _True...yet your cross remains outside the caverns of death and despair, along with your protectors who are waiting for you.  You cannot heal Hazel without the cross, and yet in order to do so, both of you must exit out of the runs, against my wishes and command, which I cannot allow._

                "That's not fair!!" hollered Justin, beside himself.

                _It is not a matter of what is fair or not, but what is necessary; it is what must be._

                Justin refused to give up, knowing that abandoning Hazel and facing the other rabbits of the Watership Owsla would be something he would not be able to face, much less live with.  He wrapped his arm tighter around the torso of a surprised Hazel who was stunned at Justin's fortitude.  Justin yelled, "It doesn't matter!!  I'm not leaving him!!  We're going out together!!"

                Justin tried again, but unfortunately, the invisible barrier kept pushing him back, and the harder Justin tried to walk forward, the force from the magic blockade became more intense, the invisible power literally making deep gashes across Justin's body and causing the teenager to bleed at his right cheek, his arms and hands, and through one pant leg.  Hazel could see the roses of red blossoming and staining Justin's jeans and clothes.  Worried and desperate, Hazel tried to push himself away from the cross-bearer while Justin, sensing his efforts, clung onto the rabbit tighter.

                "Justin, let me go!!" Hazel ordered, a bit hysterical as he heard the dark, evil creature roaring louder and louder in the caverns.  Somehow, Hazel could sense it was approaching closer and closer, and if Justin did not act soon, he would share the same fate as Hazel, a fate Hazel did not wish for the young boy to go through as well.  Hazel tried to shove Justin's hold on him, yet he was still weak from being possessed by It, and Justin, by Frith, was stronger than he had anticipated.  Hazel now had blood, Justin's blood, staining his red and silver tunic as Justin kept attempting to drag Hazel through the barrier despite the burning pain he felt through his entire body.  It was clear Justin would not survive if he kept it up.

                "Justin, please, don't be foolish!!" Hazel pleaded as he struggled to remove himself from the adolescent's grip around his torso, hoping he could force Justin out of the run and leave Hazel to fight off It alone.  Justin just gritted his teeth as he tightened his hold, still attempting to push Hazel and himself through the barrier and into the dim light ahead.  The Black Rabbit's voice floated once again above their heads, distant and shadowy.

                _Justin, if you do not release Hazel and come out of the runs, I will have no choice but to allow you to die, at the claws of the dark beast of the comical field, and then El-ahrairah shall truly perish without your aid.  Young one, do not be imprudent.  Is it really worth sacrificing your life, your mission, El-ahrairah, for Hazel?_

                "Yes!!" shouted Justin angrily over the triumphant roars of It, signaling that it had already made its way past the astral projection barrier formed from the Watership Owsla and was now rapidly scourging through the winding caverns, eager to finish them both off.  Then before the Black Rabbit could reply for what he expected a final time, Justin then softly asked the Black Rabbit, "Black Rabbit of Inle...when...when you said it is necessary that I leave here alive without Hazel, was it because you showed mercy to me, because I really did have a pure heart and you did not want to punish the innocent...or is it because I'm the cross-bearer?"

                For once, Hazel did not hear the Black Rabbit provide an immediate answer, only silence of contemplation.

                Justin asked again, rephrasing, "When you said I could pass through with your permission, was it because you really don't find any faults with me, that you think I'm not evil, or is it because you don't want El-ahrairah to die and I'm the only one who can help him?"

                Again, the Black Rabbit of Inle did not answer.

                Justin continued, his voice tired yet displaying the faintest traces of ironic comprehension and accord, "You said you do whatever is asked of you by Frith, whatever is necessary for the greater cause.  I...I can understand that, but...but is it necessary?  For me to abandon my friend, my guardian, one of the rabbits who has always stayed by me and cared for me, protected me, and who himself was ordered by El-ahrairah and Frith do always remain by my side and to help me fight Elil-rah?  Well...is it really necessary for me to leave Hazel?"

                _Yes, for he has a piece of darkness in him, in his heart, and no amount of power from El-ahrairah or myself can ever help him vanquish that.  Young one, if he leaves this run, he will spread the darkness to other creatures in the land beyond life, starting with the other soldiers of the Owsla of Watership Down and the darkness will corrupt all the other innocent creatures in this land, thus ultimately leading to the demise of this realm, this world.  For that was Elil-rah's plan, young one.  He knew that if you extract him from the runs and holes of disease and affliction, you will, in due course, turn the rest of the rabbits against El-ahrairah from the contamination of the dark demon once you arrive at his warren in the meadows of Fenlo, yet if you leave him, Hazel-rah shall suffer at the mercy of It while the rest of you manage to escape, yet with one comrade gone forever.  Which is precisely why I wish for you to abandon your friend, cross-bearer, for it is the decision of lesser consequences and the more vital._

                "He's...he's right, Justin," Hazel panted wearily, still weak, "I...I can feel it, in my heart, I can feel the dark creature's pain, his anger, his bloodlust, his mind pressing against my own.  I'm...I'm not free from it, Justin.  The only thing you and the rest of the chaps were able to do was to delay It, but the presence is still there, in my heart...and it is making me weaker and weaker.  I will fade away, young one, so please, listen to the Black Rabbit before it is too late!!  Leave me behind!!  Please!"

                "But it still has consequences, ones that I can't live with, and neither can the rest of the guys live with it!" Justin hissed through gritted teeth as he felt a gash rip excruciatingly across his hand before he pleaded again to the Black Rabbit, "Please, you know none of it was Hazel's fault!  He didn't know what he was doing, and the animal was taking advantage of his depression and his sadness!  You can't punish him for being tempted, for making a mistake!"

                _Regardless, young one, Hazel still has the piece of the curse in his heart and soul, and to release something such as that in the land beyond life would endanger other creatures.  You can curse me, plead with me, loathe my decisions and hate me as much as you wish, as it has always been with every creature I have brought, but I still stand on my decision, Justin._

                Justin's eyes crinkled a bit in confusion before they registered sad understanding.

                "You're wrong, you know.  I don't hate you."

                Hazel swore he could have seen the one, extraordinary moment when the Black Rabbit actually widened his eyes in disbelief, breaking through his calm, somber, solemn composure.

                Justin continued, "I know what you do, what your role is in the physical world, how you help all rabbits by bringing them death, from the stories I've read about you in 'Watership Down'.  I know that no matter how much everyone remembers how you are only doing what Frith told you to do, that death is a natural part of life, that eventually, everyone has to die but they will meet each other again in the land beyond life, there is always a creature who wishes to bargain with you for a little more time, or complains and whines on how it is not fair, or curses you, the messenger, because what you're doing hurts them and the people who love them.  Trust me, humans go through the exact same feelings whenever they're faced with death, even though it's not their decision to make, even though you're just doing what you've been told to do, that people cannot question God's will because He knows what should happen will happen, and no one can fight against it because His decision is best, even though we may not know it."

                The Black Rabbit hesitated before asking sharply and impatiently, _Even if you know that, even if you do realize how creatures feel about me, and what I go through day and night even since the beginning of time, then why are you being so difficult and obdurate?_

                "Because where else does Hazel have left to go if he can't come back to the land beyond life?"

                There was only silence in response.  Justin had to think hard about explaining his reason despite the panic and fear and the growls of the dark beast lurking behind them.

                "Because Hazel has already died, and banishing him from the land beyond life isn't merciful, and it's not something that Frith would do.  I know it, deep in my heart.  Hazel is just a rabbit who's loyal to El-ahrairah, yet if he has to die for a second time and leave this place, where else does he have left to go?  If he can't go to the land beyond life, where else can you take him?  To have him suffer and be imprisoned in these holes forever?  That's not gracious like death, and it's not a fate Frith would have chosen for Hazel.  Not even El-ahrairah would have been punished like this, and he's done things far worse than Hazel."

                It was getting closer, the rumbles from its dripping mouth now faintly audible.

                "There is a difference between physical death and true death, and Hazel doesn't deserve true death," Justin supplicated quietly.

                The Black Rabbit of Inle still remained silent, though, although it could have been possible for Hazel to imagine it, he could have felt the entire run suddenly turn less cold and foreboding.

                "Black Rabbit?" Justin requested.

                _I am sorry Justin, but unfair or not, I cannot break those rules set in the deepest stone...I am truly sorry._

                It was getting closer, the muffled sound of it's heavy, clawed paws scratching against the hard ground.

                "Then, can I ask a question?"

                The Black Rabbit could not help but smile grimly at the human teenager's naive, inappropriate politeness.

                _You may._

                "If you're letting me out of the holes and runs of affliction, even though I'm a human, even though I'm possibly the worst creature ever created and probably the most evil, why aren't you worried that I might infect other creatures here in the land beyond life?"

                _Because humans can accept and hide a tremendous amount of wickedness, malevolence, and sin in their hearts, more so than any non-human creature created by Frith, because you also have love and friendship and kindness and hope, gifts also given solely to men to balance out your ultimate iniquities, and because your friends from Watership Down, those sent to protect and care for you would help you deal with the evil and contain it, so that all you display is the true heart of the universal Spirit._

                "So what makes you think it's not the same for Hazel?"

                The Black Rabbit of Inle hesitated before he diverted the subject deliberately, _Justin, please do not be foolish.  Leave Hazel-rah behind, for El-ahrairah's sake...and for mine._

                It was getting closer, the low chuckling of insane, sadistic, cruel glee from its core of wicked, foul turpitude, more evil than every single elil the Watership Owsla and Justin had ever faced within the past month synthesized together.

                "Please, young one, please.  Leave me."  Now, it was Hazel speaking, and as Justin turned mournfully to face Hazel, he could see the rabbit's face dimly, feel the moist fur and whiskers soaked from his sweat and tears of fatigue and sorrow.

                "Hazel -," started Justin, whimpering, but Hazel forcefully placed a paw over Justin's mouth, silencing him as he used whatever strength he could muster to stand on his own accord.  Now Hazel's quiet voice was hard and forceful as he had enough with the adolescent's foolishness and wanted what needed to be done quickly.

                "Justin, go...or I will throw you out myself."

                Justin just stood there, pausing and undecided.

                Hazel repeated with more conviction, "Go, or you will surely die."

                Justin still looked defiant, so Hazel, walking lamely, advanced towards him with an angry, fierce look on his face, though in reality, his heart was broken with pity and flooded remorse.  He needed to be cruel to be kind in this case.  Though he wasn't sure if he had enough muscle to actually fight and force the cross-bearer out, he would do so now as It advanced closer and closer.  Justin still did not budge as Hazel roughly grabbed him by the shoulders, ready to push him out and through the barrier close-by.  Justin then looked up at Hazel, clouded, resigned yet sorrowful.

                "Before I go...one last hug?" the boy whispered dolefully.

                Hazel felt his shattered heart engulf his senses, but he gave in, promising himself that it must be done in haste or else the monstrosity of the comical field would be upon them.  Time was of the essence.  Hazel just opened his paws wide, allowing the teenager to wrap himself affectionately around his torso, his clammy face burying itself into Hazel's dirty red and silver tunic, and though extremely restless and fretful, Hazel firmly yet fatherly embraced his friend, knowing that this would be the last time they would ever see each other again.  One second passed, then two, yet Hazel unexpectedly felt in high spirits and warm from the embrace and closing his eyes, he could almost relive all the trials of the elil, the adventures, the past life he experienced on Watership Down, the fun and excitement and risks that came with his legacy.  A part of him wished that he would never leave the cross-bearer's side.

                The roars of the creature got louder and louder and fragments of rock scurried and trembled in its wake.  Justin needed to leave now while he still had the chance.

                "Justin, go now," Hazel whispered.  Justin did not answer and Hazel felt his arms squeeze his body even tighter.

                "Justin, what are you doing?!  For Frith's sake, let go!"  Now Hazel's voice had a slight ring of alarm and surprise as he tried to push the human off him, yet Justin's grip was like rock, and the human kept a vise-like hug around Hazel.  He wasn't leaving, but before Hazel could cuff Justin, to his horror as dawning comprehension entered his mind, he heard Justin whisper the last of his prayer.

                "...and let me take in the darkness; remove the piece of It that is hurting Hazel and put in me instead, so that he will be free from the guilt, from the pain, and be able to go back home with the others back to El-ahrairah."

                "NO!" yelled Hazel in horror as he tried to shove Justin into the barrier, but it was too late.  With a sudden howl, Hazel could only widen his eyes in excruciating pain as he felt his lungs, his heart, his chest explode with searing pain, as if someone drove a burning stake of red-hot metal into his body, and the rabbit shook violently, his voice dying to a faint gurgle as he desperately gasped for air.  Justin, who was still holding onto Hazel, was crying and whimpering in pain as he felt the shard of darkness, the piece of the evil ogre, dig itself unbearably out of Hazel's chest, like a mole or a gopher, before burrowing directly into Justin's chest cavity and into his heart.  The anguish and suffering was horrendous.  Justin felt his entire world fall out from beneath him as his head was swimming, and the rest of his body felt like every drop of blood in his veins turned to the fiercest, hardest ice.  Justin, now too weak to even stand up, felt his vision cloud and blur as he stiffly released Hazel and collapsed onto his back, barely breathing and nearly as stiff and hard as rock.  Hazel, also debilitated, fell to all four of his paws, weakly coughing and gasping for precious air that could diminish the haze of wearisome obscurity that was desperately trying to block his consciousness.  Despite the affliction, Hazel slowly discovered that he felt...free, uplifted, no longer burdened with torment.  Yet, at what cost?

                Hazel then saw Justin lying senselessly on the rocky ground, and his heart then nearly plummeted to the pit of his stomach as he crawled feebly towards his human friend.  Hazel felt the tears of blame and regret obstruct his throat and burn his eyes as he uselessly and pathetically cradled Justin in forepaws, feeling Justin fade away second by second.  Now Justin was the one infected with the darkness, and even if Hazel could be allowed to go free, Justin would not, and as a result, the cross-bearer would never have a chance to save their warren and heal El-ahrairah.  Hazel just shut his eyes as he held Justin close to his body, trying to capture the last, remaining traces of warmth and life escaping from the adolescent's skin.

                "El-ahrairah, what now?  What now??  I've failed you, I've failed everyone," sobbed Hazel.  Instantly, he felt his entire world go dark and at first, Hazel thought that the beast was finally upon them, but then a faint shimmer of light in front of him, bringing the rabbit to open his eyes and look towards the amazing sight that came into his sight.  There, in front of him, were translucent, ghostly forms of the astral projections of Bluebell, Campion, Bigwig, Acorn, Hawkbit, Silver, Pipkin, Blackberry, Speedwell, Buckthorn, Fiver, Dandelion, Strawberry, and Holly, all of them staring mournfully and despondently at the still form of Justin and Hazel, their faces beyond description of the pain they felt and their eyes cascading with tears as they all wept silently.

                And standing in front of them was the ghostly, spiritual apparition of El-ahrairah, the Lord and Prince of all rabbits, who looked intently at the scene that unfolded in front of him, yet unlike the rest of the Owsla, El-ahrairah, though sad and full of lament and dolor, also had silent love and sympathy shining through his kind face, his ears glowing with the faint silver of starlight.

                _Hazel_, whispered El-ahrairah benevolently.  Peculiarly enough, El-ahrairah's voice was completely opposite of the Black Rabbit of Inle and yet so similar as well.  It was as if the Black Rabbit and El-ahrairah were the proverbial twins of contrary, with one twin representing light and the other representing darkness.

                "El-ahrairah, what can I do now?" wept Hazel, unable to look at his Prince in the eye without wanting to curl up in a fetal position of remorse and shame, "Justin is dead, all because of my hesitation and foolishness!  I am truly alone now, because I failed you, I failed my friends, and no one can help me nor would they wish to!  Justin is the only importance that matters in this mission, and I have lost him!!"

                _No, it is not how you say, Hazel, my child, my friend...my brother in Frith and in my heart_.

                El-ahrairah's astral projection form was now close enough to touch Hazel, and the heavenly Prince softly placed a warm, reassuring paw underneath Hazel's chin, causing the Chief Rabbit to look directly into his cornflower eyes of blue, as soft and gentle as the clam, clear sky of the month of May.

                _Hazel, I am not disappointed in you, nor do I think that you are a failure, a fool, a mistake.  Hazel, every rabbit has faults, every rabbit makes mistakes, every rabbits has moments of weakness, has times when they stumble, and has times when they subject themselves to evil.  Frith can see this before it even happens, I can foretell such deeds before they even began to take root in your mind.  Hazel, I am fully aware of your mistakes, your lapses of oversight, and yet I still stand by my decision that you are the one and only rabbit I can trust to lead the fellowship to protect the cross-bearer.  Rather than condemning your mistakes and your weaknesses, I chose to trust you, love you, and have faith in you regardless._

                Hazel just stared at his benevolent Prince, shocked at the statement.  El-ahrairah continued patiently.

                _You are not alone, you are never alone, for I am in your heart, just as I was for Strawberry when he was tormented by Cowslip, just as I was for Blackberry during his conflict with Justin's humanity, and just as I am here now for you, Hazel, for you need the truth of the matter to help you realize your destiny, your importance, your hidden strength.  Do you not remember, Hazel?  Your heart will never mislead you, but in order for it to display the power of your light, it needs to be bonded together with those who care about you.  Such as the incident in the heather after you and the band left Sandleford warren, such as when you and your friends raided the Nuthanger Farm in order to free the hutch rabbits, and such as the liberation of the prisoners of Efrafa and the siege afterwards with the help and care of your family.  Can you see what I am trying to tell you?  You know as well as I that you are not weak, pathetic, and bungling, yet of course you cannot achieve this alone.  No one can, not even myself.  Why do you think I sent the others of the Watership Owsla to accompany you?  It was not to create an army of soldiers at your command nor was it because I had a lack of trust in your abilities, but it was because they are your family, your brothers, your friends that give you strength, that support you in your actions, no matter what cost, and despite the anger and uncertainty that you have witnessed, they do care deeply for **your** well-being as well as Justin's.  Can you not see them?  They are not just weeping for the cross-bearer.  They are weeping for you, for their Chief rabbit, for their brother, for their comrade._

                "Hazel-rah, please, don't leave us.  We need you," whimpered Bluebell, wrenching his paws together in front of him in frantic anxiety.

                "We will not let it end, not like this, Hazel-rah," whispered Campion.

                "Damn it, Hazel, believe in yourself and trust us and El-ahrairah!  None of us could have fought all this way by ourselves, so why in the name of the Black Rabbit do you think we expect that impossibility out of you?  Fight it, Hazel-rah!" bellowed Bigwig angrily.

                "Hazel-rah, please, come back to us!" Acorn whined.

                "If you leave us, I'll come in there myself and kick your furry tail until some sense gets knocked into you!  Embleer fur and paw, we always cared about you!" shouted Hawkbit, tears of outrage wetting his face.

                "We protect and help each other, Hazel-rah.  Just because you are our leader does not mean that you are above us, for you need our support as well as we need yours," commented Silver sadly.

                "Hazel, don't give up, please!  We believe in you!  El-ahrairah believes in you!" wailed Pipkin.

                "We are here for you, Hazel-rah.  We always have been and always will be," Blackberry stated matter-of-factly.

                "C'mon, chap, fight this!  You've always shown true leadership and direction before!  You cannot stop now!" urged Speedwell.

                "Hazel-rah, I can understand your doubt, but we never stopped caring about you.  It is not because you were our Chief and we were obligated to show you respect, but because you treated us as equals, as peers, with such kindness and humble understanding that no other rabbit has ever felt from a Chief rabbit before," Buckthorn said softly.

                "We will never leave you or forsake you," Fiver murmured, his eyes shining.

                "Hazel-rah, please, you cannot let the story end like this!  All the kittens back in Fenlo will want this tale to end with a happy ending!" pleaded Dandelion.

                "Hazel-rah, you made mistakes, but so has every other rabbit that has ever lived, even El-ahrairah himself.  You are no different from every noble heart that still manages to persevere and fight against evil and enticement," Strawberry wept, rubbing his face with his forepaws awkwardly.

                "Hazel-rah, we are a family, a band of brothers.  Please, come back to us.  Can you not see how much we will all hurt and mourn if Justin left you behind?  If you won't come back for us, then come back for El-ahrairah, for Justin...and for yourself," begged Holly.

                _Hazel, please, I never doubted you or your gifts.  Neither have your companions nor the cross-bearer for he was willing to take your burden, your encumbrance, in order to help you, to aid you, to realize your true spirit, not living and listening to the darkness, but alive and well in the Holy Spirit.  Hazel, can you not see the truth?  Gentleness, a contrite spirit, admitting that you cannot fight alone and needing the help of others...that is **never **a sign of weakness but a character of true strength and humility, a firm leader.  You can still win...but I cannot force you to make that decision.  Hazel, the choice to either fight and admit your powerlessness, your need for help or to stand alone, defeated, and accepting of the cross-bearer's demise is ultimately yours.  You need to make that conscious decision.  It is now or never, my friend._

                As this dialogue and exchange of heart continued on, the wicked abomination of the comical field finally found its way into the run, only to gleefully see its victims, Hazel and Justin, both on the ground, unable to spot the apparitions of light that were witnessing directly to them.  It may have lost its influential hold on the Chief Rabbit, but he would be able to strike the both of the nuisances before they could even make a sudden movement.

                "I HAVE YOU NOW!!!" It bellowed with malevolent, nasty craving of cruel distress and bleak slaughter, as It dashed towards the two targets from behind them, completely vulnerable, powerless, and ready to be set upon by the carnivorous, horrid animal born from Elil-rah's foulest imagination of his sick, twisted mind of evil.  It pounced, but then Hazel said the most uplifting words he could ever utter.

                "El-ahrairah...I...I cannot do this alone.  I need to protect the cross-bearer.  I need to protect Justin.  I...I need everyone to help me.  Please, please, everyone, I won't give up, I won't stop fighting, but please, _please_, lend me your power, give me strength.  Please!"

                In fractions of a second, Hazel began to glow in soft, pure sunlight.  A single, twinkling spark of life emerged on his chest, in front of the red fabric covering his torso.  It was nascent but nevertheless, still more beautiful and promising as the holiest star of the brightest heavens.

                "Hazel-rah..." Bluebell whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                "Hazel-rah..." Campion whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                "Hazel-rah..." Bigwig whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                "Hazel-rah..." Acorn whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                "Hazel-rah..." Hawkbit whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                "Hazel-rah..." Silver whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                "Hazel-rah..." Pipkin whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                "Hazel-rah..." Blackberry whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                "Hazel-rah..." Speedwell whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                "Hazel-rah..." Buckthorn whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                "Hazel-rah..." Fiver whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                "Hazel-rah..." Dandelion whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                "Hazel-rah..." Strawberry whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                "Hazel-rah..." Holly whispered as he touched Hazel's chest with his paw.  The star grew brighter.

                And last but not least...

                _I love you, my child, my brother, for I am with you in your heart.  Protect Justin.  Blessed be_, finished El-ahrairah as his paw, his touch of magic, of strength, of power, made the last contact with Hazel's heart.

                The star flickered before it surged, its power of might and virtue increasing by more than a thousand fold, blazing the holes of affliction, indeed the entire stone warren of the Black Rabbit of Inle, with beautiful light of togetherness and love and devotion.  It screamed, stopping instantly in its attack.

                "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!  THIS CANNOT BEEEEEEE!!!" It screamed as the light overwhelmed the monster.

                                                                                ***

                "Wha-...what in the name of Frith and Inle is going on?" Strawberry asked, shocked as the light began to eat its way through the barrier, nearly blinding all of them, including the Black Rabbit of Inle and his shadow Owsla who were never used to such radiance and luminescence.

                "Hazel-rah!" bellowed Holly, now deciding that no matter what the cost, he would march in there regardless of the consequences and drag out Justin and El-ahrairah himself if he had to.  Yet before he could act, the audience could dimly see a silhouette walking, no, stumbling out of the entrance to the holes of affliction and disease.

                "Ha...Hazel-rah??" Bigwig inquired weakly, straining his eyes against the sudden luminescence.

                "It...it can't be," murmured a gaping Hawkbit.

                "O Frith and Inle," whispered Acorn in shock.

                "Embleer fur, paw and tail of all rabbits!" staggered Campion, so astounded he nearly stumbled on his own hind feet.

                "Frith in a barn," Silver said in a hollow voice as his eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open in complete surprise.

                "By the blessings of El-ahrairah!" Bluebell gasped.

                Fiver said nothing as a strange sensation of calm washed over him, as if he realized that this was exactly what would happen, as if this was already predicted, as if he knew, deep down, that everything would turn out all right.  Standing next to him, the Black Rabbit expressed the same emotionless demeanor without surprise and confusion.

                There, in front of the Black Rabbit of Inle and the Owsla of El-ahrairah and Watership Down, stepping slowly, wobbly, yet surely, out of the tunnel of affliction and through the barrier, was Hazel, walking slowly on his hind feet and in his arms, he carried an unconscious and wounded Justin.  Surrounding the both of them was a beautiful, transparent orb of radiance, a shield of sunlight, like the one that had unknowingly protected Justin when Nekas had tried to murder the cross-bearer in his sleep.  Only this time, to the confounded amazement of the rabbits, the streams and rays of the purest gold were coming from Hazel's body, specifically, in the chest region over his heart which beheld a beautiful miniature cross, a second one supplementary to Justin's jewel, except this was no physical object.  This cross, this power, was a figment of the strength radiating from Hazel's gentle heart.  Hazel's eyes were sad, sorrowful, and there was no sparkle of life in his eyes, no quiet, contemplation of wisdom and leadership, just obscure pools of muddy brown.  Yet the look on their Chief Rabbit's face was one of utmost peace and tranquility, as if he knew nothing about pain and anguish, and despite all that had happened, there was a trace of a smile of Hazel's mouth as he emerged from the pits of darkness.  Inside, It was screaming as it vainly tried to grab at the rabbit that was gently and lovingly holding the cross-bearer against his body, only to have Its efforts bounce off from Hazel's light.  It was no use; no matter how hard the creature tried, the shield of light reflected off the black magic and protected Hazel and Justin.

                "NOOOO!!!" It shrieked as the shield Hazel invoked around himself radiated with such intensity, it was actually pushing the darkness rearward, sending the ruthless spawn of Elil-rah further and further back, away from the opening, "IT...IT IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!  A SECOND CROSS?!!!  HOW??!!!  HOW??!!!"

                Hazel managed to speak in a monotone, hollow, yet influential and potent voice, "This is the power the cross-bearer had blessed me with, the power you tried so vainly to cover and prevent me from discovering, hoping I would neglect to harness it as I was lost and fruitless from your temptations and manipulation and accusations of mistrust, lies, and deception.  This...is the true power of El-ahrairah's heritage."

                "IT CANNOT BE!!!" shrieked the malevolent spawn, "YOU DO NOT HAVE THE CROSS OF LIGHT AND POWER!!!  HOW COULD YOU EVEN BE BLESSED, YOU CURSED, WORTHLESS TWIT?!!!"

                Hazel did not answer as he managed to walk out of the runs, past the magical barrier, past the rocks, away from the treacherous fiend, and into the presence of his friends and the Black Rabbit of Inle.  Fiver then answered for his brother quietly.

                "You have been misinformed, you evil wretch.  The true power comes not from the cross but from the truth, from the light that consists of the love and faith we and El-ahrairah have for our friends, and Hazel, along with El-ahrairah, has harnessed it without any interference from your dark tricks.  That was why Elil-rah ordered you to attack only Hazel, wasn't it, you pathetic lapdog of a servant?  Because out of all of us, despite being the most sensitive to pain, Hazel-rah's heart is the most pure and powerful.  He has the strongest heart out of all of us, and therein, he is the largest threat to you, because his love and loyalty and qualities of courage and leadership for all, outshines even your most powerful inducements."

                "IT STILL SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN!!!  EL-AHRAIRAH HAS THE MOST NOBLE AND STRONGEST HEART OF ANY RABBIT EVER CREATED, AND NOT EVEN **HE** COULD STAND TO FACE ME!!!"

                The Black Rabbit of Inle the rumbled menacingly with anger, _It is because you have overlooked and underestimated the power of their friendship and the power of the cross-bearer's faith, you wretch, and that mistake shall be your last!!_

                "I AM NOT FINISHED YET!!!" screamed It as it forced itself vainly through the barrier, the claws outstretched and earnestly anticipating to gouge Justin to death in Hazel's paws.

                The Black Rabbit announced with a booming voice, his aura more powerful and insurmountable and sinister than any of the rabbits had ever felt before, _No, it is finished, dark creature!!  Begone, back to the crevices of the runs and holes and pits of despair and eternal captivity where you shall stay forevermore, alone!!  Hazel-rah, finish this!!_

                "Digger, Listener, and Runner!  Gifts of Rabbits, set us free!" chanted Hazel, shaking with a mixture of reprieve and trepidation as he turned around to face the creature directly in the eyes.  On cue, the other rabbits bellowed the incantation with all of their might and will.

                "Give us strength to fight our Enemy!" chanted Bluebell and Campion.

                "Let man and animal reunite," chanted Bigwig and Acorn.

                "Bind our hearts and souls alike," chanted Hawkbit and Silver.

                "And pray for the cross to shine its light!" chanted Pipkin and Blackberry.

                "Hope and Kindness, Cunning and Courage!" chanted Speedwell and Buckthorn.

                "Friendship and Love, Mercy and Grace!" chanted Fiver and Dandelion.

                "Frith and El-ahrairah, stand strong beside us," chanted Strawberry and Holly.

                _Banish this evil..._ the Black Rabbit chanted, his voice as gentle as a whisper amongst the grass yet as powerful as a resounding in the walls of the sold warren.

                "...FROM TIME AND SPACE!!!" the entire Owsla of Watership Down, of Frith, and of El-ahrairah finished in harmonious, beautiful unity.

                The creature, unable to speak a single word, managed to cry out an unearthly, demonic screech of rage, disbelief, and agonizing pain as the power and magic of the words from the rabbits' courage, love, and strength engulfed the entire, foggy body of It with a brilliant, shining, golden luminosity of the sun and the cross, bringing the dark creature into depths of excruciating malaise, torment, and misery unknown to man nor animal as the wicked carnivore, now completely devoid of any control over its body, was being inexplicably dragged further and further back, away from the only entrance of the runs and deeper into the pits and burrows and holes of maladies, disease, and pestilence.  It was an appropriate home for the vicious parasite, and regardless of how much It struggled, no amount of power from its own accord nor from Elil-rah's blessings, would have ever been enough to free itself from the grip of holy light the rabbit Owsla of Watership Down and the Black Rabbit of Inle bestowed upon it as punishment.

                "N-NO!!  NOOOO!!!  NOOOOOOOO!!!  THIS...THIS CANNOT...BE!!!  THIS CANNOT BE!!!" the dark beastly atrocity named It screamed, "I...I AM ELIL-RAH'S...MOST POWERFUL SERVANT!!!  I AM INVINCIBLE!!!  I AM UNSTOPPABLE!!!  I AM UNBEATABLE!!!"

                Without a word, the Black Rabbit of Inle waved a paw, and the screams of It were silenced forevermore as the only exit from the treacherous caverns became blocked, magically filled with mounds and mounds of hard, dark soil by the Black Rabbit's magic and power, entombing the creature to a lifetime imprisonment of stifling darkness and insatiable hunger, trapped behind a long, thick, impassible wall of dirt and the light of Justin's cross and the Watership Owsla's prayer ensured that It would remain that way, weakened, innervated and unable to fight its way out.  With a soft rumble, the entire opening was blocked off, as solid and rigid as steel and concrete.

                "And now, you are unmovable," Bluebell quipped in a finished tone for It, talking to no one in particular, yet the remark did cause a few suppressed grins.

                Exhausted and done in, Hazel fell on his knees, still holding Justin in his arms, gasping and nearly faint.  The use of his strength to call forth the light to shield himself and Justin, not to mention calling forth Dandelion's incantation took so much out of him.

                "Hazel-rah!" all the rabbits called out worriedly as they immediately flocked around him give aid, and Silver and Hawkbit offered to take the teenager out of Hazel's paws, but Hazel silently shook his head as he held the boy closer to his torso.

                _Let him be_, The Black Rabbit of Inle tenderly commanded, and obeying, the entire Watership Owsla remained close to their leader's side, yet stood by with slight wonderment and confusion.  His fur drenched with sweat and every cell in his flesh crying out in soreness, and yet Hazel still managed to smile as he looked down on the serene, peaceful look on Justin's face, closed his eyes, and brought his nose to Justin's.  At first, the others were bewildered.  Then they saw Hazel's entire body glow with golden sunlight as the ghostly, phantom cross appeared over his chest, and though the Watership soldiers were not exactly sure, they were able to see that some of the warmth and gentle radiance slowly, yet surely, was transferring over to Justin's unconscious form.  Now, both of them were bathed with the comfort of healing light, and yet strangely enough, Justin was devoid of his cross necklace.

                "Ho-...how??" asked Speedwell, his eyes wide with surprise, yet twinkling slightly in the presence of the streams of yellow and orange illuminating the entire burrow.

                "By the fur and tail, a second cross?!  Where...where did it even come from?!" gasped Campion in a hushed tone.

                "Fiver, your premonition!" gasped Acorn at the seer, remembering what he said while they were still in the comical field.

                "Dandelion, I thought only Justin would be able to harness the powers of light and Frith.  So...so why in the name of El-ahrairah...is Hazel-rah...even able to harness such power??" Bigwig asked, his jaw dropping.  Dandelion shook his head, speechless and unable to answer, yet the Black Rabbit's voice gracefully provided a long-due explanation.

                _It is the light from Hazel's heart that gives him such power, and though the cross did have a small part of the miracle, the light you see is the power of his love and kindness and quiet strength that radiates from Justin and from you, **all** of you.  Remarkably, such power only arose because Hazel comprehended the truth: that he was beloved by the rest of you, that he never failed El-ahrairah and Justin, and that he is the true and rightful leader of this mission, of this quest.  El-ahrairah did not make a mistake in putting his faith in Hazel, and neither did Justin, for that matter._

                "I am surprised to see that you even care, you dark rotter!" Buckthorn growled bitterly, unfazed as he glared directly into the eyes of the Black Rabbit of Inle.  The dark spirit did not answer the angry Watership rabbit as he and the others watched on.  The basking golden light then vanished as mysteriously as it came, and Hazel, now completely done in, released Justin as he weakly toppled over.  Bigwig, Campion, Fiver, and Blackberry rushed ahead of everyone else and caught the both of them before they struck the hard ground.  Fiver worriedly brought his nose to Hazel's face and snout, uncharacteristically warm and drenched with sweat of fear and confrontation.

                "Hazel," Fiver whispered tenderly as he burrowed his face into Hazel's neck and shoulder, crying softly.  Hazel, touched, just brotherly and affectionately rubbed the spot between Fiver's ears on his head with a forepaw, comforting his younger sibling as he repeated soothingly over and over, "It's all right, Hrairoo, it's all right.  It's all over now."

                "We thought we lost you, Hazel-rah," Blackberry managed to choke out, his grief and sadness starting to overwhelm him.  Hazel managed to smile weakly at Blackberry and Campion who were both propping up their Chief.

                "Strange, I would have thought you bloody chaps would have been more worried about the cross-bearer," Hazel managed to banter.

                Campion then nuzzled his nose to Hazel's face, whispering, "No, Hazel-rah, we need both of you.  Justin may be our cross-bearer, but he cannot lead us, cannot bring us sense and reason, and cannot keep the peace and wisdom and unity of this Owsla such as you can.  Hazel-rah, we would all be forlorn, helpless, and the mission to save El-ahrairah would have been for naught, abandoned, if we had lost you to the evil beast in the runs of the warren.  Please, Hazel-rah, don't ever leave us.  We _need_ you, we trust you...and we love you, like our brother, a true brother, one who would always exhibit compassion, understanding, yet unyielding strength and discipline and cunning in times of trouble to help us.  Hazel-rah, please believe us!  We never wished you to be replaced nor did we ever think that we were better off without your guidance."

                Campion had no inkling of how wonderful and blissful it was for Hazel to hear those simple, sincere words.

                Hawkbit and Strawberry then came up.

                "He's telling the truth, you know, Hazel-rah," muttered Hawkbit solemnly as he shamefacedly glanced at his feet, unsure if he would even be able to look at Hazel in the eyes without feeling guilty, "And...and I wanted to apologize, about how I've been acting towards you ever since Greenweed disguised himself as Damien, how I blamed you for everything that happened even though it wasn't your fault, because I just needed to vent out and gripe and complain.  I...I didn't mean what I said...about being disgraced by the fact that you had to bow to Damien to save the fur of myself and Bluebell, that I didn't want to look up to you as our leader and Chief anymore.  I was just being an idiot, and...and I'm sorry I lashed out at you."

                "I would also like to apologize," Strawberry said sorrowfully, "I just wished to stay mad at you for not doing everything you could to stop Cowslip, for not believing in me, for not coming to my defense, because it was...it was easier to blame you and stay angry with you, being self-righteous over your judgment when I should have realized that you were trying your best and that you never wanted to hurt me, even after I accused you of being incompetent and blaming you for Justin nearly dying when he got caught by the snare-collar.  Do you...will you forgive me?"

                Hawkbit and Strawberry expected Hazel to give them a well-deserved, sharp scolding, but their benevolent leader just beamed at them with a small, considerate smirk on his face, his whiskers twitching with affability and pity.

                "Always, my friends," Hazel said softly, and on cue, the rest of the Owsla from Watership Down gathered around both Hazel and Justin, expressing their relieved concerns and sentiments that they were all thankful that everything was alive and well.  Unexpectedly, a subtle noise from the Black Rabbit made them grow silent and turn around to face the loyal servant and angel of death.  Buckthorn stood up and angrily crossed his forepaws over his chest, blocking the Black Rabbit's path as he glared at him.  The red-eyed spirit then raised his paw and dropped a small object into Buckthorn's arms, causing the Owsla rabbit to catch it before it struck the ground.  It was Justin's cross.  Slowly and silently, all the rabbits could only wordlessly watch as the Black Rabbit then lowered his head directly in front of Hazel, the two of them meeting eye to eye.

                _Hazel-rah, Chief Rabbit of Watership Down past, soldier of El-ahrairah's Owsla, protector and friend of Justin, the legendary cross-bearer...I ask for your forgiveness._

                Hazel was floored, though his half-shut eyes were too weary and heavy to widen, thought the rest of the Watership Owsla was stunned with disbelief.  The messenger of Death, the rabbit who struck fear and dismay and terror in the heart of every creature, including El-ahrairah and King Darzin, was humbling himself before Hazel-rah, a rabbit he outshone over more than a thousand fold?

                The Black Rabbit continued, _Perhaps...I am not as wise and omnipotent as I have thought, and sometimes, in that doggedness, I refuse to see and acknowledge what you and Justin have just learned in these very runs, to witness and believe that sometimes, it **is** possible to achieve a victory...**without** sacrificing anyone.  And I was willing to forsake the cross-bearer and you as well if it meant that he would be prepared to stay in the darkness with you, even if you contained the evil creature's influence into your own heart; Elil-rah had anticipated that possibility...and I nearly helped him achieve that._

                "It was not your fault," Hazel said encouragingly, yet softly, "He deceived me as well and that could have been very well my own spirit who could have killed Justin.  There is nothing to be forgiven for, my Lord.  Neither of us is critically hurt."

                "But...but the darkness?  The one It infected you with in your soul?" Bigwig asked weakly, afraid of losing Hazel again.

                The Black Rabbit replied tactfully, _It is no longer a part of Hazel's soul for Justin willingly accepted it as a part of his own psyche, a part of his own essence and aura.  It is a piece of him now, and I just hope that he is strong enough to control it, to not let it overwhelm him._

                "It won't," Hazel said softly as he cast a fond glance at Justin, still unconscious, "I put...a shard of my light, the power that I gained from everyone and from El-ahrairah and instilled it into Justin's heart as well, to balance out the malice he took in from the dark beast, from Elil-rah's pet.  Now...my heart is in Justin."

                "Hazel-rah!" whispered Acorn, Pipkin, Bigwig, Campion, and Bluebell in shock.  Yet the Black Rabbit then nodded his approval, letting the others know that such an act was acceptable, even necessary, for the innocent, human teenager.

                The Black Rabbit then glanced down at the comatose Justin, lying peacefully in Bigwig's paws, as if he were asleep, before, to the warriors' incredulity, the Black Rabbit softly yet fatherly placed a huge paw (which had a span greater than Justin's head) on Justin's hair and ruffled it gently, his crimson eyes twinkling and soft and a faint, small smile on his lips.  Hazel was speechless, as well as the rest of the rabbits.  No creature, not even El-ahrairah, have ever even seen the faintest hint of a smirk on the somber, serious visage of the black messenger and bringer of death.  It was certainly an anachronism.

                "My...my lord?" Buckthorn asked, perplexed.

                The Black Rabbit did not reply as his eyes showered a little warmth on Justin before they immediately snapped back into the cold, dead red luminescence of death and passing, though his face strangely enough was less unmoved than before.  He then commanded to his Owsla of shadows sharply, _Remain over vigilant watch and guard on the holes of desperation and pestilence!  These runs are to be filled and remained sealed for eternity!  We will no longer use these pits as tools to serve Lord Frith with bringing merciful death to animals of the physical world, but as a proper prison for the dark creature spawned of Elil-rah's evil!  We will start on creating new runs of disease and death, those that are free of such evil influence immediately!_

                The shadow Owsla nodded their obedience before vanishing into the ground and reappearing in front of the sealed chamber, guarding it everlastingly with vigilance.  The Black Rabbit of Inle then focused on the group in front of him.

                _You are all reunited and healed, free from the torment and relentlessness of It, for the dark animal of Elil-rah shall never harm another creature ever again.  You all must leave this warren now, for it is no place for you nor the cross-bearer to endure much longer in the depths of cold and nothingness.  I will bring you, all hrair of you, out to the entrance of my warren and you can all find your way back to Fenlo with my blessings._

                Before the messenger of death and Frith could do anything though, Hazel then interrupted his proceedings, needing to satisfy his bewildered curiosity.

                "My Lord?"

                _Yes, Hazel?_

                "Why...why did you spare Justin?  Even if he was a human being, you chose to overlook the shortsighted darkness and sin he carries in his heart like all other men.  So why did you agree to let him leave?  Did you do it because he is the only one who has the powers of the cross-bearer?" Hazel asked weakly.  The Black Rabbit's eyes slightly twinkled with life, though his expression remained stony.

                _No, Hazel-rah.  I conceded because unlike most creatures, Justin did not curse death.  He did not blame me, Frith, or God for his sufferings, his undoing, his trials, his sorrows and his temptations towards evil, for he knew.  He understood what real death truly meant, and there was only one other creature I can recollect who had accepted death so easily and serenely._

                "Understood what?  And who was this other animal?" asked a bewildered Pipkin.  The Black Rabbit chose to leave that question to hang as he addressed towards Hazel for a final time.

                _Hazel-rah, as you leave this warren with my preeminent blessings, tell Justin that I am truly and sincerely sorry for what has happened, for I have done him a great wrong.  Never before has any creature within my ward and care and power has ever been misjudged this harshly, and as a result, Justin is both blessed and cursed, by both darkness and light, and no power in my being can ever correct that.  Which makes this all the more regrettable and tragic, for despite my sorrow and graveness, for despite my oath and promise to never become attached and emotionally involved with a creature's death, Justin...showed me a faint glimmer of joy, of light, of the loving energy that drives him to carry on with his burdens, his hope, his friendships with you rabbits of Watership Down.  I have never experienced such gentleness, such vigor, and though I never will again...I thank him for that one moment._

                Hazel nodded, a small, satisfied smile on his face.  The Black Rabbit of Inle then cast one final look at the entire group of rabbits gathered around the fallen human adolescent, their hearts tired yet brimming and basking under the purest emotions of joy, relief, and devotion, before, with a faint gleam in his red eyes, the entire fellowship was engulfed with gentle, soft shadows of the past before they and Justin vanished from his warren, only to be transported out into the entrance in the bleak mountains, where they would be free to continue their travels towards the warren of El-ahrairah in the rosy light of the setting sun.  And from then on, the legends and stories would say that the heart of the Black Rabbit of Inle, for only that one day, grew as soft and loving as El-ahrairah.

                                                                                ***

                Later that night, Justin, now wearing his cross necklace Buckthorn returned to him, with extreme relief, inhaled the cold, sweet air of dusk as he and the rest of the Watership rabbits rested amongst the willow trees lazing peacefully next to a wide, bubbling brook of clear, sweet water.  All over, the teenager's clothes were ripped, ragged, dusty, soiled with dirt, grime, blood and God knows what else, but granted, the cross-bearer was grateful to be alive.  Once he regained consciousness outside shortly after they were escorted out by the Black Rabbit of Inle, Hazel, without a single thought of hesitation and doubt, led all of them down the snow-covered, black mountains of obsidian and marble and graphite, to soon find themselves in a quiet serene meadow, an ideal resting place for the exhausted Owsla of El-ahrairah.  The adolescent cast a fond glance over his protectors, his friends, his only trusted allies and companions in the weird, alien realm of the land beyond life.  Though the teenager already lost the track of time he had been in the land beyond the living, it had been nearly a month since that fateful day when Justin was summoned from his home and awoken, dazed, disoriented, and nearly slain by Vervain and Mallow.  His old life seemed like a distant dream.  As Justin looked over his Lapine friends who were running around, chatting, loafing around on the damp, cool grass, or chewing pellets hungrily, he reflected all the trials they had gone through together, all for his sake.

                Bluebell, a rabbit who was rarely serious and whose jokes and pranks always got the best of everyone's tempers and annoyance, and yet without him, Justin would have died from Mallow's spear, not to mention go through the entire journey without a decent laugh or shred of much-needed humor and spirit.  His role as the jester only brought Justin and the rabbits closer together, like a true family, and Justin had no idea how much he loved the carefree, comical, droll attitude.

                Campion, strategic, resourceful, and yet was unquestionably one of the few rabbits Justin had known to wrestle and defeat the regrets and guilt of his past deeds and troubled soul.  His love for Justin grew ever since Justin stood by him, truly understanding how he felt, unwilling to discredit nor look down upon, during Veil Guplea's illusions and accusations.  Indeed, the rat's attacks did not break Campion, but it made him whole, healed, and reminded Campion that Justin, El-ahrairah, and the rabbits of Watership Down would always have faith and trust in him.

                Courageous, strong, brawny, yet temperamental and harsh, Bigwig, the one rabbit who ever survived to face Woundwort, and who had managed to defeat King Darzin, the lion leader of legends told.  Established, he was stubborn and hasty, yet underneath the gruffness and lack of sympathy was a heart as pure and noble as El-ahrairah himself.  And despite all the mishaps and troubles Justin always brought upon them, Bigwig was more than willing to face and fight them without question nor complaint.  And despite his denial...Bigwig cared more for Justin that he was ever willing to admit.

                Acorn, the prime example of what it meant to be an outskirter to a warren, yet no less of a hero, thoughtful, open, and always sympathetic of fellow creatures who gotten the brunt of life, the underdogs, the outcasts, those who always felt inadequate due to their size, status or competence.  Yet, his trial with the weasels and his powers of multiplicity helped him, Sneezewort, Lousewort and Justin realize the truth: despite what others say, the real gallantry was never based on one's standing in life, but their character and their heart.

                Cantankerous, loud-mouthed, sarcastic, pessimistic Hawkbit, a rabbit who always opened his mouth and voiced his opinions before thinking, yet anyone could always see that Hawkbit never meant to purposely do harm.  Certainly, the blackish rabbit had gotten more sadistic cuffings from his team than anyone else, but Hawkbit would always be valued to Justin and his comrades, and the teenager knew the same was likewise with the rabbit.  His faults may be irritating from time to time, yet after the battle with Blood Whitetail and the Wolfen Gale, it just highlighted how his faults made him special and refreshingly different, yet just as righteous as the other Watership rabbits.

                Silver, another rabbit whose past was scarred with bad memories of taunts, jeers, and feelings of being unloved and uncared for.  However, Justin knew he could always depend on the lovable, gentle, reliable rabbit whose corpulence only made him all the more adorable.  After all, what rabbit would be willing to sacrifice his own safety to be buried alive underneath tons of rock and dirt, just to protect a human?  Silver could always comfort those in need of a tender ear and a shoulder to cry on, and his revelations with his struggles with his family allowed him and Justin to reach a deeper understanding about each other than anyone else could ever imagine.

                Pipkin, innocent, childish, small, frail, yet incredibly sensitive, sincere, friendly, and courageous, always willing to obey orders regardless of how ludicrous they appeared and always eager to put his own safety in the line for his friends.  Even when Lord Brock gave Justin the choice of either surrendering his cross or Pipkin's well-being, Pipkin still was averse to allow Lord Brock to take the only tool that could save his lord, El-ahrairah.  Pipkin may have been the smallest rabbit in El-ahrairah's Owsla, but his spirit and love soared higher than his ability of flight could ever give him.

                The Watership inventor and genius, the black-eared buck, Blackberry.  Though he may sometimes be narrow-minded and ignorant, surrendering his emotions over common sense, Blackberry grew to respect, perhaps even have an affection for, Justin, and Justin was glad to always know that Blackberry, though the two may disagree, knew that following one's heart may not be as reckless as he previously thought, just as Justin had learned that Blackberry would always provide valuable advice, wit, and genius when needed.

                Speedwell, a touchy, compassionate, emotional rabbit who Justin could have sworn he acted like Bluebell, only more rational and humanistic.  He never wished to have power and be ambitious, like a Chief rabbit, but would always happily assume his role as a follower, always seeing that there would be no sadness, no spite, and no fear amongst friends, quietly and without recognition or praise, like a caretaker.  For that, Justin's bond with the nonexistent, filler rabbit from the Watership Down stories only intensified.

                Quiet, unmovable, headstrong Buckthorn, a calm rock of firm resolve amidst a sea of torrential chaos and apprehension, one who reflected reliability and fortitude.  He, in no way, gave in to panic and loss, and his war with Hufsa only strengthened his will, the golden blade given to him from his use of the cross was sharp, swift, sure, exactly like Buckthorn's strength of character.  Yet despite his steel facade, his heart grew soft for Justin's openness and vulnerability.

                Fiver, the meek, pacifistic, yet powerful, empathic, and sensitive seer who was arguably the rabbit who surrendered the most for his mission to protect the cross-bearer.  His powers of premonition and second sight may have brought Justin into danger in the Lands of yesterday and tomorrow, yet Justin and Fiver knew that they were not curses, but blessings in disguise.  After all, God never gives someone trials more than they can handle, and Fiver (and Shardik for that matter) rose above the sadness, the pain, and the hardships, showing his true courage.

                Dandelion ,the greatest Lapine storyteller who ever lived and was, with great honor, the official chronicler of El-ahrairah.  His stories of cunning, trickery, and bravery was an extremely great help to bolster the morale and support of the Watership Owsla, yet his heart and loyalty and sharp mind were even greater treasures.  The solemn epic he composed to defeat King Fur-Rocious was not a random miracle, by all means, but living proof of the true power of the Lapine legends and stories of El-ahrairah's heritage.

                Strawberry, the gentle, wise, meticulous misfit, an exemplary paradigm of the lost finding the right path of life once again.  Of course, he would always have the deeds of his past of the Shining Wires would always trail behind him, but time and time again, he had proved his true love, faithfulness, and allegiance to his real family, his family that reminded him of what it truly meant to be a rabbit of El-ahrairah, and Justin could see that it re-ignited the fire of passion and comfort in his heart.

                Holly, cautious, yet steadfast, unfailing, and sage, the only other rabbit second-in-command besides Bigwig, and whose expertise and knowledge of strategy gained from age and experience was precocious.  He would always be young at heart, excited for a fight, for a chance to right a wrong, for him to show that one would never be too old to learn something new from your friends and to learn from mistakes.  Despite his being the eldest, Holly was more like a brother than a grandfatherly figure in his comrades' lives.

                And last, but definitely not least...

                "Justin?" a voice asked softly beside his ear, interrupting the teenager's thoughts, and the young cross-bearer turned to see the strong, confident, yet kind, benevolent Hazel-rah squatting besides him with a soft, gentle look of gratitude on his face.

                "Hey, Hazel," Justin said softly, though he had no idea why, he slightly shivered.  Maybe it was because the battle against It was a bit more traumatic and harrowing than Justin felt he could care to admit.  Hazel's light brown eyes crinkled a bit in soft compassion, understanding.

                Justin shuddered, causing himself to cast his eyes downward before whispering loudly enough for Hazel to hear, "It...it still feels weird, you know?  To have that piece of you and a piece of that monster in my heart, in my soul.  It feels like...like it's an empty, cold, clammy hole, where I can't feel anything and I'm so...so cold and unfeeling, as if I don't wanna care about anything else, as if I just want to give up, and...and as if I want to just stop feeling anything because it's too painful to continue on."

                "I know, Justin," Hazel replied softly.

                Justin then managed to beam a small smile as he then confessed, "Hazel...I also wanted to say 'thank you'...for everything you've done for me.  I know it wasn't easy for you."

                It wasn't, but Hazel knew that after so much Justin had endured for sake of El-ahrairah and the rabbits of Watership Down , he would do it again in a heartbeat.  He said, "I admit, it took much strength out of me, young one, but...it would have hurt much, much more if I stood by and did nothing.  And I do not regret sharing a fragment of my spirit with you, for I am forever honored to establish that sort of bond with you, even if you are a human.  And...it is I who should thank you, Justin, for you healed me."

                "Well...Hazel, you should know that I didn't heal you.  It was all of us, me, Bigwig, Campion, Fiver and everyone else.  And...not to mention God.  I mean -"  Justin paused, trying to find a way to elaborate on his opinion and belief.  "What I mean is, I don't think the act of me standing by you and being willing to accept your pain, to bear it, was what healed you.  I prayed, because I was lost and I didn't know what else to do.  I didn't have my cross, the Black Rabbit and our friends were on the other side of the barrier, and the beast was getting closer and closer.  And...before I lost consciousness, I think I distinctly remember you praying too, for help, for admitting that you couldn't do this by yourself, that what you needed wasn't for selfish reasons but to protect me and to go back to your friends and your family, because you realized how much they needed you and how much you needed them, y'know?  Don't you see?  I didn't heal you by myself, but your friends and Frith healed you.  That's the power of a godly touch."

                Hazel remembered, how lonely he felt, how much burdens of reproach and blame and mistrust on his shoulders led him to isolate himself, to refuse to admit his weaknesses, and that, instead of making his comrades feel more at ease, only made them feel worse.  It was only when Hazel emerged from the holes of affliction that the Watership Owsla showed pure, luminous joy and compassion and happiness at seeing their Chief rabbit again, just like old times.  Justin was right; the infection may have been banished by prayer and the words of the Lord, but the loneliness, the sadness, the pain, was treated by the greatest blessing Frith ever gave him, the touch from his family.  The intensity of the godly touch, the touch of intimacy, of friendship, of love, of guardianship, of fellowship, of something personal and meaningful.  From Bluebell, Campion, Bigwig, Acorn, Hawkbit, Silver, Pipkin, Blackberry, Speedwell, Buckthorn, Fiver, Dandelion, Strawberry, Holly and El-ahrairah.  It was the sole guiding light in the sea of Hazel's madness and hopelessness.

                Justin, with some afterthought, continued, "And we were wrong too, all of us.  We forgot, even though we have good hearts, how significant we are to each other and how important one touch can be.  All of us were so scared at saying the wrong thing or making you feel worse or leaving you alone because we thought some time alone would be best that instead of helping you and trying to convince you we were here for you, we just tried to distance ourselves from you, thinking that you could handle it yourself except that probably just made things worse off for you.  I'm sorry we did that, Hazel.  We would never mean to hurt you; we care a lot about you."

                Hazel then used a paw to bring Justin closer to his body, resting his chin soothingly on Justin's head while giving him a small hug, whispering, "I know, young one.  Sometimes, even a Chief rabbit and the Black Rabbit of Inle can make mistakes too.  Even if the rest of you chaps tried to make any attempt to help me, I would have dissuaded you or pushed you away, because I was unwilling to let you worry about me, to care about me because I did not wish to see fearful pity from you, and because I did not wish to show and display that I was breaking apart because I did not want to fail you, any of you, as a leader and disappoint you.  I'm sorry too, I was a fool."

                Strange, it made Hazel-rah feel worlds better, just to freely utter those modest words.

                "I'm just glad the Black Rabbit of Inle was on our side, that he really did care for us," commented the cross-bearer.

                "There are not very many who realize it, but the Black Rabbit of Inle was never against us, never cursed us, and he will always be our ally for Frith forbid if there is a single creature who is willing to live forever in the physical world, without realizing that death is as gracious as life, that to endure forever a life of pain, torment, disappointment and hardship is a fate far worse, and that the physical world is only a cheap imitation of the true land beyond life."

                Justin gave Hazel a softhearted, tender look, realizing that the rabbit's hazel eyes were soft and slightly resigned, but liberated and touched nonetheless.  He then remembered that Pipkin mentioned to him as they all recalled their adventure that the Black Rabbit of Inle stated that there was only one other being that understood death as well as Justin himself.  "Sometimes, it's hard to remember that you're not some sort of superhero, that you don't have the answer to everything, that you're not El-ahrairah."

                Hazel managed to give an amused smirk at the thought, "Frith forbid if _that_ ever comes to pass.  I try my best, however, you little duffer."

                "I know, and we'll always keep in mind from now on that you're not 'Super-bunny', that we shouldn't take you and your leadership for granted, and that you're always as faulty and mediocre and human as one of us."

                Hazel's grin grew wider.

                "'Human'?!" he exclaimed in a teasing, offended tone, "'_Human'_?!!  Frith in a hole, I'm insulted!"

                "You know what I mean," Justin gave a pseudo-strict, exasperated look, "Oh...and Hazel..."

                "Yes?"

                Justin lightly gave a frivolous, friendly cuff on the back of Hazel's head with his hand.

                "Don't you dare ever keep things to yourself ever again without telling us what's wrong, OK?"

                "Yes, 'marli'," drawled Hazel in a smug, amused voice, feeling a bit more lighthearted.  "So, what do you wish to do now?  We can rest for the whole night while it is dark, and we can find something for you to eat if you want."  Justin thought for several moments, looked at the stream, then at his mud-caked, dusty clothes and Hazel's filthy fur.  He started to remove his flannel, long-sleeved shirt and his shoes.

                "Justin...wha-...what in Frith's name are you doing??" Hazel gulped incredulously as Justin stripped off his dirty clothes.

                "Taking a bath," he smiled as he said simply grabbed Hazel by both forepaws gently, "After battling It in the Black Rabbit's runs, we both could use a bath, big time!  C'mon!  You need to take a good washing too!"

                "In...in the stream?" Hazel said weakly as he gave an uncomfortable glance at the clear, yet cold water flowing smoothly over clean stones and sand.  "Justin, rabbits generally try to avoid water, and I'm not surrrrrAAAAAGGGHHHH!!"

                Justin, without waiting for an answer, pulled Hazel as he fell backwards into the stream, catching the Chief rabbit of Watership Down completely by surprise and causing the brown rabbit to lose his balance as he and the teenager fell into the stream with a resounding, tremendous splash.  The other rabbits, slightly worried but mostly, amused, gathered at the bank of the creek as Justin's head, sopping wet but chuckling, emerged from the water, the level being only waist deep.  Hazel, his fur and red tunic soaked, his ears plugged with water, gave Justin a very irritated glare.  Justin snickered.

                "Aw, c'mon, Hazel, don't be mad!  You really did need a bath!  After all, you stink!"

                "He has a point there, Hazel-rah!" Bluebell laughed as Acorn and Blackberry fought hard to not snort at the sight of their Chief Rabbit drenched, waterlogged, and dripping, his fur dropping over his eyes like a wet, pathetic dog.  Hazel then gave a very mischievous smile as he cuffed at the water in front of him, sending a mess of water to splash Justin directly in the face.  Retaliating, the adolescent sent a wave back, only to find that the leader rabbit mysteriously disappeared before the water could hit him.  Looking wildly, Justin and the other rabbits looked around, yet with a quick move, Hazel, cunningly swimming under the water's surface and positioning himself behind the cross-bearer, surfaced, lightheartedly roaring like a lion before tackling Justin from behind and grabbed him in a fierce bear hug, his wet fur clinging to Justin's skin uncomfortably.  The teenager fought congenially as Hazel, feeling his own heart lighten, nuzzled the teenager's hair affectionately, unwilling to let Justin squirm his way out.  The other rabbits laughed at the scene.

                "I am relieved to see that Hazel-rah is finally getting his spirit and happiness back in his heart again," commented Campion privately to Strawberry and Fiver, "It is as if he is a newborn kit again, full of life and vigor and confidence."

                "I know," murmured Fiver, "and I can sense the joy and light rekindled in his heart again."

                "He will always be Hazel-rah, our leader and our trusted Chief rabbit and comrade.  It is highly ironic, isn't it?  None of us realized how much we depended on Hazel, on his authority, on his friendship and kindness, on his noble, effective role as our leader of this mission until we nearly lost him and Justin," replied Strawberry as he observed the playful fracas.

                "I am simply grateful that all of us were strong enough to help banish that monster away, along with the help of the Black Rabbit," Dandelion sighed, extremely relieved before addressing towards Buckthorn, "Which reminds me, you secretive duffer you, did you really win at bobstones against the Black Rabbit of Inle himself?  After all, Buckthorn, the black lord seemed to act more personal and confidential towards you than the rest of us while we were at his warren!"

                "Yes, please tell us!" Speedwell jumped in excitedly.

                Buckthorn just smiled, but set his jaw resolutely, indicating that he was never going to let them in on that piece of information.

                "Buuuccckthooorrrrrrn!" groaned Bluebell with mock aggravation, stressing the rabbit's name annoyingly yet comically, "You are never going to tell us, aren't you?!"

                "No."  Buckthorn's smile grew wider.

                "Let us clarify, you infuriating scamp, you!" growled Hawkbit with a naughty yet playful twinkle in his eyes, "Either you tell us the whole story right now, or else dear Buckthorn here gets a bath along with Hazel and Justin!"

                Buckthorn's smile grew wider.  "I would love to see you bloody chaps try it."

                "CHARGE!" hollered Hawkbit, Bluebell, and Dandelion as they rushed him together, yet Buckthorn, far quicker and graceful than all three of them, managed to twist his body and dodge their attacks, sailing past him, and with a splash, Dandelion, Hawkbit, and Bluebell all emerged from the stream soaking wet and sputtering.  Hazel and Justin, seeing the result, stopped playing and started howling with laughter in conjunction with the rest of the Watership rabbits.  Hawkbit gave Buckthorn a look of vengeance, his wet ears drooped.

                "You shall pay for that, bucko!"

                Buckthorn, as he uncommonly held his sides with his forepaws and doubled over, laughing at the sight, managed to choke out with rare glee, "You will thank me for this later, Hawkbit!  After all, you stunk far more than every single rot in the Black Rabbit's warren combined!  I daresay the water will do you wonders for your stench, not to mention your flea problem as well!"

                The stolid buck was laughing so hard in spite of this that he never sense Campion and Strawberry creeping up behind him softly with good-humored intent.  With brutal shoves, Buckthorn was caught completely off guard as he fell into the stream alongside Hawkbit, Dandelion, and Bluebell.  Abashed that he was surprised so easily, Buckthorn could only react by sending a wave of water to narrowly soak Campion and Strawberry.  Suffice to say it was enough, Campion and Strawberry whooped a war cry as they both dove into the water, tackling Buckthorn as Dandelion, Hawkbit, and Bluebell joined in the fun, squealing and churning the water as they brawled and fought with brotherly love.

                "By the hole in the sky!" sighed Silver.

                "This is no time to act foolishly!  Hazel-rah, tell them to stop and remember that we are at war!  This is no time for frolicking and foolishness!  We still need to reach El-ahrairah's warren in Fenlo!" scolded Blackberry, slightly whining.

                "By Frith, the lot of you!" snarled Bigwig with annoyed exasperation, "You bloody chaps are acting like kittens!  Get out of there!  We should be assigning guards and be on the lookout for Elil-rah's -!"

                SPLASH!  Without warning, cutting off Bigwig's speech, Silver, Blackberry, and Bigwig were engulfed with three separate surges of water splashed towards them from all sides.  His head drenched and his fur cap now partly covering his eyes with wet hair, Bigwig gave a menacing glare at Holly and Speedwell, both chuckling, their forepaws telltale wet from flicking a considerable amount of water from the creek's banks.  Silver and Blackberry faced the other direction as Fiver, Pipkin, and Acorn all together awkwardly scooped up a sizeable quantity of water to drench them with a second time.

                "Holly!!!  Speedwell!!!" roared Bigwig with hot temper.

                "By the Black Rabbit, Thlayli, can you not take a joke?" teased Holly.

                "You would think that all that water would have cooled off that blimey temper of yours, Bigwig!" mocked Speedwell, his white face red with giddiness.  Bigwig bellowed with mock frenzy, slightly smiling, as he chased Holly and Speedwell, who, sensing the danger, leapt into the brook, wadding away from the Owsla veteran.  Undaunted and finally giving in to the enjoyment, the brawny, lackluster, strict rabbit finally gave in to his need for games as he made a tremendous jump from the solid ground, soaring above the forms of a stupefied Holly and Speedwell before crashing into the stream with a terrific shower to swallow up the heads of Holly, Speedwell, and the neighboring bodies of Buckthorn, Hawkbit, Dandelion, Bluebell, Campion, and Strawberry.  Feeling the desire for some new blood, all the rabbits ganged up on Bigwig, Holly, and Speedwell who happily fought back with their own water attacks.  Meanwhile, Silver and Blackberry on dry ground were exacting their revenge on Acorn, Fiver, and Pipkin.

                Blackberry had tackled Acorn, being the heavier rabbit, and now pinned the skinny buck on his back with Blackberry leaning over him, trapping him by sitting on Acorn's chest as drops of water from his drenched head fell on Acorn's tunic.

                "So, you think that was funny, you duffer?!" growled Blackberry, leering, "Embleer fur and paw, my ears will take forever to dry off!  Well, now I have you, you trouble-making rotter!"

                "Actually, chap, _I_ have _you_," chuckled Acorn.

                "Huh?"  The moment of confusion gave Acorn the opportunity to position his hind feet gently underneath Blackberry's stomach and with a flash, Blackberry was sent backwards into the stream with a powerful flip, exactly how Acorn did with Bluebell when they first met with Justin.  Blackberry squealed with surprise as he belly-flopped into the water, landing close to Hazel and Justin.  With a holler, Acorn hopped into the stream, soaking the black-eared buck again, but immediately afterwards, Blackberry got a hold of Acorn and both of them good-naturedly wrestled in the water.  Silver, after chasing Fiver and Pipkin, finally grabbed hold of both of them and now held them in a strong embrace, both rabbits wrapped by a single forepaw and underneath a forearm, as the large rabbit marched towards the stream.

                "Silver, let us go!" giggled Fiver as he tried to worm his way out of the strong grip Silver had around his waist.

                "Silver, you duffer!  Can't we have some fun?!" squealed Pipkin as he guessed what Silver was planning to do with them, yet the light-furred, fat, jovial rabbit grinned as he tightened his clutch around Fiver and Pipkin, hugging them brotherly close to his torso.  Without a word, he fell backwards into the stream, dragging Fiver and Pipkin with him, immediately submerging all three of them underneath the surface of the brook.  Sputtering and choking, but laughing, Fiver and Pipkin transpired, their heads sticking out of the water as Silver grabbed hold of them again, tickling them as he guffawed, "I'm not through with your little pranks just yet, you two!"

                With a cry, Silver felt Hazel and Justin leap onto his back, playfully tackling the large, wet rabbit, and all was forgotten as the whole group continued to have their fun, their troubles, their worries, their stress, their anxieties washing off into the cold, overwhelming water as the farce continued underneath the starry sky, the light serenely blanketing the band of brothers and friends.

/*

Next: A RAINBOW IN THE HEART OF DARKNESS

Guess who comes to pay Justin a little visit?  Oh, and I might want to give a little hint about something in the next chapter: there will be a very pleasant surprise to all the fans of Richard Adams in the upcoming episode (or should I say **two** pleasant surprises) ^_^

If you think you know it, do not spoil it!  Leave the others to wait and find out! =:)

Thoughts about this chapter?  Thoughts about this story?  Constructive criticism you wish to offer?  Something you want to suggest?  Review then!  Don't be shy! =)

*/


	25. A Rainbow in The Heart of Darkness

/*

Author's note: Just thought I point this out, four days ago, this fic was first published!  Can you believe it?!  This story is now officially a bit more than a year old!  YAY!  CELEBRATE!  Break out the flayrah!  Break out the champagne!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Hawkbit: I never thought he'd last **THIS** long.

Bigwig: **(sighs) **Insanity and craziness knows no seasons.

Blackberry: **(watches RogueFanKC dancing up a storm) **He's mad, isn't he?

Holly: And you _just_ figured this out, chap?

Anyway, I promised in the previous chapter that there were two surprises in this part!  If this does not surprise you in a good way **(then boy oh boy, you guys are a tough crowd, y'know that?)**, then I'm all out of ideas! =)  Still, if you wish to know why I planned this surprise, you can thank the reviews made by Windwalker and Maleo for this!  That said, enjoy! ^_^

Oh yes, before I forget, there IS a picture of Justin and the Watership Down rabbits alongside him that I drew if anyone cares to see any visuals.  It is at Entei-rah's website, a good WD fan whom I've had the pleasure of meeting, not to mention a gracious person who was willing to do an fan-art section to even allow me to post up my drawing.  go to www(dot)thankustars(dot)co(dot)uk and click on the link labeled "Fanart" on the left and the drawing is under my profile, "RogueFanKC".  Enjoy the story! ^_^

*/

CHAPTER 24 

                Meanwhile, all was not well for Woundwort, Prince Rainbow and his two loyal canine subjects, and of course, Elil-rah.  The entire walls and ceiling of the warren of cold stone, rock, obsidian, and dirt actually vibrated hard enough to leave large, jutting cracks in the foundation as the mysterious Elil-rah, still shrouded in darkness except for his glowing, sinister, hellish eyes, roared his wrath as Woundwort and Prince Rainbow stood by and listened.

                "**HOW CAN THIS EVEN BE POSSIBLE??!!!**" bellowed Elil-rah, the fury and indignity of it all causing much burning hatred within his dark soul to multiply and overwhelm his entire being, "**THAT DARK CREATURE FROM THE COMICAL FIELD WAS MY GREATEST CREATION, MY BLOODRIGHT, MY MOST VALUED CHILD!!!  IT WAS THE ULTIMATE WEAPON AGAINST EL-AHRAIRAH!!!  NOT EVEN THE PRINCE OF ALL RABBITS AND THE SERVANT OF DEATH, THE BLACK RABBIT, COULD HAVE MANAGED TO FACE IT, MUCH LESS FIGHT IT!!!  HOW COULD THE CROSS-BEARER AND THE WEAK HAZEL-RAH EVEN HAVE SUCCEEDED IN DRIVING IT BACK, SEALING IT INTO THE UNBREAKABLE PRISON OF THE WARREN OF THE BLACK RABBIT OF INLE??!!!  DAMN YOU, CROSS-BEARER!!!  DAMN YOU TO HELL DEPTHS OF FIRE, BRIMSTONE, AND ETERNAL CURSES!!!  CURSE YOU, WOUNDWORT, HOW CAN YOUR OWSLA FAIL AFTER SO MANY CHANCES?!!  I GAVE YOU HORDES OF VARIOUS AND DANGEROUS CREATURES OF SATAN AND EVIL, CREATURES THAT HAVE NEVER EXISTED SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME, I HAVE GIVEN YOUR WILLING SOLDIERS WEAPONS OF GREAT AND TERRIBLE DESTRUCTIVE POWER!!!  AND YET YOU CONTINUE TO DISAPPOINT ME!!!  DESPITE THESE GIFTS, YOU AND YOUR WARRIORS COULD NOT HANDLE THE MISERABLE, WEAK, AND SMALL GROUP OF RABBITS, THE RABBITS OF WATERSHIP DOWN, SENT BY EL-AHRAIRAH TO PROTECT JUSTIN!!!**"

                "My lord," Woundwort managed to say while maintaining his steady and firm gaze into Elil-rah's wrathful eyes; he would not break and cower for he prided himself to be too resilient and strong to ever be humbled like that.  He must show Elil-rah that he would never give up on his mission to destroy El-ahrairah and his legacy, and that he was not incompetent.  Prince Rainbow gave a soft chuckle as he announced in a nonchalant voice, as if he knew that all the previous attempts of the dark beast would fail and that it would ultimately depend on his intervention.

                "My lord, this has continued far enough, and this disgraceful human has soiled your influence and purification attempts for this realm far too long!  I shall go and kill the cross-bearer myself!  Do not fear, for I do not plan to return until the child, Justin, and his beloved friends of Watership Down mist the entire fields with their blood!  Elil-rah, I request for you to send me!  The child's evil, his humanity, must be removed before he reaches the warren of El-ahrairah in Fenlo!  Allow me to assassinate the young one, for I will not fail!"

                There was a contemplating silence before Elil-rah rumbled softly.

                "**YOU HAVE MY BLESSINGS, PRINCE RAINBOW.  DO NOT FAIL ME.**"

                Without answering, Prince Rainbow swiftly turned, his cloak barely making a noise as it trailed behind his rapidly departing form as he glided softly across the floor and into the runs leading into the open.  Without the need of a command, the two dogs turned and followed their master, their heads swimming gleefully with the anticipation of tasting human flesh and blood for it was now for Justin to pay for his bold insolence with his life.

                                                                                ***

                "Can you believe it?  Can you chaps actually believe it?!!  We're so close to home!" cheered Bluebell happily as all of the Owsla from Watership Down, along with Justin who was riding on Campion's back, gazed at the hallowed fields of the meadows of Fenlo from a small ridge of rocky cliff just outside the border to the meadows of El-ahrairah as the dawn broke newborn sunlight.  From their position, Justin could see their beautiful home.  The grass was fresh, dark green, and sweet smelling with fresh dew sparkling on its tender blades everlastingly, creating a moist, succulent treat for silflay.  The grass, despite being longer that the height of Justin's ankle from the ground, was unable to cover the luscious patches of dark clover, foxtail, tender burnet, vernal grass, timothy, and yellow trefoil that were also amalgamated with the meadows.  The meadows also had picturesque pastures of wildflowers of multicolored daisies, bugle, red ragged robin, white primroses, purple orchids, thistles, nettles, buttercups, vetch, marigolds, and yellow rattle, perfectly spaced and yet clustered closely enough to make a charming scene.  And everywhere in the grass were bunches and bunches of dandelions, violets, and red clover blossoms.  Here, the grass would never die, never wither and turn brown, always fresh and soft and tasty as it had sprouted a moment ago, and the field was forever giving off soft, supple sweet aromas of variegated plants as fragrant as perfume.  Justin could then see why the rabbits and El-ahrairah loved their warren so much; it was practically heaven to them.

                "There it is, chaps, there it is," Dandelion murmured, his eyes sparkling and a tired yet blissful smile behind his whiskers, "the meadows of Fenlo.  Our home!"

                "It...it's beautiful," murmured Justin in a awestruck tone

                "Fur and paw, I'm so hungry, I could eat the entire fields!" exclaimed Pipkin happily.

                "And I'll be one to join you, you young duffer!" chortled Silver as he ruffled the smaller rabbit's head brotherly.

                "How much longer will it take before we reach El-ahrairah's warren?" Justin asked Campion.

                "In less than four days," responded the rabbit, being more chipper and excited than Justin had ever seen him behave before.

                "Come on, you duffers!" barked Bigwig brusquely, yet one could see the stern features on his face melt from the joy of being back home again, "Let us keep moving!  El-ahrairah will not get any better if we just stand around gaping like tharn, come-to-lie-down-never-to-get-our-lazy-tails-back-up-again fools!"

                As they all galloped into the fields of sweet comfort and paradise, all the rabbits chattered eagerly amongst one another with sweet anticipation of how they would enjoy the precious time they lost.

                "Frith in a barn, I cannot wait to see Violet again!" panted Speedwell with blushing cheeks as his ears perked up and his eyes had a dreamy, far-off look in his eyes.  One could practically hear the bird twittering and the angels singing harpsong around his head, and Hawkbit and Bigwig rolled their eyes at his flagrant display of longing.

                "Who's Violet, Speedwell?" Justin asked as he rode on Campion's back.

                "Violet is my doe, my mate, one whom I've had the pleasure of meeting once I entered the land beyond life," Speedwell explained, "She stopped running when a hawk attacked her, but bloody fur and paw, she is truly the loveliest doe I have ever laid eyes upon!  Once you meet her, cross-bearer, you'll grow to love her too!  She has the softest gray fur, the most delicate eyes, and a voice that threatens to knock me senseless every time I hear it!"

                "That would not take much," quipped Dandelion slyly, earning a few chuckles all around and an attempt by Speedwell to cuff the golden storyteller.

                Blackberry conceded thoughtfully and with accord, "I know what you mean, Speedwell.  I can honestly say that I am quite looking forward to seeing Flyairth again as well."

                "And Clover," Holly chimed in, his body becoming more noticeably giddy and youthfully exuberant.

                "And Vilthuril," sighed Fiver happily.

                "And Hyzenthlay," Hazel agreed with a soft look of fondness in his eyes.  The rest of the rabbits discussed other matters that had been the foremost on their glorious homecoming.

                "The hrair of you can spend time with your does!  Silver, Pipkin and I will be wallowing up to our ears with delicious food!!  Fur and paw, none of that quick, hasty nibbling that no sensible rabbit would call worthy of a meal!!  We mean the blimey good stuff from the fields of Fenlo!  Nothing else in the entire land beyond life has grass just as sweet and soft and flowers as supple and full of flavor!!" Strawberry chortled.

                Silver and Pipkin's eyes both twinkled at the thoughts of the luscious food.

                "Clover, dandelions, and sweet timothy," drooled Pipkin in a glazed, distant, dreamy voice.

                "Fresh burnet, ivy as tender as a doe's milk, clover heads full of nectar, and bushes ripe with juicy berries," drawled Silver in a singsong, occupied tone, his stomach rumbling.  The fact that both of them, a huge, mild-mannered yet courageous giant alongside a small, yet perky, gentle dwarf, were speaking in the same expression caused everyone around them to laugh, or in Bigwig and Hawkbit's cases, roll their eyes upwards in annoyance.

                "It figures it would be you three to say such stupid things," Hawkbit muttered.

                "You're just jealous that you do not even have a doe to dote on, Hawkbit, so all you can do is silflay and play with the kittens like Pipkin and Silver," shot back Speedwell light-heartedly, yet with the brutality of a fighter kicking his defeated, unconscious opponent in the ribs.  Hawkbit's eyes turned icy with murder as his face became flushed and heated.  Justin, trying to break the moment of embarrassment for Hawkbit, asked Bigwig a deliberate question.

                "Bigwig, what about you?  Don't you have a doe back at El-ahrairah's warren?"

                The fur-cropped brawny rabbit shook his head, but smiled easily enough, replying, "No, young bucko, I have no need for a doe to call as my mate, for my life will always be devoted to training the warriors and soldiers of El-ahrairah's Owsla.  Being an Owsla captain along with being a loyal friend to Hazel-rah and the rest of the Watership chaps is the entire point of my existence.  When I came to the land beyond life, El-ahrairah requested that I, alongside with Rabscuttle, help teach and instruct rabbits into being effective members of the Owsla, and as such, I found more fulfillment in that than I would ever find in a doe...though I do admit, Justin, there are times I do feel lonely for the affection of one."

                "I'm sorry," murmured Justin.  Bigwig just glanced warmly at his ward.

                "Don't be young one.  After all, I am not the only one who has decided to adopt that way of life, for Buckthorn, Campion and Silver also chose to live a life of a warrior, unattached and free, yet courageous, wild at heart, alive for adventure and excitement, young one!  To go on a journey where you place your wits and strength against the wilderness!  It is the ideal life of every rabbit blessed by Frith and El-ahrairah."  Justin pondered this before silently agreeing; after all, humans constantly dream and fantasize their own journeys of the soul and body, to be a hero or a vital part of a quest larger than anyone could ever comprehend.  After all, why else would he love the journey with the rabbits of Watership Down so much?  Despite the various attempts on his life, this entire month of foraging, fighting, and exploration was the adolescent's dream come true.

                Silver then put in encouragingly, "Besides, young cross-bearer, we are hardly ever lonely; there are times we do have the pleasure of accompanying a doe every once in a while.  Yet usually, what keeps us occupied are the long expeditions with Blackavar, Stonecrop, and Toadflax, and some of the other hlessi rabbits, to areas unknown and unexplored in the land beyond life."

                "'Unexplored'?  _Here_??  How big is the land beyond life?!" Justin gasped in incredulity.

                "It is infinite, never ending, countless, immeasurable..." went on Bluebell in a passionate, yet absent-minded voice.

                "Bluebell, Justin has gotten the hint," Bigwig said flatly as he cuffed Bluebell on the ear to get the jester to stop, "Even the eldest animals in the land beyond life do not are not acquainted with every single territory and region created by Frith in this realm.  It goes on everlastingly, and as such, we have made it our goal to see every single locale of this paradise, to explore what was previously unknown and concealed in mystery and namelessness.  We wish to be one of the few animals who has gone and witnessed to every single miraculous province and forest in the land beyond life!"

                Campion then added affectionately, "But of course, once this is all over, with Elil-rah and the dark sickness that is affecting El-ahrairah, we...we would be honored if you could come with us, accompany us on our journeys.  We would enjoy having you experience the hlessi life as well."

                Justin grinned at the thought.  "I'd like that.  But...why not have Pipkin come with you too?  You know how much he loves to explore, especially when he has his wings of flight."

                Pipkin's eyes sparkled, "That would be enchanting, Justin!"

                Justin then chuckled sincerely, "Then once this is all over, I'll give you your powers of flight again and let you explore the unknown areas with the others by taking to the skies."

                "Frith-rah!  I cannot _wait_!" cheered Pipkin, and Hawkbit then commented nastily, "Hlao-roo, do not be daft!  You're too little to ever be strong enough for a life of nomadic wandering and hlessi livelihood."

                "Oh do shut up," Pipkin shot back affectionately, like a true younger brother, at Hawkbit, and then as a postscript, Pipkin then added cruelly, "And at least _I'm_ not the one who would be trying to make a fool of myself over that doe, Blethlin!"

                "WHAT?!" several, including Justin and Hazel-rah, exclaimed joyously and with shocked excitement, eager to learn more about the little tidbit of gossip.  Hawkbit's face grew even redder.

                "Blethlin??  _Blethlin_??!  That loud-mouthed, quarrelsome doe that cuffs Hawkbit at every chance he talks to her??!!" Fiver gasped in disbelief.

                "The only doe at El-ahrairah's warren who actually nitpicks and has tussles with Hawkbit every time they start a conversation?!  The one who Hawkbit complains is an 'egotistical, pompous, vain, irritating female who is so opinionated and boisterous, not even the elil would want her as a meal'??!!" laughed Campion, his eyes and face merry with humor.

                "The doe who announces, so loudly that even rabbits underground can hear, that Hawkbit has an embarrassing, flea problem every time he passes by her?!" pestered Strawberry in an fascinated tone.

                "The doe that Hawkbit cannot go through one single day without brawling, cuffing and fighting with?!" craved Dandelion, now eager to learn more.

                "The one doe who kicked Hawkbit so hard when he insulted her, he got his head stuck in one of the openings of the runs of the warren and needed Rabscuttle and Stonecrop to dig him out??!!" guffawed Speedwell.  Hawkbit sent Pipkin a "I-am-going-to-kill-you-for-this" glare, but the diminutive rabbit paid him no mind as he giggled.

                "The very one," Pipkin confessed as Blackberry, Bluebell and Acorn joined in with him, embarrassing Hawkbit to new depths of humiliation.

                "By Frith, you duffers are lucky to not hear his lovesick mumblings of Blethlin while Hawkbit is sleeping!" hooted Acorn as he nearly stumbled, laughing, "We hear him all the time, twitching and muttering like a tharn loon, calling out Blethlin's name!!  To be honest, chaps, I daresay the doe must have had quite an effect on our sarcastic big-mouthed bloke over here!!"

                Blackberry howled with giddiness, "I guess it would be highly reasonable to say that all those cuffs and bump and scratches Blethlin had given freely to our friend has knocked him to a new stage of delusion and insanity, which is surprising in itself!  I thought he did not even have _any_ sense to get knocked out of!"

                "_Shut up_," hissed Hawkbit.

                Bluebell then said, "You should at least hear him, though!  It is so hilariously embarrassing!"  With that, he altered his voice to sound like a high-pitched, unstable, mad parody of Hawkbit.  "'Oh Blethlin, I cannot stop thinking about you, from the way you throw insults at me, to the way your mouth and whiskers twitch in anger every time your paw whacks me between the ears!  I love you, Blethlin!  I love you, I love you, I love -'!"

                "I'M GOING TO KILL ALL FOUR OF YOU!!!" roared Hawkbit, and knowing that this was their cue, Pipkin, Blackberry, Bluebell, and Acorn dashed off, hooting and chortling, as a very vengeful and livid Hawkbit, roaring and cursing like a mad, witch rabbit, pursued after them, hot on their tails, as the rest of the Watership Owsla and the cross-bearer laughed to no end.

                "Get back here, you damn turncoats!!  Lord Frith will never find any of your remains once I'm finished with the lot of you!!" Hawkbit screamed.

                "Hawkbit, that is enough!" Hazel managed to say in between his chortling.

                "_He _started it!!!" Hawkbit, Bluebell, Blackberry, Pipkin, and Acorn shouted together in unison.

                                                                                ***

                "There they are, the damned human and his senseless protectors, the mad, delusional rabbits of Watership Down and of El-ahrairah," muttered Prince Rainbow, watching the scene in the distance from afar, unspotted and unnoticed, alongside his two loyal dogs, his servants of many years, ever since the events in "The Story of the Trial of El-ahrairah".  To his left was one, large, taller than any of the rabbits, with eyes of pure flames spewing out of his sockets, and his teeth were made of dark fragments of obsidian, beautifully carved and shaped into wicked, sadistic teeth which contrasted against his red mouth and pink tongue which had hot, puffs of vaporous steam emerging from it.  The Dog was fit, well-toned, and his vigorous body was entirely made of molten rock and magma, with a hard, blackened, thing flaky crust, fruitlessly hardened from the cool exposure to the air, representing as skin while cracks on the dog's body surface revealed the bright, searing, orange glow of lava and burning liquid coursing through his veins and fueling his anger.  On Prince Rainbow's right was the other dog, significantly smaller than his companion, yet no less ferocious.  He was completely made of a silvery, smooth, runny liquid metal, shimmering and sparkling at every little movement under the sunlight.  Every part of the dog's body, even his teeth, claws, and fur, were completely consisting of liquefied metal alloy, but the dog's eyes were amazingly pure white, devoid of pupils, and glowing with a faint aura of mystical control.  Yet what was also noticeable about the dog was the layer of cold, unbreakable ice, always eternally cold and never melting, formed over the dog's head between his short ears, like a cap.  While the silver dog looked on the scene with a stern, displeased, yet suspicious expression, the lava dog beside him was positively enraged, his body now glowing slightly brighter at the appearance of Justin, a human.  It was painful for them to see a human again; it was as if their hearts were trapped in steel cages of anger, disappointment, sadness, and bitter resentment, always and forever held and tormented with the rust of disgrace and the cool, harsh metal of sorrow and lifetimes of their destiny ending in misfortune and unfair calamity.

                "Damn him," the canine consisting of magma growled in unrestrained antagonism, "Damn him, damn the rabbits, damn this place, damn the whitecoats, damn you all!"

                "Enough, Carnage," Prince Rainbow replied strictly, "I know how you feel, and given the chance, this human will do the exact same acts of injustice, malice, and sadistic agony, torment and suffering to other animals and creatures, creatures he feels are lesser than him and have no real purpose in his plans for pestilence and death, exactly like those whitecoats had done to you and Havoc.  Elil-rah was right to send his Owsla to attempt to kill him."

                "But they all failed," the silvery-metallic dog stated in a cold, mechanical voice.

                "That they did, yet we, all three of us, are far more powerful than any of those useless, bumbling, incompetent fools, and unlike them, we will succeed, for Frith knows of our anger, our sorrow, our pain, from this human's cruelty.  You two need not to fear the cross-bearer's powers of light and hope and idiotic beliefs, for you are far more righteous and deserving of happiness and eternal reward than that...that...tyrant!  Remember, you two were no longer those victims of human savagery and cruelty, and no longer will you two need to grovel and beg for mercy, but now, now, you two are the victors, the champions over such travesties, the perfect, idyllic, supreme paradigms of wild animals, beasts that kill and wreck destruction without mercy on those who have wronged you.  I love you both as my own children, and I have felt your anguish, cried your bitter tears, have been wounded by the crimes done against you, and now...now is your redemption.  Now, our merciful lord, Elil-rah, has blessed us with the chance to right the wrongs done in opposition to your physical lives."

                "I'm not going back.  They will not take me back!  _He_ will not take me back!" snarled the animal of lava, his eyes now blazing brighter.

                "It's a wonderful island, this is _our_ island!  I will not let this whitecoat take this away from me as well!" barked the animal of silver, his voice now artic and aloof with disdain and hatred.

                Prince Rainbow nodded, saying, "Now Carnage, Havoc, let your wills be done!  Strike!"

                The dog with the silver essence widened his eyes slightly, and eerily, both his eyes and his cap of ice were now immersed with a unnatural, hoary luminosity, his power as cold and frosty as ice, lined with the lack of remorse and regret he would normally feel from attacking an innocent.  The other larger dog now dissolved into the ground, his body liquefying and permeating into the ground, merging with it, shaping it, moving it with his powerful will.

                The cross-bearer is now finished, Prince Rainbow thought as the ground, now obeying the command of the dog, began to quake beneath him.

                                                                                ***

                Fiver suddenly stopped short, shivering as the Owsla made their way to the top of a sizeable grassy knoll.  He could sense it, the turbulent change in the air, the ground, the mystic aura of time and space rippling disastrously with the incoming presence of Carnage's wrath.  Hazel noticed Fiver's reaction.

                "Fiver?  What's wrong?!" he asked sharply.

                "Prince Rainbow!  He's here, Hazel-rah!  Prince Rainbow is here, and he is coming for Justin!  Danger, something powerful, is approaching!!"  All the rabbits stopped at this statement, and yet before Bigwig, Holly, and Hazel could even attempt to map out a cunning strategy of defense, the ground started to rumble and wobble violently, as if the very soil beneath their feet was nothing more than a thin sheet of fabric, threatening to tear and rip from being jerked and pulled in all directions, making it very difficult for the Watership soldiers to maintain their balance as the floor coursed and jumped with small waves of turmoil.

                "Frith in a hole!  This is even more powerful than the ability of seismokinesis Justin had blessed me with!" exclaimed Strawberry in awful surprise as a small jerk forced him to stumble into Dandelion and Blackberry.

                Dandelion cried out urgently as he looked up, "O Frith and Inle and all that is of the Black Rabbit and El-ahrairah, LOOK!!"  All the rabbits and the cross-bearer glanced up to see what was truly a frightening, menacing, sight.  A huge surge of rock, stone and soil, was slowly, yet dauntingly starting to peak and form from the once peaceful field of the meadows of Fenlo, now becoming seriously ravaged by the colossal tidal wave of earth that was building up in speed, mass, and intensity as it streaked unbelievably quickly towards the group.  No plot of land was safe in the disaster's path, for immediately, grass, plants, and fields were torn and hacked to bits, only to be merged and amalgamated with the unnatural force of destruction, adding inadvertently to its awesome strength.  What made the scene more terrifying was that at the same time, black clouds of the darkest tones appeared out of nowhere, spreading uncontrollably and speedily at an unreal velocity, erasing and blacking out the pale blue sky and the quiet, warm sun in mere seconds.  Soon, before any of the rabbits could comprehend it, the entire fields of Fenlo were plunged into darkness, the entire heavens above now engulfed with an abnormal, hazy, reddish night with the sky in shades of dark pink mixed harmoniously with opaque black and night, the sun now eclipsed by a sea of demonic colors, similar to a rainy, torrential sky being lit by the crimson of a hunter's blood moon.  And the groundswell of deadly mud was advancing closer and closer, its crest now high enough to tower over several Ilips.

                "O embleer Frith, it's growing bigger and bigger!!" shrieked Acorn as he stared at the threat with wide eyes of desolate incredulity.

                "Justin!" Campion shouted urgently, and the adolescent grabbed his cross.

                "Time freeze!!!" he shouted, but to his horror, it would not work, exactly like it did before at the Black Rabbit's warren, glowing softly, but being uncooperative and unresponsive to Justin's commands and desperate pleas for miraculous intervention and power.

                "It's not working!  I can't use my powers!  My cross won't work!!  None of my powers are working!!" wailed Justin, nearly screeching over the rumble of the earth as the upsurge was now close enough to overshadow the rabbits.

                "Quickly, run the other way!" Holly ordered.

                "We can't, old chap!  LOOK!!!" screamed Bluebell as he pointed behind them.  To their dismay, there was another wave of rock coming towards them from behind.  Now they were completely and overwhelmingly surrounded as both upwellings of dirt and rock enclosed the hilltop.  The dirt-slides then heaved mightily before they toppled over the cross-bearer and his companions.  None of the rabbits had time to even run, and it was impossible that they would all be able to come out unscathed for not even El-ahrairah himself would have been able to avoid the avalanche of doom with his gift of Runner.

                "Oh no!!  We're too late!!  There's no way out!!  We've been cut off!!" squealed Blackberry.

                "Embleer Frith, there is too much for us to handle!!" Hawkbit gasped.

                Thinking fast, during those few precious seconds before they were completely cut off, Hazel and Bigwig, in a final act of nobility and love, grabbed Justin roughly by the arms, jerking him off the back of Campion.

                "JUSTIN, GO!!!" they hollered and with a heavy shove, both Hazel and Bigwig, with all their strengths, threw Justin over the very edge of the hill and as far as they could.  Yelping in fright and surprise, the teenager rolled and tumbled at an accelerated rate down the slopes of the grassy mount before rolling to a dazed, shaky stop several yards away from the base of the hill, miraculously far enough to avoid the landslide.  Bruised and dazed, Justin managed to lift up his head to see, to his woe, the fleeting scene of the rabbits, his treasured friends from Watership Down, become overwhelmed by the massive inundation.

                "**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!**" squealed the rabbits in terrified anguish as, with a potent crash of rumbling thunder and pandemonium, the two waves of dirt and soil completely covered the entire hill with a suffocating, impenetrable blanket of dirt, stone, rock, and debris, cutting them off from view.  Thundering, the massive spillage fell and permeated through every possible crevice and crack, every unoccupied space, rolling, leaking, and breaking into a makeshift shroud of oblivion.  Once the mud and soil and settled into place, there was only a huge mound of piled soil and stone obscuring the hill and silence that greeted the young, terrified Justin.  Quiet, still, tormenting, silence all save from the whimpering coming out of Justin's shocked body, shivering in the darkness as he replayed the horrified scene in his head, the looks of terror, of fright, of their doomed fate threatening to cause the teenager to go tharn.  From the fall, Justin received an ugly gash close to his hairline on his forehead that was now slowly dribbling towards his eyebrows, and Justin's mouth had traces of sand and pebbles, yet he was very much alive, incoherent, but alive.  Several tense, unspoken minutes passed by before Justin, his body numb but burning from the exertion, half-stumbled, half ran towards the mammoth, sickening sepulcher, hoping he could see his friends come out of the dirt, digging and fighting through, like the heroes they always were.  Yet, there was nothing.  No sounds of digging, no apparent indication that they were able to make their way out of the tomb, and all Justin could realize, with numbing grief, that Hazel and the rest of the rabbits were trapped and there was no way Justin could help them.  Justin ran up the hill, his feet threatening to slide from the unstable slopes of dirt and soil that were slipping past his feet, hoping he could find any signs of life from the mountain of dirt.  Unfortunately, there were none, and Justin had no idea where to look.  The entire mass of earth that buried the Watership rabbits alive was as large as a mesa, and it would take a man about an hour to just travel over it.  Frantic, Justin rashly grabbed his cross, nearly in tears.

                "Please, teleport them out!  Teleport Hazel and the rest of the rabbits out of the dirt!"  The cross remained still and silent.

                "Please!!"  Nothing.

                "_Please!!_"  Justin's screaming became piercing, sharp, and desolate.  Nothing happened, and as a result, the human teenager's screams of panic and fear now turned to curses of rage and blame.

                "Please!!" Justin hollered through his angry tears, now on his hands and knees and pounding the ground in extreme frustration with one fist, "Please!!  Please!!!  Work, damn you!!  Work!!  Teleport them!!  Levitate them!!  Turn back time!!  Astral project them out of the ground!!  Do something!!  _ANYTHING_!!!  Just save them!!!  Please!!  **WORK, DAMN IT**!!!"  This went on for several moments before Justin gave up, and sobbing, he curled into a fetal position, rocking himself slightly while sitting on his rear, whimpering to himself sorrowfully and with heart-wrenching angst, "No...no, I don't believe this!  I can't do this!  Please Hazel, please Bigwig, please everyone, I can't do this!  I need you guys so much!  I...I don't want to be alone!"

                At this, the teenager, now shattered and defeated, just broke down and started crying, his blubbering echoing slightly through the meadows.  A voice rang out, cold, cruel, and callous.,

                "Such a coward."

                Alarmed, Justin stared up at the very top of the titanic mound of dirt, only to realize that he was staring directly into the face of Prince Rainbow himself, the messenger of Lord Frith, the god of all rabbits, once good and kind, though on several occasions annoyed with El-ahrairah's antics.  Except this time, Justin was staring directly into the face of the servant of Elil-rah, now twisted from the darkness and depravity of the dark beast.  Prince Rainbow was a tall, malicious, and very foreboding figure that sent shivers of terror down Justin's spine.  He wore a black cloak, buttoned at the neckline by a silver medallion bearing the letter "E", with a simply border of midnight blue around the clothing's edges, but the cloak was not made out of any physical material.  It was vaporous, ethereal, and wraithlike, shimmering and fading into discreet wisps of mist and air.  Prince Rainbow's face was covered by a hood, his face completely and mysteriously hidden, oppressive, sinister, and unseen, and through the blackness of the hood, Justin could only make out the hellish eyes, crimson red and smoldering against the endless chasm of darkness covering Prince Rainbow's face.  It was scary, not knowing the true appearance of your oppressor, yet Justin's fear soon melted into anger as he saw the dogs appear next to Prince Rainbow as the wicked servant mocked Justin again.

                "I saw how you abandoned your so-called friends," Prince Rainbow abused, his deep, bass voice being hollow and flat with disdain, seeing the human creature as nothing but pure evil, an evil that must be eliminated, "And you claim that you truly cared about them.  I can honestly say that El-ahrairah is rightly the Prince of all Fools, thinking that you, Justin, are a pure, innocent, noble creature when in fact, you are just like all other human, arrogant, cruel, selfish, and gutlessly despicable."

                "Shut up!" Justin yelled, now more furious than he had ever been before, "SHUT UP!!  YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT!!  BRING THEM BACK!!!  BRING MY FRIENDS BACK!!!"

                Prince Rainbow gave a low chuckle, as if he was dubious of the cross-bearer's abilities and actually found the scene of a puny, sniveling human now making demands amusing.  Justin grew even more angry.  Now, for once in his life, he wanted to deliberately hurt Prince Rainbow and his dogs, he wanted to make them pay for what they did, he wanted to strike back and lash out in anger, no longer willing to just swallow the abuse and hurt.  He wanted vengeance; he wanted to kill.  In his anger, to his surprise, the golden bearerang, the swift, deadly golden boomerang, now appeared in his hands as the cross, sensing his emotions of rage and hate.  Justin drew his arm back, ready to send it directly into Prince Rainbow's heart.

                "BRING THEM BACK!!!" the teenager roared, but before he could release the weapon, Prince Rainbow's voice rang out, sure, strongly, and brief.

                "STOP!"  Justin froze, and the dog on Prince Rainbow's left, which amazingly looked as if it was made of lava and molten stone, burning and radiating like a hound from the deepest, fiery depths of hell and brimstone, let loose a disembodied, demonic howl.  There was crackle, an faint eruption behind Prince Rainbow, and to the boy's shocked surprise, a column of tightly packed dirt and rock began forming and erecting itself out of the hill, steadily growing and shaping into a demented totem pole.  To the human teenager's repulsion, demonic faces of dogs, oddly misshapen to look like monsters from hell, materialized from the earth, with their wide mouths littered with teeth, pointed ears similar to demon horns, and narrowed slits of eager, brutal bloodshed representing their sinful eyes.  As soon as the column grew over several stories and was as wide and thick as the largest redwood tree, numerous claws, paws, and hands made of soil and mud formed and extracted themselves out of the column, bringing out a multitude of limp objects.  Justin's breath then died in his throat as his breath came out in a whimpered, choking gasp.

                It was the Owsla of Watership Down, all of them.  Hazel-rah, Fiver, Bigwig, Blackberry, Dandelion, Hawkbit, Speedwell, Holly, Pipkin, Strawberry, Acorn, Buckthorn, Bluebell, Silver and Campion, all of them unconscious from the crushing weight of the avalanche, limp, dirty, and lifeless, as the stone paws held them tightly by their torsos, imprisoning them and placing them in a gruesome display, strung like puppets on the column of stone dog heads.  They were all alive, yet in grave danger.

                "Havoc, awaken the cross-bearer's friends," Prince Rainbow ordered, and with a nod, the metallic canine widened his eyes, allowing the blank, white gleam of purgatory to shine once again.  To Justin's terror, each of the stone heads on the column also had their eyes turn blank with the blinding white illumination, and in a flash, a surge of colorless, burning lightning emerged out of each of the dogs' eyes, intense and powerful, before coursing through all fifteen bodies of the rabbit soldiers, ribbons of painful electricity streamed through their flesh and skin, immediately jolting them back to consciousness with a rude, excruciating, cruel alarm.

                "**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!**" screamed all the rabbits as one, the burning sensations channeling through every cell, every fiber of their bodies, sending every one of their nerves to heightened, new awareness for torment and suffering.  The brutal blitz of lightning was burning the rabbits' bodies, smoldering them, causing wafts of black smoke to emerge from their flesh and leaving huge, ugly, bleeding welts and burns.

                "STOP!!!  STOP IT!!!"  Justin lost all restraint as he screamed to the heavens above.  The dog with the glacial cap then, as to humor the teenager, calmed down, and the lightning faded away, and left the rabbits, awake, but barely sensible as they panted, trying to gasp for precious air and relieve their pain and they looked down at the scene in front of them, realizing their predicament, yet too heavily injured and weakened to do anything about it.

                Prince Rainbow then sadistically chuckled, "Oh dear, does this scene displease you so much?  Maybe then I should change it to your liking.  Carnage."  The dog formed from molten rock now had his eyes glowing, streams of fire shooting and curving out of his eye sockets and into their air like wild snakes.  Immediately, the creatures of rock that were attached to the column responded in obedience.  Bluebell, Buckthorn, and Campion suddenly felt the rocks holding them prisoner shift slowly, painfully, squeezing their bodies so hard, several of their ribs snapped and Buckthorn's lung was severely punctured from a fragment of broken bone, forcing his airway to collapse and the stolid rabbit weakly gurgled in air as his mouth filled with crimson blood.

                "Augh!  It hurts!  It hurts!!" shrieked Bluebell.

                Campion was writhing and jerking violently, trying to get out of the crushing grip the stone dogs were inflicting on his body, "Stop it!  Frith and Inle, stop it!!!"

                The dog then inflicted more punishment on several other rabbits on the column of dirt, and to their horror, Fiver, Pipkin, Silver, and strawberry felt themselves being pulled inwards forcefully.

                "What in the name of -?!!" choked Silver, but that was all he was able to blurt out before he, Strawberry, Pipkin, and Fiver were completely dragged back into the column of earth, back again into the tightly packed prison, cut off from any light and air, as the earth enclosed all around them.  Justin could faintly hear the muffled screams of the rabbits from underneath the suffocating gravel, could barely see the faint vibrations as Strawberry and Fiver thrashed and bucked, trying to fight their way through the surface for several precious breaths of air.  Pipkin was faintly crying, and Silver was trying his best to remain clam despite the claustrophobic environments.  However, it would simply be a matter of minutes before they would be rendered unconscious again.

                Carnage, the lava hellhound, then smirked at Justin's pale, shocked face, sneering, "Do you know how long it takes fro a creature to perish if their supply of air is completely cut off from them?  Do you know how long it takes for a rabbit to die if they are buried alive, suffocating and desperate for freedom, except like fools, every time they struggle, they use up what precious life they have left, bringing them closer and closer to their demise?  The watering of their eyes, a simple layer of fire develops in their lungs and windpipe, choking them, and their heads actually begin to swim and throb excruciatingly, as if one was striking their skulls with a metal weapon.  Of course, they cannot perish...but I just simply enjoy observing you watch on helplessly as your beloved friends suffer."  With that, Fiver, Silver, Pipkin, and Strawberry were thrust out of the stone and soil pillar, the rabbits frothing at the mouths and their eyes rolling with nausea as they gasped in precious air, coughing and sputtering.  Justin, though relieved that they were now done with the torture, just turned back to Prince Rainbow, terrified and at a loss for words.

                "Afraid, are you, you despicable coward?  You should be, for Elil-rah has made it so that not even Strawberry's seismokinesis or your special abilities over my loyal servants, the Dogs of War."  Prince Rainbow then indicated to the two canine abominations with a simple nod of his head, and the two dogs snarled menacingly at Justin.

                "The smaller one is called Havoc.  His power is to not only spread hatred and dissention in any creature he touches, but he also has the ability to manipulate the fates of chance so that his victims will always meet misfortune and bad luck.  If there is even the slimmest chance of a situation to go wrong, if there is even a hint of a possibility that a well-executed plan shall fail, if there exists the vulnerability of Achilles, then Havoc shall influence the outcome to end in collapse, bringing whomever he wishes to unpleasant fortune.  Which is the main reason why your cross will not help the rabbits, you fool!  Havoc's magic allows him to even hinder the abilities of your jewel, making you helpless!"

                Justin's blood turned blue with cold at this statement.  Prince Rainbow then turned to the larger dog made of molten lava.

                "This is another one of my precious children, Carnage," he resumed, "He has the ability to meld with the earth and rock, becoming one with it, molding and controlling it as easily as if they were all simply extensions of his own body, as easily as acorns falling off an oak tree.  He is far more powerful than the power of seismokinesis you yourself had blessed to your friend, Strawberry, cross-bearer.  So as you can see, with the Dogs of War at my side, you are truly powerless!"

                Prince Rainbow then sneered at the frail, petrified Justin as he added, "And of course, the glorious Elil-rah has also sanctified my loyalty and allegiance to his cause!  You are not the only one blessed with great and destructive powers of apocalyptic proportions, you foolish boy!  You are now lost, cross-bearer!  Without your senseless, meaningless friends to protect you and act as your personal army, you are truly done for, alone, weak, helpless, and sickeningly needy, and nothing more than a frightened child who is barely capable of anything impressive and heroic in his life!  And I shall be the magnificent messenger of truth to demonstrate this to all of the land beyond life!  And I shall first start by killing your friends, your only companions, your worthless, zealous traitorous protectors, the mighty rabbits of El-ahrairah's Owsla and of Watership Down!"

                Justin whose voice chords were stuck together with revulsion and whose throat was parched, dry, finally found his ability to speak as his anger flushed out.

                "Even if you hurt them, I can still heal them with my cross!" shot back Justin feverishly.

                Prince Rainbow laughed as he repeated himself again, emphasizing his point, "Did you not hear me clearly enough, young cross-bearer?  I said I would _kill_ your friends, not hurt them.  No power, not even your cross, would be able to bring them back once I exhibited my power and banish them forever from this haven, a haven they have lost the right to be sheltered in for their crimes against Frith himself!"

                "You're lying!" shouted Justin, his throat hoarse and tightening, but there was a very cold inkling of suspicion in the back of his mind.

                Prince Rainbow now was in front of Justin by no more than several yards, magically appearing in front of him faster than the eye could blink.  His red eyes glittered dangerously as he muttered in a low, final tone, "Do not call me a liar, you young fool.  I have punished creatures for far less than that."

                Justin felt his hands shake as his lings started to constrict his breathing, the muscles in his body tightening with angry apprehension, and to control himself, the adolescent gripped his elbows painfully with opposite hands as he fought to keep his voice level, "It can't be true.  It isn't true.  Hazel and the other rabbits told me that this is the land beyond life, a place where all animals go to when they died, sort of like the afterlife.  They can be hurt, but no one can ever die again once they enter this place because they're spirits, they're souls and you can't hurt them if they've already died.  You're lying, this is a trick, it can't be true."

                "Am I?" mocked Prince Rainbow.  A sound from up above caused him to turn his glance upwards, and Justin and the dogs followed suit.  It was a lark, a dark-yellow bird with an ivory-colored beak and feet, black eyes and black tips at the ends of its wings and tail feathers, passing by naively in the sky, chirping and flying.  Though he could not see it, the human adolescent could have sworn Prince Rainbow smiled, his tone of voice now revoltingly delighted as he laughed to yourself, "At last, a perfect example."

                With that, Prince Rainbow's cloak commenced to shimmering in a strange, blue aura, the unnatural power of his magic now being released onto the unknowing, innocent lark.  The being's eyes were now pointed directly at the bird, shining with the same unholy, emerald luminosity.  Up above, to the horror and surprise of both Justin and the imprisoned Watership soldiers, the lark let out a strangled cry, its singing perishing and rotting in its very throat as it too, began to shine in Prince Rainbow's evil power.  With a flash, the bird froze, similar to the effects of Justin's time-freeze, before it began fading away, draining in color and becoming transparent, sickly, and ghastly white against the dark sky until it disappeared, vanished in thin air, leaving nothing except traces of white ashes and dust in its wake.  Justin was taken aback, staggered, and looked as if he was about to be sick right then and there.  The rabbits of El-ahrairah were also appalled and horrified to the points of the deepest revulsion and disconcerting fear.  Prince Rainbow had heartlessly and pitilessly obliterated and wiped out a spirit in the land beyond life, a realm of peace and eternal life where no force, not even the Black Rabbit, could be able to callously extract a dead soul, a peaceful animal spirit that had deserved to spend eternity in celestial bliss, from the land beyond life and banish it to the realms of the other-worldly.

                "I can't believe it," quivered Hazel, white in the face and his entire body now cold with remorse and sorrow for the poor fate of the lark.

                "It cannot be true.  It simply cannot!" wailed Pipkin softly, weeping at the untimely, unnecessary "death" of a fellow creature, a cherished animal of Frith's creation.

                "Impossible!" breathed Holly hoarsely, "Not even El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inle have such power!  This is ridiculous!  It is a trick, a mere illusion!  Do not listen to him Justin!"

                "I assure you, you old, withered crone, that this is, indeed, real, and not a simple, degrading trick!" Prince Rainbow said in an annoyed voice before turning his attention to Justin, "I had simply banished the animal to limbo, the realm of the Unknown, a place where it will have no feelings, no conscious awareness, nothing.  For that is what the Unknown is, it is a third power, an area of gray in between the blackness of death and the light of life, a place of the nonexistent.  And the limbo is not as unfamiliar as you think, you wretch!  do you not remember the incantation you and the storyteller, Dandelion, have recited to vanquish the rabbit soldier, King Fur-Rocious?  That display of power also sent the loyal soldier of Elil-rah to limbo, a place where he was forced to endure an endless sea of nothingness, of unbearable, quiet, silent, bare infinity!  Elil-rah, with his glorious power and will, had been able to extract King fur-Rocious out of harm's way, but as a token, he blessed me with the ability to send any creature I chose into the Unknown limbo, the realm of the lost, the realm where there is no heaven, no hell, just nothing!  I had just performed my work on the lark, and now, I shall perform it on the rabbits of Watership Down."

                "No, don't!" cried Justin, wringing his hands.

                "Do not listen to him, Justin!!" yelled Hazel in distress, "Frith in a barn, just run!  Run!!  He shall kill you if you do not!!"

                Justin was just frozen to the spot, unable to move, nor was he willing to, like an animal caught unmoving in the path of an incoming car, staring fixatedly at the headlights.  Prince Rainbow, however, just glared at Hazel before replying to Justin.

                "I dare not attack you, Justin," Prince Rainbow stated darkly as he glared at the wide-eyed, trembling adolescent before him, "even with Havoc's magic bestowed upon him by Elil-rah himself, your cross had properties of protection and power that not even the Dark Lord could ever break through for it grew stronger and stronger, surpassing his expectations, for every moment you were under the guardianship of the cursed rabbits, the despicable, troublemaking rabbits of Watership Down, sent by their Prince of all Fools, El-ahrairah.  In spite of everything, I dare not openly engage in battle with you, you young fool and neither shall I risk the well being of my loyal servants, for I do not wish them to be plagued and mislead by your evil intentions and illusions of corruption like you have done to your rabbit soldiers."

                "How dare you say such things?!" squealed Campion intensely, and in quick response, the rabbit screamed in agony as Carnage manipulated the dirt claws holding Campion by the waist to tighten their grip mercilessly, nearly crushing the poor rabbit.  Prince Rainbow continued regardless.

                "As you can see, you pathetic excuse for a human, you have lost this battle.  Your journey is now over!  You dare to attack me, and you risk in provoking me to send each and every one of the Watership rabbits to limbo, exactly like I have done with the lark.  If you continue to journey to the warren of El-ahrairah anyway, you will slowly die on the inside, overcome by your grief and isolation, until you become mad with lunacy and your power, now no longer strengthened by the love these dismal rabbits have showered you with before, will diminish bit by bit until you become so weak, it allows Elil-rah's weakest forces to finish you off with a simple blow.  Not to mention El-ahrairah and the others will banish you from their warren once they find that you disgracefully left their companions and trusted fellow rabbits to die just to save your own skin.  No rabbit would ever wish to protect such a sniveling, weak, useless human who cared for only himself, like so many others before him.  I always have known that the cross-bearer would be no different from all other cruel, selfish, and insensitive wretches that have ruthlessly and thoughtlessly wrecked chaos and disrepair upon thousand and thousands of animals, and now, I have proven the truth, the real truth!  You are truly the one curse that would destroy the land beyond life, and as such, you must be stopped, Justin, by any means necessary.  Even if I have to kill every single rabbit in the land beyond the living, I know Frith would heartily approve of such actions once the mendacities of the cross-bearer no longer clouds his judgment!"

                "You're crazy!!  Frith and El-ahrairah aren't the ones wrong!  Elil-rah is the one who would destroy you and every single creature in the land beyond life!  Hazel said El-ahrairah said so himself and you know it's the truth!!  All of this chaos happened way before I even got here!" protested Justin ardently.

                Prince Rainbow then had a sickening smile on his face.  "You sad, delusional fool, you have no idea about the _real_ truth behind you and Elil-rah, do you?"

                Justin then became wooden, unable to express any emotion through his confusion.  "What...what are you talking about??"

                "Did it ever occur to your small, feeble mind on why Elil-rah only wishes to attack and vanquish El-ahrairah and his legacy, but not the legacy of other animals?" Prince Rainbow asked snidely, and upon seeing the blank, pained expression on Justin's face, he continued, "Think and remember well, Justin.  Out of every animal that you have encountered in the land beyond life, from the animals in the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow to the animals of Elil-rah's Owsla such as the rats, Nekas the snake, the weasels, and yes, even fellow rabbits such as the Efrafans, none of them were ever mistreated and wiped out by Elil-rah's power.  Yes, they were disciplined, but none of them were the target of Elil-rah's quest for purification such as El-ahrairah and your miserable fellowship.  Did you ever wonder why?  After all, you have a right to know, seeing as how you are closer to Elil-rah than you and the rest of the rabbits think."

                Justin did not say anything, but to his horror, his brain was betraying his consciousness, aptly willing to take in the biased information Prince Rainbow was willing to tell him.  To his relief, though it was unbelievably cruel as well, Prince Rainbow deliberately diverged from that as the rabbits, as best as they could, muttered questionably amongst themselves.

                "What in Frith's name is he talking about?!" Bluebell whispered to Hazel and Holly.

                "He's lying.  The bloody chap is lying.  There could be no other possible explanation," hissed Hawkbit in rage.  Hazel, however, with a sinking pit in his stomach, was not as convinced.

                Prince Rainbow then bragged with an annoying superior tone of voice, madly laughing fit to burst, "Admit it, young Justin!  You were never meant for the true greatness and power that the legends of past forgotten have told about!  You were nothing back in your world, and now, you will be nothing in _this_ world!!  Admit it, you fool!  Without the cross, without your precious rabbit friends of Watership Down, you are simply the poor, bullied, whimpering Justin who is so delicate and meager that he cannot defend himself against his own kind nor his own father!  Without El-ahrairah's blessing, without Frith's blessing, without anyone to protect and support your weak ego, you are as despicable and inadequate and worthless as El-ahrairah and every single one of his cunning, thieving children!  So what will be your choice, you brat?!  Do you wish to watch as I kill the Watership rabbits, one by one, before your very eyes as you realize you can do nothing to prevent me, or...do you wish to make your way on your own to El-ahrairah's warren, betraying the very protectors who have sworn to care after you, becoming a disappointment once again to those who ever gave a damn about your well-being, once again, becoming the most hated creature in the land beyond life?  So what shall it be, you wretch?  You wish to abandon your friends or watch them die?"

                "Neither."  It was barely louder than a whisper, almost close to a wail or a sob, but the sight of the bearerang vanishing crystal cross dropping to into the dead grass and clover with a small _plop_ spoke volumes.

                Silence, shocked silence, filled the entire field, and it was so unexpected, so nerve-wracking, so tormenting that to even relive the scene would have caused any of the rabbits of the Watership Owsla to go tharn with frost and bewilderment.  Havoc and Carnage themselves appeared slightly taken aback, and Prince Rainbow himself was now frozen in surprise, complete and total surprise, as even his vaporous cloak remained still in the dead air as he looked at Justin underneath the shadows hiding his face beneath the hood.  This was completely unexpected.  Prince Rainbow, in his wildest imaginations, had in no way expected the young boy to rip the cross, the one and only thing that could save himself and El-ahrairah, off his neck and let it drop to the ground, leaving him entirely vulnerable.  A minute of traumatized hush passed by before Justin lifted his head with a grim, crying look on his face.

                "You win, Prince Rainbow.  You win, but please, _please_, let my friends go.  You can kill me and take away my cross, but let Hazel and the others go on their way back to El-ahrairah's warren in Fenlo.  You...you have my word: if you let Hazel and the other rabbits from Watership Down free, I'll surrender the cross and...and I'll let you kill me.  I'll let you take my life for theirs.  But, please, _please_, don't hurt them!!"

                Justin softly begged that last sentence in unbearable sorrow, and in response, the rabbit soldiers of El-ahrairah, while still imprisoned in the column of dirt, hollered back with all of their might, pleading and screaming.

                "Justin!!  No, you mustn't!!!  It is not worth the risk!!!" yelled Acorn with a terrified expression of dread on his face.

                Fiver then squealed, "How could you?!  How could you??!!  You have no right to bargain away El-ahrairah's life away like that!!  You cannot do such a thing!!  O embleer Frith, please Justin!!"

                "If you surrender the cross, I swear I'll never have any respect for you as long as I live!!!" screamed Hawkbit as he glared at Justin with his most severe frown, but the teenager could hear the desperation of pleading in the cantankerous rabbit's voice, could see the tears of worry and consternation sparkling in his eyes.  Hawkbit, deep in his heart, did not mean that.

                Holly then wearily pleaded, "Don't, young one, don't!!  Otherwise, we will all die in vain and so will El-ahrairah!!"

                Justin just bowed his head and did not answer, unwilling to let his friends see the conflict he was wrestling with as of this moment.

                "Why?  Why??" sobbed Dandelion mournfully, his mind so consumed with shocked loss, it was the only word the buck was able to utter.

                "You coward!  You sentimental idiot!!  Fight him!  Run!  Do something, damn it, do anything!  Please!!!" roared Bigwig, his eyes glassy and wide, almost oddly appearing like Fiver, now actually, for the first time ever since this journey began, welling with tears.

                "Justin!!  Please!!  I do not wish to see you get killed!!" begged Pipkin, wailing piteously.

                Strawberry now lost his usual calm and reserved composure as he bellowed, "Justin, for the love of Frith and all that he has created, do not throw your life away!!!  Think about El-ahrairah!!  Embleer Frith, don't do it!!!"

                Buckthorn, who was still weak and enervated and had very little air left in his lungs, was not even able to speak, but the sad, pitying, hurt look he cast at Justin through his blue, solemn eyes was explanatory enough...and heartbreaking.

                Campion then pleaded, whimpering and sobbing, "Young one, please, this is not the time to be noble!  You must go on!  I...I cannot bear losing you!!  Please, young one!!"

                Silver managed to wheeze out feebly, "Justin, can you not see you will be working directly into Elil-rah's paws?  This is not a path even El-ahrairah would wish for you to take.  Justin, my friend, do not let him use us against you.  Please, _leave_."

                Justin just kept his head down, quivering, but stubbornly remaining steadfast.

                Blackberry then, hoping to infuriate the human into abandoning them, screamed out heatedly, "You idiot!!  You fool!!  This is NOT rational!!  You're just acting based on your own emotions, just like what happened back with Nekas!!  If you do this to me again, I won't EVER forgive you!!!"

                Bluebell then begged wearily, "Justin, please, will you just go?!  El-ahrairah needs you!!  We, on the other hand, do not."

                "Bucko, please, listen to us rabbits!" Speedwell choked, shuddering hard at trying not to sob, "You think you cannot carry onwards without us, but do you realize how much more it would hurt us if we lost you?!  If we came back to El-ahrairah empty-handed with no way to cure him?!  We would be far more devastated than a thousand fold from what you would feel!"

                Hazel then said, "Cross-bearer, young one, Justin, our friend, please, run as fast as you can back to El-ahrairah's warren in Fenlo.  You _can not_ surrender the cross, not even for us!"

                Justin then snapped as his heart spoke the truth he harbored in his soul for all these days and night he spent with the Watership rabbits, "**I WON'T!!!  I WON'T LEAVE YOU!!!  JUST SHUT UP!!!  PLEASE!!!**"

                Everyone, including Prince Rainbow, Carnage and Havoc, was stunned at the intensity of Justin's fervent voice, and just stared at the teenager who was now trembling with fear and exertion.

                "I...I'm sorry, but I can't, I can't do what you're asking me to do," Justin sniffed, trying his best to hold back his crying, as he addressed to the rabbits, "Without my friends, I can't go on, I don't have the heart to even live.  You guys are the only family I have, the only family who ever cared for me, looked out for me, who ever gave a damn about my well being and risked everything just to protect me.  Do you want me to just forget that?  Because I can't.  I...I know I can beat Prince Rainbow."  (At this, Prince Rainbow was taken aback)  "But...but I can't risk it...because I can't bear letting you guys get hurt.  I just can't bear that.  You want me to go?  Go where?  I...I wouldn't have the heart to go on, and I probably wouldn't even want to live.  Because if I let you guys die, I would be all alone, just like before, and I can't go through that again.  Because I know Frith and God didn't send me here, in the land beyond life, putting me under your guardianship and love, just to watch you guys die for me.  I don't _want_ anyone to die for me...and if you guys aren't going to live through this, then...then _I_ don't want to live either!"  At this final part of his confession, Justin now let loose the dam of endless tears, sorrow, and pain flood out, the boy now crying freely as he kept his head down and his teeth gritted, fearful of how Prince Rainbow and his dogs were going to kill him.  Up above, all the rabbits of Watership Down, including Bigwig, were crying silently as well, their faces streaked with tears.  and then, to everyone's surprise...a miracle happened.

                "Let them go, Carnage."

                "WHAT??!!!" bellowed out Carnage and Havoc in outrage.  Justin then looked at Prince Rainbow, flabbergasted.

                "I said let them go," Prince Rainbow ordered softly, still looking at the cross-bearer.  With an obedient, yet conflicted and struggling, nod, Carnage lowered his head, and immediately, the earthen pilaster crumbled slowly, freeing the rabbits and easing them gently onto the ground.  Justin, now abandoning all caution, hurriedly and frantically ran up the dirt, past Prince Rainbow and the Dogs of War, and towards the rabbits.  Carnage growled as he was about to maul the adolescent, but Prince Rainbow shook his head warningly.  The hellhound of lava and molten rock begrudgingly obeyed.  Hazel, as the other rabbits struggled to stand up on their hind feet, managed to look at the ashen-faced human child in front of him, shaking and traumatized.

                "Justin?" Hazel asked softly, unsure what to do.

                Justin could only just look up to the Chief Rabbit, his face white with shock and still wet with the emotions of loss and fright, knowing it was close, so close, that he lost the only beings he ever cared about.  Justin could barely see the concerned look on the buck's face as his vision was nearly blurred with tears. Trembling, yet still maintaining a rigid posture, Justin's voice quivered, breaking, "I...I could have...could have...lost all of y-you...a-and...I...I would h-have been...all alone...a-again...and...and...oh my God...I...could h-have killed...oh God...I...I would have been lost again..."

                It was clear that Justin was close to having a nervous breakdown, that he was having trouble not succumbing to his grief, and Hazel, brokenhearted, did the only thing he could think of.

                "Justin, come here," he whispered softly with arms wide open and calm, sympathetic eyes.

                Hazel then let the broken teenager come into his paws, let the young adolescent bury his face into his tunic and torso, taking in the precious touch and smell of his fur, as Hazel firmly, comfortingly, embraced the cross-bearer as Justin kept sobbing.

                "I nearly lost you...I nearly lost all of you," he managed to choke out hoarsely.

                Hazel just nuzzled Justin's soft, clammy hair, whispering protectively, "Shush, it's all right young one.  It's all right, all is well now, so there is no need to dwell on the horrors of the alternative possibilities.  Just go ahead cry, young one.  All of us are still here with you, it is all over."

                As Justin kept crying piteously with all the rabbits, his only family who endured everything to love him, to protect him, to care for him, gathered around, hugging their friend gently, Havoc and Carnage just dumbly stared at the group with troubled eyes and bitter confusion.

                Havoc, though he did not realize it, had tears spilling from his red eyes, now full of sorrow and memory of his past, "He...the cross-bearer...he...loves them.  He...he truly loves them.  Like...like my master did..."

                Havoc flashed back to his past, physical life of hardship...

_                "Stay!  Stay!!  No, dammit!!" yelled the man as he tore into the road to stop his dog._

                There was a screech of rubber futilely trying to maintain a death grip on the black pavement as the smell of burning smoke wafted in the air as the car vainly tried to brake before the unavoidable, sickening thud of death, with the onlookers and crowd screaming and staring in shock as Havoc just helplessly and regretfully looked at the body of his human master, lying dead on the road, blood pooling around his gray suit.

_                One man yelled furiously as he pointed at Havoc, "It was the terrier!  It was 'is fault!!  The dog killed him!!"_

_                "Master," sobbed Havoc, "Please...I'm sorry!  Please, wake up!  Please!!  I didn't mean to!!  Please, don't die!!  **Please**!!!"  Yet as the pound came to drag him away, his master's eyes continued to remain soullessly open, glazed and lifeless, staring at Havoc with a mixture of dismay and blame for a mistake, a mistake that would forever haunt the dog for the rest of his life._

                Havoc, at the intensity of these memories flooding back into his awareness, began sobbing and whining harder.  Carnage just venomously scowled at Justin, but he dared not attack, not after Prince Rainbow himself had ordered for both of them to stop.

                Prince Rainbow just stood there dumbly as he slowly advanced towards the group until he was no more than a couple of feet away from them.  The rabbits, as they turned to face him, could sense that there was no burning power, no dark forces clouding his mind, and even the glowing orbs under his black hood were now radiating less harshly, his disbelief and confusion now making his heart softer and softer despite the acidic, corrosive clouds of mistrust, ruthlessness, and cruelty.

                Prince Rainbow, at a loss of words, could only stammer, his well-expressed speech now coming out in hesitant jumbles of sentence fragments, "You...you could have simply abandoned them.  You...could have simply...left them behind...and yet...you stayed.  You...stayed, you remained and refused to run.  Why?  You were even willing...to give up the cross...to sacrifice your own life...your power...the one thing that would save their Prince...and instead, you chose to die with those rabbits?  You are a man, a being that would never in its right mind associate with lesser animals.  Why in Frith's name did you do it?"

                Justin, still being held by Hazel, said then truthfully and sincerely, "Because they mean a lot to me, because they are my family, the only people who truly love me, and that's something I never had.  I can never abandon people...and animals...I love."

                At this, the cross, lying on the ground, forgotten in the dirt, now, feeling the powerful, compelling emotions of love and trust, had finally overcame the magic of Havoc's abilities and blazed in a fury of pure, soothing, sunlight of the grandest gold, yellow, and orange, erasing the destruction ravaged on the meadows by Carnage and melting the dark sky, once again turning it to a bright, blue, sunny day.  In an instant, all the rabbits were healed from their wounds they had received as the light diminished.  To everyone's surprise, Prince Rainbow was now gone, vanished, nowhere to be seen, and his Dogs of War, Carnage and Havoc, were no longer strange, monstrous beasts, but now appeared like ordinary canines created by nature.  The dog that used to be Carnage, in fear, looked around wildly.

                "Master?!  MASTER??!!  Where are you?!!  Damn you, cross-bearer?!  What have you done to our master?!  Tell me what you have done with him, or so help me, I'll kill you!!!"

                "Enough," rang a calm voice all around them, echoing in the grassy fields.  Buckthorn recognized the voice.

                "Prince Rainbow?!" the rabbit gasped, as everyone else attentively listened, taking in what the spiritual messenger was wishing to tell them.  Now, Prince Rainbow's voice was no longer abrasive and discordant, but composed, peaceful, judicious, and fair.

                "Cross-bearer, do not fear the fact that I am no longer, for not you nor the rabbits can see my form as of yet," Prince Rainbow's voice declared, "That previous form you all have just witnessed, along with the forms of my two loyal dog protégés, were twisted identities made by Elil-rah.  Using his corruption and deception and lies and darkness, he cursed us by shrouding our hearts in darkness and mistrust and wrath, in his plan to rule over the land beyond life and to extinguish El-ahrairah's legacy.  Please, rabbits and children of El-ahrairah and Watership Down, please Justin, cross-bearer and chosen of Frith and El-ahrairah's will, please, forgive me and my weakness.  I have mocked you, wronged you all, tortured you, and attempted to humiliate and discredit you in your demises when in fact...I was the one who was wrong.  And despite it all, your cross healed myself and my dogs, freed us from the heaviness in our souls and hearts, broke Elil-rah's power and control over our minds and actions, and had brought us peace and revealed to us our true forms, our forms created by Frith.  Frith and El-ahrairah were right; you, Justin, truly are the one who was meant to be with El-ahrairah and his children and the one who truly meant to bear the cross of light and love.  Please, forgive me."

                Justin nodded, confused, but grateful that everything turned out all right.  The cross then levitated, to everyone's astonishment, directly to Justin before, as if invisible hands were at work, the silver, metal chain looped around and fasted itself to the adolescent's neck.  Now Justin's cross was back in his possession.  Prince Rainbow then spoke before his voice faded away.

                "Justin, rabbits of Watership Down, you all must go!!  Go and return to El-ahrairah!!  Now!!  It is of the utmost urgency that you heal the Prince of all Rabbits!!  Elil-rah knows you and your band are close, and dangerous as he is, he shall try everything in his power to prevent that!!  You all must not delay!!  I shall not be with you, for I will go directly back to Frith and request for his help and aid in this danger that threatens to envelop this world!!  But you hrair rabbits will not be alone!!  My dogs will accompany you and add to your ranks, protecting you from Elil-rah's menaces and dangers."

                "What?!" bellowed the former Carnage in shock.

                "Master, please do not leave us!!  You promised!!" the former Havoc started crying in distress.  Yet Prince Rainbow's voice was warm and loving as he replied, "Please, you must follow and protect the young human and his rabbit companions, escorting them back to the warren of their Prince.  Please, do not quarrel.  Our land, our home is in grave jeopardy, and you must be brave and bold and help in whatever ways you can in assisting the cross-bearer.  I love you both, and I will return to you, I promise.  But please, you both must obey this order.  will you two do this, for me?"

                The dogs, though miserable and conflicted, nodded despondently and gloomily.  Prince Rainbow's voice faded in the distance as he pronounced to Justin, "Justin, take care and do not worry, for my dogs shall protect you.  please help and love them, as I have, for I know you will care for them too.  Farewell cross-bearer, and please, do take care of Rowf and Snitter, my true charges."  With that, Prince Rainbow was gone, but Justin's jaw then dropped.

                _Click_.  Justin swore he could have heard his mind echo that onomatopoeia as his eyes widened so much, the whites could have been seen surrounding his brown pupils as he slowly turned to the two guardian dogs of Prince Rainbow.

                "It...can't be," Justin whispered to himself as the dogs, now free from Elil-rah's power, no longer looked at him with rage and ruthless savageness, but with grim, mistrusting faces of pain, watering eyes full of past sins committed against them that were too awful to print in words, and hurt, sadness, and inured anguish.  But he knew he had heard Prince Rainbow say their names clearly, and now, he took a closer, scrutinizing look at the two canines.  The one previously known as Havoc was now a small, white terrier, as big as Hawkbit, but not much bigger than Justin himself, with large blotchy areas of brown covering his body, even one spot over the dog's right eye.  And gruesomely enough, there was a large incision on the top of the dog's head close to his right ear, as if made by a sharp scalpel, offhandedly stitched with black thread and now, the wound was healing irregularly with bugles of pink, tender flesh, devoid of any fur, as the teenager could see some areas of the dog's white skull still uncovered by the skin.  His companion, once Carnage, next to him was apparently a large, Black Labrador, as gargantuan as Bigwig, with fur as black as obsidian and gleaming, yet his fur and muzzle were oddly contrasted with dark-gray hair, and the dog's eyes were dark brown, though dangerously gleaming with caginess.  Yet his face registered a haunted look of torture, of regret, or fatigue and a life of uneasiness, one that would never leave him.  Justin then knew.  He knew.

                "You're...you're Snitter and Rowf, the Plague Dogs," the adolescent whispered.  Snitter and Rowf were the two main characters of Richard Adam's "The Plague Dogs", a heart-wrenching story about two animal test subjects who were subjected to inhumane scientific experiments all in the name of medical research in England, with Rowf assessed to multiple drownings underwater in order to learn how long could he tolerate staying afloat.  Snitter was put through brain surgery (thus the surgical mark on his head), having the scientists trying to confuse the dog's sense of subjectivity and objectivity in his neural functions.  Luckily, the two were able to escape and managed to live out into the wild, scourging for food and getting back with their primal instincts thanks to the help of a fox called the Tod, who agreed to teach them how to live on their wits and cunning.  However, the government research facility did not wish to compromise the time and money spent on gaining data from their sadistic experiments of the animals, so they spread the fabrication that Snitter and Rowf were carrying the bubonic plague, the Black Death, and in fear of a widespread outbreak, all of England, including the military, chased them down and caused them to search for "The Isle of Dogs", an island Snitter believed that all dogs go to when they die, like heaven, by jumping to the sea.  However, what confused Justin was the in the book, Snitter was reunited with the crippled master and he, a journalist, Snitter, and Rowf all decided to live happily ever after on the island as a family.  So...why were Rowf and Snitter so scared and bitter?

                Rowf's eyes grew into malicious slits of opprobrium as he snarled, "It wasn't us that's got the Plague, you insensitive bastard!"

                Bigwig, Strawberry, Holly and Campion were immediately in front of Rowf's darkened face in a flash, completely irascible and full of offensive rage.

                Holly growled huskily, emphasizing each word lucidly, "If you _ever_ insult the cross-bearer like that again, you will answer to us four, _that_ I promise you."

                "Holly, it's all right, leave him alone," Justin pleaded quietly, and incensed, the four Watership warriors recoiled back begrudgingly.  Justin silently and white in his clammy face, his heart beating with confused anxiety, slowly walked to both Snitter and Rowf.  Warily, Buckthorn and Bluebell stood up, ready to escort the teenager in case there was trouble.  Snitter, upon seeing the powerful human approach directly at him lost his previous animalistic facade and started sobbing in dread, his body trembling, expecting punishment for trying to kill the boy.  Rowf, thinking the same thing, immediately barged in between his adored companion and Justin, snarling and threatening to bite with his massive jaws, snarling with murderous menace, "You dare to touch Snitter and I will rip your throat out, human!"

                That was apparently the wrong thing to say for immediately, with a flash of golden light, Bigwig was now transformed into a snarling black dog the size of an Ilip and now he towered over the form of Rowf as Bigwig, Buckthorn, Bluebell, Campion, Holly, Hawkbit, and Acorn glared at him with equal harshness.

                "Wrong choice of words, embleer dog.  If you so much as even think it, _we_ will rip _your_ throat out," rumbled Bigwig in a low, hazardous voice.

                Pipkin then addressed to Rowf with mollifying eyes, "Please, Carnage...er, Rowf...er...whichever name you prefer, please, trust Justin.  He would never hurt Snitter or any other creature here in the land beyond life, he's the cross-bearer and our friend.  Trust him.  He's not evil."

                Silver then added, "The young one is simply trying to help you two.  He wishes to heal your wounds, not inflict pain and punishment.  Let him be, let him help you."

                "I would rather die again, you delusional, treacherous fool!" howled Rowf as he braced his hind feet and dug his claws into the grass and soil, twitching uncontrollably.

                "Rowf, please, let me help you!  Let me help Snitter!" pleaded Justin.

                "I do not want your sort of help, you bastard!  I do not want anything to do with you or with any human!  You're all the same!  You blame messes and disasters on us rather than taking responsibilities for your own damn actions, you enjoy inflicting pain and suffering on lesser beings, not giving a care on how much it hurts or how barbaric it is simply because you love the feeling of being superior, you love the illusion of control over animals, and because, simply...you can!  You have no idea what Snitter and I have gone through, so how the hell do you think we would react?!!  Get away from me!!"

                "_We_ would hardly have a problem with _that_, Rowf," snapped Hawkbit scathingly, "but need I remind you, you dim-witted furball, that Prince Rainbow has ordered you and Snitter to stand by with us and protect the cross-bearer?  As you can so plainly see, we _can't_ leave the both of you, not that I would not leap at the slightest chance."

                Rowf just stubbornly kept silent, the sweat of confusion, hurt, and trepidation now beading on his glossy black pelt as Hawkbit received a loud, painful cuff from Acorn and Speedwell, whom were next to the rabbit.  Justin then stepped forward again, and enraged, Rowf's teeth flashed, nearly coming close to severing Justin's fingers by no more than an inch.  Buckthorn and Campion stood up at high speed, and Rowf, undeterred then prepared for another attack, snarling, "Come any closer to Snitter, and I'll tear your throat out!  I...I don't care what Prince Rainbow says: we will never go with you, with any of you!  We will never trust -"

                Yet, to Rowf's disappointed betrayal, Snitter hesitantly came forward, past Rowf's protective, brotherly attention, and he was whimpering as thousands of mental images of pain and restlessness and misery threatened to bring him to his stomach, making him to weak to even walk.  Snitter's eyes were shining and wet, but he managed to continue until he was face to face with Justin's concerned eyes.  Rowf was immediately terrified and outraged.

                "Snitter!!  What in the name of all beasts are you doing?!  Get away from him!!!"

                Snitter was now crying softly as he asked softly, hesitantly, "You...you aren't like other humans, are you?"

                Justin's eyes crinkled a bit in sympathy and pity.  "I...I guess I am human, but...I'm not like the 'whitecoats' and the soldiers that chased you long ago."

                Snitter's eyes were now streaming; Justin reminded him so much of his dead, kind master.  He whispered mournfully and with grieving respect, "My master never used to do anything to me."

                Rowf was now beside himself as he practically yowled, "Snitter, shut up!  Do not say anything!  Don't say anything about your master!!  You're dead now!  _He's_ dead now!!  You have a new life!!"

                Snitter continued, not listening to Rowf, his voice threatening to break into sobs, "He...he was always kind to me, loved me, never once hurt me because he was angry or...or because he wanted to.  He...he was different, and...and I...I killed him!"  Snitter now bent his head down low as he let his tears of pain, pain from the never-ending aching of his eternal, bleeding wounds.  "I...I killed him, I killed him!  I destroyed him!  I destroyed everything!!  It all comes from me, out of my head!!  Everything bad comes out of my head!!  Don't you see, cross-bearer?!!  Not even dying stopped it.  It's my fault...it's all my fault.  I truly deserved to be called Havoc because that is what I cause to whomever is around me."

                This last part of Snitter's confession ended with a low, choked whimper, the dog now finished wailing as he kept crying silently to himself, and Justin then compassionately laid his hand gently on Snitter's head and softly caressed his matted fur.

                "It wasn't your fault, Snitter," Justin whispered simply, at a loss for words.

                Snitter then looked at Justin with a wild, desperate look in his eye, whimpering, "Can you...can you really heal me?  Can you help me?!  Please!  I...I can't live with the guilt, with the pain, with the memories any longer!"

                "I...I can try, but I can honestly say, I've never healed emotional wounds before," confessed Justin helplessly.  Snitter however nodded his consent, and Justin then gently placed his hands on Snitter's head, his smooth, warm, gentle yet firm fingers slowly stroking his head wound and his face, soothing the dog slightly as both the teenager and the Plague dog started to glow.

                "NO!!!  GET AWAY FROM HIM!!!" yelled Rowf as he frantically leapt directly at Justin and Snitter, but on cue, Bigwig, still in the form of a dog, effortlessly pinned the Black Labrador down with one hefty paw placed firmly and painlessly on the dog's stomach.  Rowf furiously struggled and writhed as Holly, Campion, Bluebell and Acorn helped to hold Rowf down to the ground and to mollify the canine.

                "Stop, please stop!   You're not making things jolly easier for yourself, chap!" cried Acorn as he put all of his weight on Rowf's powerful, thrashing paw.

                Rowf was inconsolable and still frightened, barking, "Let me go!  You embleer rabbits, LET ME GO!!!  Can you not see?!!  The human is going to hurt Snitter!!!  He's going to harm my friend, he's casting an evil spell!!!  I have to stop him!!  Let me go!!!"

                "Rowf, please, listen to the truth!!" snapped Holly sternly, "Justin is not like that!!  He's not casting an evil spell!!  He's trying to help Snitter and help you as well!!  He is trying to heal the both of you!!!"

                "Let me go, damn you!!!" howled Rowf as he continued to thrash about and move violently.  Meanwhile, Snitter and Justin did not hear the sounds of the fighting; they were only soft whispers of the wind as the teenager and the dog, now both immersed with healing light, were, in their minds, reliving the horrific experiences Snitter could remember, the dark, agonizing events of his past locked in a impenetrable region of his brain, locked and untouched yet ready to break what was left of Snitter's sanity and peace of mind with its continuous outpouring of torment and angst.  Justin could see everything that Snitter remembered as the steel cage around Snitter's heart tightened excruciatingly, causing the dog to whimper.  Justin saw Snitter's master getting killed from trying to protect Snitter from an incoming car.  He saw Snitter going through terrible brain surgery by the scientists at the research facility where he and Rowf were imprisoned.  He saw Snitter's glances at the dead animals who were unable to continue living through the gruesome experiments the whitecoats inflicted upon them, each animal holed in a separate, barren cell with meager amounts of hay and straw, barely enough for warmth, as they died with pained, glassy, cold expressions on their frozen faces.  He saw Rowf and Snitter slowly succumbing to starvation and malnutrition as they traveled through the cold, rocky mountains.  He saw the Snitter accidentally kill the farmer by pressing his foot non-intentionally against the gun the man had absent-mindedly left on the ground.  He saw Rowf and Snitter valiantly trying to escape the hunting dogs and the soldiers and the whitecoats chasing them into the sea, after watching the Tod become gruesomely killed by the soldiers' dogs.  And finally...he saw Rowf and Snitter drown in the sea, overcome by fatigue and weakness, as they futilely swam as far out as they could, trying to reach the Isle of the Dogs before the cold, icy water enveloped them to a world of peace and nothingness.

                With a bright flash, the light from Snitter and Justin disappeared and Justin just stood there, staring at Snitter with a mixture of pity, shock, and sadness.  What Justin saw, in the last vision, never happened in the story he remembered.  The wound, the surgical scar Snitter received from his physical life, was now gone, vanished, and the dog now had a fully healed cap of fur and skin.  The remnant of Snitter's past in the research facility was gone, erased, as if it had never existed before in the first place.  And to Snitter's dawning joy, he felt...free, liberated, and no longer burdened by the harsh memories of the guilt and despair and sorrow.  The lock of the steel cage was now broken, allowing the full power of Justin's light to blaze over every single dark crevice of the dog's heart and mind.  Snitter then knew that the boy was not lying.  Certainly, the memories of his past were still in his head, and they would always be, but Justin helped Snitter overcome his remorse and sadness and shame, things that were never meant for any animal to carry on as punishment, things that no creature should have ever endured in the first place.  And that was all Snitter really wished for; he did not need power and dominance and vengeance for crimes done against him and Rowf, but he simply needed...closure and healing.  He then curiously noticed that Justin was now crying softly, still dumbfounded by the atrocities Snitter and Rowf went though.  The adolescent did not even realize that there were tears of outrage and shameful grief running down his face until he felt Snitter reach over and lick them off with his warm, scratchy tongue, his breath now affectionate and his eyes now soft and tranquil.  As Snitter nuzzled the teenager's neck, the human cross-bearer numbly brought a trembling hand to Snitter's face.

                "I'm sorry," Justin whispered hoarsely.

                "Don't be," Snitter replied delicately as he sniffed and licked Justin's bleeding forehead tenderly, the blood now dried after Prince Rainbow's attack on the cross-bearer and the rabbits of Watership Down.  Bigwig, seeing how Snitter was now no longer a threat to Justin, warily, but gently, released Rowf from his hold, and the other rabbits, realizing how irate the Labrador would be once he had his paws free.  Rowf, in a heated instant, erupted to his feet, throwing curses and homicidal looks at the Owsla before his eyes rested on Snitter and Justin.  Rowf's eyes immediately turned bitter with snow and fire and betrayal as he frothed at the mouth at the sight of Justin.

                "YOU!" he sputtered, roaring, "You ruined everything!!  This is all your fault!!"  The mad dog was now wrathful and boiling enough to kill, but before he could even get close, to everyone's surprise, even to Rowf's, Snitter immediately and protectively got in between Rowf and Justin, blocking his companion and sole friend from attacking the teenage cross-bearer.  Snitter was smaller than Rowf and was outweighed by more than a great deal, but Rowf was stunned at the sudden change in his friend, his only and trusted friend he had ever cared for in his entire life, just stood there, frozen at the scene.

                "Rowf, if you wish to hurt the cross-bearer, then you must go through me first," Snitter said softly, without hate, yet his words were strong enough to cause Rowf to shudder with disbelief and hurt, hurt at the sight that his one and only comrade was against him.

                "Snitter, let me through.  Let me kill him.  This world and land would be better off without him," Rowf warned lowly and precariously, his fur now bristling and his teeth shining with saliva as his brown eyes narrowed in a sinister way.  The other rabbits immediately started to move to help Snitter, but Hazel, Blackberry, Fiver and Strawberry all stopped them from advancing.

                "Frith and Inle, what are you three doing?!  We have to stop Rowf!" whispered Speedwell fiercely.

                "This is the only way Justin can help Rowf see the truth, Speedwell," Blackberry said softly and distantly, as if he knew something the others could not comprehend.

                "By killing him?!" demanded Buckthorn crossly.

                "Rowf will not kill Justin," Fiver averred staunchly, yet softly and matter-of-factly.

                "Well then, forgive me, Fiver, if I fail to show any faith in your judgment at this time," Bigwig sneered rudely.

                Meanwhile, Rowf was now furiously berating Snitter as he stood there steadfastly, unwavering and firm, in front of Justin.

                "Damn you, Snitter, let me through!" roared Rowf.

                "I cannot do that, Rowf.  You would be making a mistake, a mistake that you would never be able to live with.  Please, trust the cross-bearer.  Trust Justin."

                "He brainwashed you, made you his slave!" spat out Rowf in contempt, not caring to see the pained expression emerging on Snitter's face, "How can you be so blind?!  You abandoned me!!  After everything we have gone through, after everything we have seen and faced from the evils of the whitecoats, after we swore we would always be close for each other, how could you?!!  HOW COULD YOU??!!"

                "He did no such thing, Rowf.  I still recall every single atrocity and despicable act done against us...but he boy, the young one, he's not like the whitecoats."

                "Get away from me!  You...you betrayed me!!  How could you?!"  Rowf was now sobbing piteously in rage and offense, like an angry child as the cage was now pressing tightly enough against his heart to spew forth blood of malice and despair.

                "Rowf..." Snitter began, but the black dog cut him off maliciously.

                "You still side with the cross-bearer, even after you knew what we endured, what I endured?!  You never knew how much I was afraid, of how much I was hurt and how I never had a master like you to begin with because no one ever wanted me!!  I was always abandoned, and I never had a human ever show compassion and love to me!!  Not that I should have expected it!!  Every damn time, men had done nothing but inflict pain and misery on me, and why?!  WHY??!!!  WHY, DAMN IT??!!!  What did I ever do to deserve it?!  And now, you've abandoned me, you forsaken my friendship, our bond, the one thing that only kept my sanity and gave me the little hope I had to continue on with my existence!!  Damn it, Snitter, WHY?!!  You have no idea how much it hurts, and no one even cares!!!"  At this, Rowf was weeping and bawling uncontrollably.  Snitter made a move to comfort his friend, but Rowf jumped back, as if he was burned by red-hot metal.

                "Get away from me, you...you...traitor!" he blubbered brutally and spitefully, "I don't need you!!  I don't need Prince Rainbow!!  I don't need a master, I don't need a friend, I don't need anyone!!!  No one cares about myself, and I don't give a damn about anyone else!!"  Rowf then made an abrupt rotation about into the opposite direction but to his incensed frustration, he saw Justin standing before the Labrador quietly and timidly.  Rowf felt his primal instincts turn downright viciously lethal as he bared his teeth for the attack.  Fearfully, Snitter and the rest of the rabbits were about to rush in and tackle the black dog, but Justin held up a hand and said strongly, "Don't."

                "Are you mad, Justin?!" bellowed Buckthorn in extreme worry, "He'll kill you!"

                Fiver then had a glazed look in his eyes before he whispered softly, yet so intently that every rabbit and even Snitter could hear him clearly and audibly, "Let him be.  It is the only way Rowf can realize the truth about Justin."

                "WHAT?!" chorused the rabbits, except Hazel, Blackberry, Strawberry, and Pipkin, angrily and with outraged disbelief.  Yet a stern look from Hazel reminded all of the Watership Owsla that Fiver usually was never wrong so the others had no choice but to silently fume and begrudgingly stay on the sidelines, though Campion, Holly, Bigwig, Speedwell, Dandelion, Buckthorn and Silver were all on their hind legs, tense and coiled as tightly, wound springs, ready to dash.  Meanwhile, Rowf was clearly no fool; he would not dare kill Justin now, not with Snitter and the other rabbits closely watching him like beady-eyed hawks, not with Prince Rainbow's orders to stay and escort the human alongside the Watership soldiers, but he could barely contain his anger and fury at seeing the cross-bearer standing in front of him, blocking his path and, in Rowf's point of view, wearing a mock, false face of concerned worry on his face.  Rowf snarled but the teenager did not back away.  It was unclear what Rowf would do in a single moment of pure hatred and vehemence.

                "Get away from me, cross-bearer," Rowf snarled with loathing abhorrence.

                "Rowf, please, I can help you.  Don't leave," Justin implored sensitively.

                Rowf's eyes now grew as dark and soulless as his fur as he now had an icy, homicidal gleam as he gritted his teeth so hard, they painfully grinded against one another in sharp, jabbing pulsation  "The only thing I want from you is your death, you little, meddlesome pest!"

                "Rowf, please, let me help you," repeated Justin, his heart beating fast against his chest, which was constricted with apprehension at the dog who towered over him by at least a foot.

                "Get the hell away from me!  Why would a human like you care?!"

                "_I_ care," Justin said.  Rowf nearly let his jaw drop in shock, and though the words felt sincere, non-judgmental, the defensive walls of denial and self-righteous hostility from his trapped soul in the steel cage immediately emerged in response.

                "You're lying," Rowf managed to whisper hoarsely as his body quivered with antagonism and frustration of his past, threatening to break him, "_You're lying_, cross-bearer!  You don't care!  You don't care about anything except yourself!  Why would you bother?!  No human would ever care about a dog like me unless they wish for something in return!  They abandoned me, Prince Rainbow abandoned me, and now even Snitter abandoned me!"

                "I'm not lying, Rowf.  I do care, because I don't want you to live like that, to think that all humans are bad, because you're still hurting.  I know how it feels, Rowf!  And no creature, not even Woundwort, deserves something like that."  He paused.  "It wasn't your fault, Rowf."

                "Shut up, you!  You don't know anything!" hissed the dog, but Justin could see the tears watering his disturbed eyes of what went before.

                "It's not your fault.  You were scared, starving, tired.  There was no other way for you to look out for yourself and for Snitter."

                "Shut up," Rowf whispered dangerously.

                "You love Snitter, I know.  That...that was why you kept journeying and trying to escape the whitecoats, that was why you were so willing to let the Tod follow you and teach you how to survive in the wild, that was why you went along with Prince Rainbow...because you didn't want to risk the only other creature who was the closest thing you had to a family.  You didn't want to lose him."

                "Shut up!"  Rowf was now crying harder, but he kept his jaw firm, unwilling to let his choking sobs come out.

                "I don't blame you for hating men.  You...you have every right."

                "_Shut up_!!" Rowf nearly screamed, reaching his breaking point.

                "Rowf, I can't leave you alone!  I want to help you, to heal you!  I really do!  _I care_!  I really care!!  I'm not like the whitecoats, I'm not like the soldiers, I'm not like the farmers!  I care."

                "SHUT UP!!!"

                "Rowf, I care!"

                "If you do not keep that wearisome trap of yours shut, I'll -!!!"

                "Rowf, please, let me heal you!  If you don't and if you leave us and abandon Snitter and Prince Rainbow's orders, you'll be no better off than when the whitecoats chased after you!  Can't you see we're trying to help you?  Snitter isn't abandoning you!  _You're_ abandoning _Snitter_!"

                That was the final straw; Rowf was done in.  Before Justin could even finish the sentence, the Labrador made a sudden lunge and there was an instant of blood followed by a soft yet excruciating cry of pain from Justin.  Snitter was thunderstruck, and the Owsla of El-ahrairah and Watership Down screamed and roared in a cacophony of raging gall and upset gasping.

                "JUSTIN!"

                Bigwig was about to rip Rowf apart, but Hazel, though his eyes glazed with trepidation and his sweaty fur quivering with the icy terror and anxiety, ordered severely, "Bigwig!  Stand down!"  Bigwig actually paused, contemplating on ignoring his Chief Rabbit, as Hazel's authority was on the tense line of this outcome, but with a discordant heart and will, Bigwig unenthusiastically stood still, reverting back to his rabbit form as his dog appearance disappeared along with his willingness to battle.  The other rabbits were rigid at the scene.  Justin was lying on the grass on his side, yet he still managed to awkwardly twist his upper body by propping himself with one arm on the ground so that the adolescent was facing the angry dog.  Not that he would have been able to move anyway for Rowf now had Justin's other arm trapped in his mouth in a lethal grip, his chops completely swallowing Justin's hand and half of his forearm, and already, the angry canine's teeth drew blood which steadily coursed down Justin's appendage.  Neither Rowf nor Justin were moving during the standoff, both remaining as still as statues, yet it would not take long before the situation grew much worse.  Justin, wincing, did his best not to holler in agony as the Labrador's teeth sank into his flesh and the increasing pressure was threatening to sever off the teenager's entire forearm.

                "Rowf, please stop it!" pleaded Snitter in a fraught intonation.

                Yet the Labrador was now too mesmerized by the thought, the sickening, morbid delight, of hurting a human, of causing and dishing out pain, and he stubbornly gnawed harder.  There was a faint crack, and Justin yelped.  His left arm was now broken, chewed in two and snapping under the immense pressure of Rowf's teeth, and he could feel all sensory feeling of his hand and fingers leave his body, only to be replaced by searing fire while pieces of his fractured bone, blood, and torn flesh all mixed together in a cauldron of agonizing, burning ordeal.

                "Stop!" screamed Bluebell, whimpering at the sight as he nervously scuffled his feet in the ground and held his paws to his ears in horrified repulsion.

                "You monster!" screamed Speedwell alongside the rabbit jester, his face now an ashen gray underneath his white fur.  Rowf's eyes now sparkled in delight, seeing the look of frightened, strained torture on the young boy's face.

                The dog growled thickly while still maintaining his locked jaws on Justin's arm, unbeknownst to both Justin and Rowf that the crystal cross around Justin's neck was starting to react to the canine's anger and need for vengeance, "This was for what you and your kind did to me and Snitter, you bas-"

                Rowf stopped as he felt the sudden warmth from the sunlight radiating and engulfing himself and his victim, both of them shadowed by the auras that were surrounding them, embracing them.  Because Rowf was still gripping Justin with his mouth, it allowed the cross' healing light, the same one that helped Snitter, to directly hit him into the darkest, deepest, most profound areas in his heart and blemished, scarred soul.  The Plague Dog's eyes grew wide with surprise as both he and the cross-bearer saw a torrid of images exhibit in their consciousnesses.

                Justin saw Rowf's most cherished yet disturbing memories:

                _Rowf and Snitter were trying to swim for their lives, as far and fast as they could away from the shore of soldiers and government officials that were angrily shooting at them from the beach and rocky coastline.  The water around them splashed and spattered from a considerable amount of bullets, yet none of them struck the two dogs.  Unfortunately, their very last of their strength disappeared amongst the cold ice of the salty sea._

_                Snitter was crying as he confessed helplessly, "Getting tired...can't seem to...Anymore."_

_                "Keep going," Rowf gasped stubbornly, though he knew, deep in his heart, it wouldn't be much longer, the cold now painfully solidifying the very marrow in his brittle bones, "Try...please, Snitter."_

_                Snitter's head was sinking lower and lower amongst the small, gentle waves, caressing his flushed face.  "Can't swim anymore, Rowf."_

_                Rowf, frantic, said the first thing that came to his mind, hoping to get his brother's mind off the cold, the despair, the reality of their lives sinking in, "We must be...near the island.  C'mon Snitter!  Our island!  Our island!"_

_                "There isn't any island, Rowf," Snitter whined dejectedly, despondency and miserable hopelessness, as if he realized everything was nothing more than a cruel, twisted joke.  Rowf angrily snapped back, gasping between choking gulps of water, unwilling to let his friend lose hope._

_                "There is...**there**...can't you see it?!  Our...island.  Just stay with me...I'll get you...there."_

_                Snitter managed to whimper with much love and longing before he disappeared under the ocean's surface, "Rowf...please...(cough)...don't leave...me...please."_

_                "I won't, Snitter.  I...won't Snit-" but that was the past Rowf was able to choke before his lungs filled forcefully with water, and he had no choice but to let the cold and ocean swallow him into the over of the wintry, unforgivable sea and the last thing Rowf was able to see before the darkness enclosed around him was Snitter's limp body sinking gently amongst the current.  There was then a flash of light before Rowf lost consciousness.  The next thing he knew, he and Snitter were amongst a dry, grassy, clean field of soft moss as warm sun and air welcomed their battered, starving and dripping bodies as the salt around their eyes started to crust around their eyes.  Rowf, limping and weary, nudged Snitter's barely conscious form with his warm nose before a figure approached in front of the two dogs.  Rowf was about to fight based on his instinct, but strangely enough, he could not sense any danger from this stranger, not like he had before from the whitecoats.  Snitter then managed to open his weak eyes, his eyelids fluttering open like a moth's wings._

_                "Are...are we dead?" he asked to no one in particular.  The figure just smiled sadly._

_                "Where...where are we?" Rowf demanded with great unease._

_                "This is the Isle of Dogs, your island, your home, your haven, you poor beasts," replied the figure soothingly, stroking Snitter's frail and tender head with a hand as soft as the summer breeze.  Rowf could barely make out the stranger's outline for there was such a flurry of glorious light and color illuminating from his cloak, dimming his vision and causing his eyes to water with confusion...and growing respite._

_                "Who...who are you?  Are...are you a human?  A whitecoat?!" he inquired, mistrustful._

_                Prince Rainbow shook his head as his warmth, his light, his concern and love for the two Plague Dogs shone over all three of them in the fields of the land beyond life, his heart pained at the fact that both of them would live with such painful reminders of their past, physical lives for the rest of their existence.  "No, I am not a human...but I will be willing to be your master, a kind, loving one at that, and I will never leave your sides nor hurt you in any way...if you can trust me."_

_                Snitter sobbed with joy as he turned to Snitter, "Oh!  Oh!  It's so jolly good to be dead!  Our island, our island!  We're home, Rowf!  We're home!  Snitter's a good dog!  Come to think of it, Rowf's a good dog too!  Oh, it's so good to be dead!"_

                Rowf just gave a tired smile.

                Rowf also saw Justin's past flash before his mind:

_                Justin was crying in the hallways of his high school as the bullies and other students around him threw him scoffs, glares, mocking, degrading jokes, and some literally spat at him, as the teenager tried to pick up what was left of his "Watership Down" novel on the stone ground._

_                Hugging his knees, Justin just wept and wept quietly in his bedroom on his sleeping bag lying on the dusty carpet.  His father, after divorcing his mother, no longer had much money to spend on other things besides food, insurance, mortgage, and utilities, so all the teenager had, much to Rowf's shock, was a plain, moth-eaten sleeping bag, a ratty, wooden desk salvaged from a yard sale, and several tattered, worn out books.  It was almost like Rowf and Snitter's cells back in the research facilities.  Then Rowf noticed the bruised on Justin's arms and face from where his own father beat him._

_                Justin was now crying again, hurt and lonely, as he sat on the lap of Sneezewort while Lousewort and Holly comforted the boy.  It was shortly after the other Watership rabbits left Justin because Greenweed, disguised as the human, Damien, was declared as the new cross-bearer.  Rowf heard Justin bawl, "That was what Hazel and other rabbits said, that was what my mother said, and that was probably what God said too!  I can't trust anybody now, and no one cares how much I hurt, how much I just need someone right now, and the only reason Holly stayed with me was because of default since he's too injured to do anything else but wait with me!  The minute he gets all better again, he'll leave me too!"_

_                Bluebell, though heavily injured after diving in front of the cross-bearer to prevent Mallow from killing the young human with his lance, managed to quip compassionately, brotherly, at Justin, "What are you crying for??  C'mon, young one, keep a stiff upper lip!  Had to do something to protect the cross-bearer, you know!  Besides, this is just a flesh wound, I'll be up and ready before you know it!  You know I can't die here in the land beyond life."_

_                Justin was hugging the rabbit called Hawkbit in the desert as the others battled vainly against Blood Whitetail, the fox, while the Wolfen Gale released its uncontrolled fury amongst the dunes of sand and dirt, threatening to destroy them all.  Hawkbit cried, "Ow!  By Frith, be careful of my neck you duffer!  I've got plenty of wounds from battling the Wolfen Gale for you, so watch it!!"  Despite the scolding from the other rabbits nearby, Rowf saw Justin just smile and hug his protector even closer, and chuckling, Hawkbit just nuzzled his snout into Justin's dusty hair._

                Rowf then saw the aftermath of Buckthorn's battle with Hufsa:

_                "Justin, look at me," Buckthorn said softly, compassionately, and Justin glanced into his light blue eyes._

_                "Justin, it had to be done.  If I didn't do it, he would have killed you and tortured the rest of us, without a thought of guilt, remorse, or mercy.  It had to be done.  Do you understand?"_

_                "I understand, Buckthorn, and I...owe you my life.  You...you injured someone, a living creature, for my sake, and...and I know that can't be easy," Justin said softly._

_                Buckthorn managed to stutter nervously, "Are you afraid of me now...because of this?  Because of what I did?"_

_                To Rowf's surprise, the teenager did not meet the rabbit with repulsion, but instead, simply gave the warrior a soft, reassuring hug, whispering, "I'll never be afraid of you, Buckthorn, for I'll always trust you, for you're my friend."_

                The images vanished, and so did the light.  It was plainly evident, the way the Watership Owsla could sense that there was no longer any more animosity radiating from the black Labrador's presence, that he too, was healed just like Snitter had been.  Rowf's jaw went slack, and left weak, Justin slumped on his back, feeling his arm being released faintly from the canine's hard, sticky mouth.

                "JUSTIN!!!" the Lapine warriors spoke in unison as they rushed forward, no longer able to stand by and watch quietly.  Campion and Bluebell managed to prop up Justin as Blackberry grimly sniffed and licked the blood off Justin's left arm.  The flesh was badly torn, ripped, but thankfully, not seriously sufficient to cause severe blood loss, but it was also evident that the bone was fractured, not enough for the appendage to bend at awful angles, but bad enough.

                Campion was nearly sobbing as he and Bluebell licked Justin's face and forehead, whispering urgently, "Justin, wake!  Wake, please!  Come back to us, young chap!"  A groan emerged from Justin's throat as the young adolescent regained consciousness, and the rabbits exhaled in short-lived relief.  Snitter walked up to Rowf, who was trembling, and understanding how painful it was to allow Justin to heal him, Snitter brought his nose over to Rowf's face and licked his muzzle affectionately.  Rowf buried his head into Snitter's fur, their faces gently caressing and touching each other gently, affectionately, devotedly, fondly.

                "I...I'm sorry, Snitter, about...about what I said earlier..." choked back Rowf.

                "It's all right," Snitter whispered gently, cutting him off.  Meanwhile, Speedwell, Bigwig, Dandelion, Silver, Buckthorn, Acorn, Holly, and Hawkbit were furious.  They advanced towards Rowf with boiling, burning hellfire and murderous, fatal rage coursing through their bodies, yet Justin managed to yell out, "Don't hurt him!  Please!  Rowf didn't know any better!"

                They stopped, hesitating yet livid, and Snitter and Rowf, along with Campion, Bluebell, Hazel, Fiver, Pipkin, Strawberry, and Blackberry, stared dumbly at the human cross-bearer, weak, injured, yet still with a determined look on his sweaty face, gasping faintly from the strain.

                "If you won't do it for Hazel, then please, do it for my sake!  Please!  Don't attack Rowf and Snitter!  It wasn't their fault!  Please, just forgive him!  Just let it go!"

                "Embleer furball," cursed Hawkbit to himself as the rabbits backed off, still cross and irate.  Snitter looked remorseful for his part, but Rowf was still mulish, stubbornly sanctimonious in thinking that he was still the victim.  He just glared at Justin, barking, "What are you crying for, human?!  You do not need to draw pity and sympathy towards yourself!  Just heal yourself, damn it!  I'm sorry I wounded you, but it is not as if you cannot simply renew your flesh and make it whole again!"

                Justin's face blanched slightly before he gingerly held his arm and stared at the ground.  Pipkin then begged insistently.

                "Please Justin, heal yourself!  Use the cross to nurse your paw back to health!  You have the power, and it won't help El-ahrairah if you remain hurt and wounded!"

                "I...I can't," Justin confessed helplessly, "It...it doesn't work that way."

                The Owsla of El-ahrairah, minus Hazel, and Rowf and Snitter thought they had heard wrong, but the sad, glum look on Justin's face caused their blood to chill.  His calmness fading, Blackberry managed to sputter, "You...you _cannot_??  Cross-bearer...surely you must be joking...are you??"

                "Justin?" gasped Campion, growing sick to his stomach, but Hazel, in a subdued, tired, yet sorrowful voice, answered plainly.

                "Rowf, there...there is a limitation to Justin's powers as the cross-bearer.  He...he knew for quite some time, but he did not tell any of us nor did he confide in me until after the escape from the warren of the Black Rabbit of Inle.  The cross-bearer can use his power to heal other people..._but he cannot use it to heal his own wounds_."

                "No," Rowf whispered, turning pale.

                "WHAT?!" shouted Dandelion, Fiver, Pipkin, and Acorn together.

                "Hazel-rah?!" gasped Holly in shock.

                "Justin, please tell me this cannot be the truth!" Strawberry exclaimed, angered, but Justin did not answer, and Strawberry then noticed the other marks on Justin's furless body.  The gash on his forehead, blackened now with age, from the time he and Silver were caught in an avalanche made from Scry-rah and his horde of dangerous hawks.  The teenager's elbows were grimy and had ugly, hideous scratches from King Darzin's claws when the lion tried to ambush him in the forest.  The scrape on his shoulder Justin received from a thorn when Hufsa made his prison grow, trying to impale the boy, was now covered with a crusty blood patch, but obviously apparent that it was never doctored and cared for.  And through a small tear in the boy's clothing, the rabbit also noticed the bruises on Justin's chest when Shardik the bear slammed his paw during the battle at the trial in the Land of Tomorrow, not to mention that there was still a red, bruised ring around Justin's neck, slightly turning back to a dark tone, as a reminder of Cowslip's snare collar he tried to imprison the cross-bearer with.  Strawberry felt nauseous; Hazel was telling the truth, or else Justin would have healed his wounds inflicting his body long ago.  Which made his bleeding and broken arm much more serious than ever.

                Buckthorn was heatedly yelling at Hazel's face, "You're lying, Hazel-rah!  You must be!  It isn't true!  What about when Hufsa stabbed Justin with his sword and turned him to stone?!!  Embleer fur and paw, what about then?!  Justin managed to come out of that alive!"

                Blackberry then gasped as he realized a fact.  "No, _that_ was different, Buckthorn!  The only reason the fatal wound disappeared was because you used the blade, the golden sword given to you from the cross, to break the spell of stone on Hazel and Justin, and it was probably enough to undo Hufsa's magic given to him from Elil-rah, but it was _not_ because Justin used the healing light of Frith from the cross!  O Frith and Inle, it's true!  It is true!"

                "Damn you, Hazel-rah, why did you not tell us?!  We had a bloody right to know!" Bigwig roared, and it seemed almost as if he was going to strike his leader and Chief rabbit directly in the face.  Hazel, though tired, managed to look at Bigwig, unfazed, directly into the eye.

                "Justin made me swear to secrecy.  He thought, and I agreed with him, that if the rest of you knew, you would not be able to keep your mind on the mission, that you would be too worried over his sake to fight, to remain vigilant over our mission, and that we would all treat him as if he were a weak, feeble, incompetent invalid.  He did not wish for that, Thlayli."

                "Justin how could you not tell us?!" cried Silver as he tenderly grasped the teenager's face with his huge paws and forced Justin to look into his heartbroken, pained eyes, already blaming himself for not doing more to protect the cross-bearer, "By the tail of El-ahrairah, young one, you should have let us known!  Yes, we would have been worried and overbearing for you, but we would have done it because be care too much about you!  Now look, you're badly hurt, wounded, and we can do little for it!"

                "I'll be all right, Silver," Justin muttered lamely.

                Bluebell's voice was slightly sour as he glared at the cross-bearer unceremoniously.  " 'All right'?!  'All right'??!!  Frith in a barn and Frith on your tharn head, bucko!  Young chap, I've heard better and more convincing fibs from kittens caught playing hooky from Owsla training at Watership Down."

                Justin decided not to reply; it wouldn't do him any good to make the rabbits even more frustrated with him from rude comebacks.  He then noticed Rowf was then approaching towards him slowly in a steady gait with Snitter alongside him.  The other members of the Watership Owsla stopped arguing and fretting instantly.  Speedwell and Acorn immediately jumped in front, blocking Rowf's path towards the cross-bearer, snarling.

                "Get away from him!" snarled Speedwell, his eyes now as dangerously slit as a cat, full of scrutinizing malice, "Frith in a hole, you've hurt Justin enough with your self-righteous hatred, you wretch!  Take one step closer and I'll scratch your nose to shreds!"

                Fiver announced in a tired voice, "Speedwell, let Rowf be; he had a right to be angry, albeit an irresponsible one, and to lash out at Justin like that."

                Rowf did not bother to comment on what he thought on Fiver and Speedwell's take on the matter (and perhaps for the better as well since what he thought would have surely provoked the rabbits to attack him).  He just continued glaring resentfully and sullenly at the teenager who was carefully being held by Campion and Bluebell.  Rowf then finally, if not against his will, spoke his contrition (though Justin was quick to wryly notice that the dog used the term very, _very_ loosely).

                "Cross-bearer, what you did for me and Snitter still does not change the fact that I still greatly loathe and mistrust humans...and you will never be an exception."

                "You certainly have such a nice way of saying 'thank you'," snapped Acorn crossly at the dog, "By all rights, Justin should send _you_ to limbo for what you had done to him!"  Justin, however, nodded sadly.

                "I didn't expect it any other way, Rowf," he stated forlornly.

                The Black Labrador's muzzle twitched slightly.  "You could have simply forced Snitter and I to submit to your influence and authority, you could have treated us no better than slaves...and you certainly could have used your power to subdue me before you heal me, thus not putting yourself at any risk.  So....why in the name of all beasts did you behave like such an idiot, like such a fool?"

                Justin actually hesitated, a bit bewildered himself before he answered, "If I did that, then I would be no better than the whitecoats.  You and Snitter have already been put through too much violence...and me using my powers would have made things worse.  You would have been less likely to trust us, and to tell you the truth, if I wanted you to help me, it would be because...because I want you guys to be willing to help, to do it because you don't feel obligated.  I mean, if I forced you and Snitter to obey me, then...then I'd be exactly like Elil-rah."  Rowf's eyes eased slightly in their hardness.

                "Frankly, I see no difference between the both of you," cheeked the Labrador none too gently, tacitly.

                "Watch your tongue, embleer dog!!" snarled Dandelion, Bigwig, Holly, and Campion at once in unison.  Justin sighed; he wasn't going to get anywhere with Rowf.

                "Rowf...you and Snitter...if you guys don't want to, you don't have to obey Prince Rainbow's orders..." stammered Justin nervously but Rowf cut the adolescent off irately.

                "I am not a heartless brute..._or_ a bloody ingrate, cross-bearer."

                "He bloody well could have fooled me," Hawkbit muttered snidely to Dandelion surreptitiously.  Rowf made no indication that he had heard, though his eyes were struggling not to flash with annoyance at Hawkbit's rudeness.  Rowf continued coldly, "Unlike others, I owe Prince Rainbow for welcoming Snitter and I in the land beyond life, for giving both of us a second chance after such a bane existence of appeasing to the short-sighted, silly, trivial needs of men, and though I will continually _detest_ your bloody presence here...I will not forget what you, Justin, have done for us on this day.  Regardless, I will fulfill Prince Rainbow's orders to accompany you and the rest of the Watership Owsla."

                Justin nodded as he weakly stood up, and with some help, Snitter, feeling sorry for Justin's condition and partly guilty, managed to prop Justin on his back.  Yet before the Watership Owsla and the Plague Dogs could continue, Justin sadly stared at the scattered ashes on the field, the tragic remains of the harmless lark that Prince Rainbow sent to limbo.  With his uninjured hand, Justin managed to lightly touch his cross with two fingers, and with a blaze of gold, the ashes rose in the air, swirling and converging into one another until the lark was healed and made whole again, fresh, renewed, and resurrected.  With several baffled blinks of its eyes, the lark brushed its wings and flew like a shot into the air.

                Pipkin was perplexed, mystified.  "How...how was that possible, Justin?  Prince Rainbow said that not even your cross could retrieve trapped souls from the realms of the Unknown."

                No one, not even Blackberry and Strawberry, could think up of a suitable answer, but then Snitter then offered naively, "I suppose not all things happen they way people wish for them to, young rabbit.  Just have faith and be grateful in had happened."

                Everyone left it at that, but then Snitter, walking slowly as to not painfully cause Justin's body to jolt and bump against his throbbing, broken arm, whined to Justin, "Cross-bearer?"

                "Yeah?"

                "Are...are you our master now?" Snitter asked hesitantly, and Justin smiled sadly at both Snitter and Rowf.

                "No, I am _not_ your master.  I'm your _friend_," the cross-bearer corrected compassionately, calmly, and convincingly.  The iron cages of human cruelty had finally disintegrated to dust and useless bits of memory as the lark joyfully, guilelessly, sang a sweet melody as it flew above the new fellowship of eighteen.

                                                                                ***

                Never before had Woundwort, after looking at the scene with absolute indignation, seen Elil-rah stay so silent, so calculating, so devious.  The Efrafan leader and war-riddled rabbit had expected the dark deity to scream, rage, and lose his temper once again, but this time, Elil-rah's red eyes were now actually slightly gleeful, crinkled a bit as he stared at the figure of the teenage male traveling slowly with the Plague Dogs and the rabbits of Watership Down.

                "My Lord, why are you so pleased?!" Woundwort demanded angrily, "Justin, the cross-bearer, has once again escaped our attempts to destroy him, and now, even your power of control over Prince Rainbow and his dogs has been broken by that damned human!!  Now nothing shall be able to stop them from approaching the warren of El-ahrairah and healing their Prince!!"

                Elil-rah answered with a sickening, fixated tone of expression, "**I MUST CONFESS, WOUNDWORT, I WAS QUITE DISAPPOINTED AND EXUBERANTLY IRATE AT THE YOUNG BOY'S CURSED RUN OF LUCK AND BLESSINGS, YET NOW, I SEE A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY – AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MY PLANS OF RULE, POWER, AND DOMINATION OVER THIS LAND AND TO COMPLETELY ERADICATE EL-AHRAIRAH AND HIS BRETHREN.  THE BOY HAS FAR MORE POWER THAN I HAD ANITCIPATED, BUT IT COULD SURELY BE ALL THE MORE FRUITFUL FOR ME IF I HAD HIS CROSS IN MY POSSESSION.  SUCH POWER, SUCH BEAUTY, SUCH MIGHT AND VIGOR AND AUTHORITY OF ALL!  WOUNDWORT, I HAVE A NEW ASSIGNMENT FOR YOU AND FOR THE REMAINING SOLDIERS OF OUR OWSLA...NOT TO MENTION YOU WILL FINALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO SHOW YOURSELF IN BATTLE AND RELINQUISH YOUR HATRED AND FURY AT THE INJUSTICE DONE TO YOU ON JUSTIN.**"

                Woundwort's smile grew as his eye twitched in an abhorrent manner.  "As you wish, my Lord."

/*

Author's note: Oh, before I forget: I do not, in any way, own the Plague Dogs or any references to the 1982 animated film.  They are the property of Richard Adams and Martin Rosen.

YEP, so that was the surprise!  If you guys really loved this chapter, read and review, and yes, constructive and positive criticisms and suggestions are always welcome!

Windwalker and Maleo, to tell you two the truth, I was not really planning to bring in the Plague Dogs at all, but then I watched the VHS version of the film (also made by Martin Rosen who was the director of the film WD, what a coincidence!) and I can honestly say I cried at the end when the film was over.  That ending was so sad and Snitter and Rowf did not deserve such a fate! WAH!

Dandelion: You are such a baby!

Hey, you'd cry too if you like animals and saw the film!  Seriously, afterwards, I felt they both needed a happy ending and yes, I know in the book, Snitter and Rowf had a happy ending, but this needed to be written to offer some consolation for their fate on the video!  So yes, keeping your reviews in mind, I decided to take this branch of the plot.  See?  It **does** pay to review because I **do** listen!  I treasure every one of my reviews (except flamers of course in which case I send Bigwig, Campion, Silver, and Holly to beat them up! =) ).  Oh yes, a special thanks for Georgina Mabee and her "The Plague Dogs" website which actually had many quotes from the film that I was able to use for quick reference.  Her site is www(dot)plaguedogs(dot)homestead(dot)com.  Thank you Georgi, a true Plague Dog fan! =)

Oh, on a final note, Blethlin is not my character; she is a doe created by fellow WD fanfic author, Pipkin3, in the story WD story "Brindle 3" so in no way do I own her (an interesting WD author; go read some of his/her fics).  Pipkin3, I will draw Floxwood warren eventually, once I have the time.  I know you wanted a Blethlin chapter in my story, but I couldn't do it, but, I thought this might be a pleasant surprise, not to mention a chance to show her "good" qualities! ^_~

Next: The Cross-Bearer, CAPTURED!

The rabbits of Watership Down finally reach the warren of El-ahrairah, and Justin discovers a few more holes and mysteries that only further confuse the secret of the cross-bearer.  Unfortunately, Elil-rah is not finished by a long shot!  What will he do?  Is Justin ever safe?  What will happen at the warren?  Will the Watership rabbits be enough to stop them?  Find out in the next chapter and yes, many enemies make a brutal comeback!  BWA-HAHAHAHA!

Silver: He's scaring me.

Buckthorn: Out of all the possible fans, we had to get one who is a complete lunatic.

Until then in two weeks, read and review! =)

*/


	26. CAPTURED!

/*

Author's note: I'm so sorry this took longer than a month to complete!  But I had not only writer's block but a momentary lapse of passion for the story because I've written about it for so long, I'm getting slightly bored with it!  But don't worry!  I promise I will complete this on a regular basis before writing any other stories!  Yet, thank you so much for the reviews, everyone, including David M who really wants to be the one reviewer who's posted more reviews about this story than anybody else!  He's actually getting close to Loganberry's record if he keep it up! =)

Anyway, enjoy!

*/

CHAPTER 25 

                "C'mon, buckos!!  Keep running!!  Keep at it!!  We have no time to lose!!" panted Holly as the Watership rabbits, along with Snitter and Rowf and Justin, galloped as speedily as they could towards El-ahrairah's warren.  Ever since their encounter with Prince Rainbow, the Owsla of El-ahrairah and Watership Down lost no time in taking his warnings of the cross-bearer's safety to heart, and to their best of their physical abilities, the band of eighteen ran without haste towards their home.  The excitement and anticipation of arriving at their home was greater than ever before now, and the reality of being so close made each of the rabbit warriors realize that the danger for Justin was greater than ever, and with that in mind, everyone was doing their best to use every single fiber of their bodies, every ounce of willpower, every shred of determination, and every iota of physical endurance to run with indescribable speeds to El-ahrairah.  Though it was now night, and the entire fields of grass and clover were blanketed with faint moonlight and the obscure shades of darkness, it made their journey seem all the more eerie and perilous.  There were periods of well-deserved rest, certainly, but they were all so ridden with anxiety, jumpiness, and restlessness that it would have simply been better had Hazel and the group assigned to the cross-bearer ran non-stop in the first place.  However, such respite was necessary; Fiver and Pipkin were nearly on the verge of collapse, Silver was constantly gasping for air, and even Bigwig and Buckthorn had sign of weary eyes and drooped ears.  Plus, it was the only way Holly, Campion, and Blackberry could ensure Justin's injury would have spells of rest and recovery, being able to heal quicker without forced journey (Hazel himself insisted rest for this reason; he already knew what it was like to have a wound wear down due to travel, first-hand).  At first, Justin's broken arm was extremely disconcerting, and no amount of licking and tending by the Watership rabbits would ever mend the fractured bone.  However, Holly was able to scourge up an appropriate amount of horsetail and comfrey, and between him and Blackberry chewing the herbs into mulch, a crude poultice was lathered onto Justin's arm right after Campion set Justin's arm into alignment (Justin nearly passed out from the pain and Campion could have sworn afterwards that he lost his hearing from the teenager's high-pitched yelps and cursing).  After the ordeal, Campion and Blackberry fastened two, stout and sturdy thick sticks on opposite sides of the human's appendage and bound the arm to the splint very snugly with strands of flax and vines of ivy.  Justin still could not properly place any pressure on his forearm, yet it certainly felt better, especially with the herbs soothing down the swelling.

                Still, the group was significantly brighter when they got within sight of El-ahrairah's warren at the top of a hillock, and to realize that they had achieved three days travel into one day lifted their mood, and all in all, they journey was uneventful (if you didn't count Bigwig attempting to strangle Hawkbit constantly, Strawberry and Dandelion nearly brawling at Rowf for saying a crude remark about Justin, Pipkin and Silver chasing Bluebell and throwing threats because Bluebell ate the last strawberry in the field before they could, and Hazel and Blackberry and Fiver constantly being uptight and nervous).

                As Justin shakily kept his balance on Snitter's back, he nearly held his breath in awe.  Even in the dark night and silver glimmer of the moon, the land where El-ahrairah, the Prince of all Rabbits, had established his home for himself and his brethren was simply breathtaking.  Out of the entire meadows of Fenlo, there was a comfortable embankment of small, luscious knolls and nestled in securely in the very middle of the bank, surrounded by small hills, was a gigantic, mammoth tree, many, _many_ times over an Ilip, its roots securely embedding and twisting themselves into the dirt and grass gently, gracefully.  The tree could have truly been another Wonder of the World back in Justin's physical realm for there was simply no other tree like it.  Its trunk was smooth, devoid of any creases, knotholes, and bumps, and the creamy, coffee-colored bark of the tree was gilded and shining, as if painted in gold.  The extraordinary thing was that the tree was not of any particular type of species, but rather a variegated, synthesized mixture of every type of tree and plant imaginable.  The human cross-bearer could see a plethora of colors swimming in the leaves of the tree, ranging from maple leaves, turning their colors of orange, yellow, and red in brisk fall, to oak leaves, strong, supple, and firm with dark edges and youthful green stems, to the low, sagging, limp leaves of the English willow.  This specimen was truly the Tree of all trees.  And, to Justin's delighted surprise, on the boughs and branches of the tree were bunches and bunches of fruits and nuts.  Apples, plums, acorns, mulberries, cherries, walnuts, and all sorts of assortments were bundled amongst the twigs and branches, their scents of spice and sweetness wafting soothingly down to the ground below.  Lodged in between the roots of the tree were multiple holes and runs leading into the warren, and there were also numerous openings at the baseline of the embankments.  It practically made the embankment seem like Swiss cheese.  There were more openings than Justin could count, and he realized that it was possible since this was to be the home of every rabbit that had ever lived and died, so in reality, it was not even a warren, but rather, a city or a country.  What made the scene even more homely was that the teenager could also spot many rabbits grazing near the warren, basking and resting under the moon on the dewy grass, and the kittens eagerly playing tag or using the slippery slopes of the hills and the gargantuan tree roots as slides, giggling and screaming happily in giddy fun.  Justin never had seen so many animals gathered around one place, and yet, the tree in which the warren was housed under still loomed over the rabbits like dwarves; the tree was taller than an Ilip, yet in the land beyond life, this home seemed to be the land of plenty, always providing home, food, and shelter to El-ahrairah's rabbits always and for many more years to come.  Justin suddenly felt awkwardly small.

                The rabbit Owsla of Watership Down, however, seemed incredibly joyful.  Acorn gave a merry sigh and declared in a relieved voice, "We're home!  We're finally home!"

                "And never has it been so beautiful to look at!" Speedwell exclaimed with shining eyes.  All the rabbits mirrored the exact same look, and even Rowf himself, though still incredibly moody and withdrawn, could not help showing some appreciation at the beauty of El-ahrairah's kingdom.

                Suddenly, there was some squealing in front of them, and the rabbits glanced down to see, to their surprise, Stonecrop and Blackavar, their two trusted and beloved friends, racing up the hill to greet their long lost comrades, and as an additional surprise, Kehaar, the gregarious black-headed gull, swooped down and landed, none too gracefully, Justin noted, next to the two foreign rabbits.  As Hazel and Bigwig and Holly were animatedly chatting with their friends, Silver whispered to Justin, "The gull is our friend, Kehaar, and the two rabbits next to them are Blackavar and Stonecrop.  Yet, I daresay you probably already knew that from the stories you've heard about Watership Down, young one."

                Justin probably would have.  Kehaar, a gull from the Atlantic who befriended Hazel and the other rabbits when they offered him refuge and shelter and food at Watership Down upon seeing that he was injured, was obviously a bird few would be foolish to reckon with.  It was Kehaar who helped Hazel and the bucks to find Efrafa and bring the does back safely to their warren, and not to mention having a hand, er, wing, in locating an ideal spot for the new warren Vleflain for the next generation of rabbits.  With a thick neck, a hard, sharp orange-red beak, powerful wings that could certainly give a good beating on any animal as well as the fierce wind currents he glided on, the bird was a valuable ally and it was little wonder that El-ahrairah wished for the gull to live with them after death.  In the land beyond life, Kehaar was almost as large as an ostrich and appeared to be able to easily carry a small child onto his back, and normally, the gull would have shown his serious, yet distracting attitude if not for the suspicious, beady-eyed glares he was throwing at Justin.  Apparently, Kehaar was not very trusting of humans, like all other animals in the land beyond life.  The human then turned his focus on Stonecrop, the tame rabbit narrated in "Tales from Watership Down".  Stonecrop was actually a floppy-eared rabbit, large and brawny, with a large nose and a tame, head-in-the-clouds demeanor, yet if any enemy came along, he would be quick to show his fighting spirit.  The buck had pale blue eyes and light gray fur, and in his excitement of seeing his friends again, Stonecrop barely noticed his front paws were painfully treading onto his ears.  In contrast, the buck Blackavar truly lived up to his name for his entire fur pelt was ebony, though quite lustrous and riddled with gray hairs.  In "Watership Down", Blackavar was actually from Nutley Copse, a peaceful warren not too far off, yet a raid from Efrafa allowed General Woundwort to take control of the warren, slaying many innocent rabbits and taking the survivors prisoner, and Blackavar was a young kitten when this all happened.  As he grew up, he did try to escape Efrafa, of course, but the Wide Patrols caught him and as a result, he was made an example out of and his ears were ripped to shreds.  Even now, Justin could see that Blackavar's ears were literally stubs of strands of lifeless skin and tissue, flopping uselessly in the air; rather, the buck's ears were so short, it gave him the appearance of a mouse rather than a rabbit.  Blackavar, despite having mutilated ears, had an uncanny aura around him and his black eyes seemed like pools of clairvoyance; what made the buck an excellent hlessi was the fact that he had a very acute sense of perception and heightened insight, almost rivaling that of Fiver.  Blackavar, though endlessly relieved to see Holly, his cherished friend, again, was giving Justin and the two Plague Dogs a very wary look.  Snitter blushed and Rowf just gave a look of poison of his own.

                "Those two used to be the two loyal dog servants of Prince Rainbow, were they not?" Blackavar asked simply.

                Holly widened his eyes before realizing nothing escaped Blackavar's quick mind and intuition.  He nodded wearily, hoping that they would waste little time on discussion and just get back to the task of bringing Justin to El-ahrairah.  Hazel was quickly trying to cut into Stonecrop's excited jabber.

                "Thank the stars, you're back!!  You're all back!!  O Frith and Inle, I cannot wait to see the look on our Lord's face when he sees -"

                "Yes, yes, Stonecrop, we have all returned to El-ahrairah's warren with the human teenager, but now is not the time for rejoicing!  We still need to heal El-ahrairah!"

                "Dat special boy??"  Now Kehaar was the one who spoke as he studied Justin conscientiously, disbelieving, his eyes now dark slits.  "Ees for 'elp El-a-rah?  'e no look powervul.  Meester 'azel, Meester Pigvig, you sure dat human need for fight?"

                "Kehaar, we have seen the young one use his powers.  He is the one who can help El-ahrairah, the one chosen to fight Elil-rah and to aid us with our plights, so for Frith's sake, stop being such a dense idiot!" Bigwig commented none too gently, already irate at the scorn in Kehaar's voice; he knew the gull was a righteous and courageous animal, but to already pass judgment on gentle Justin was insulting...to him and to El-ahrairah.  Holly placed a paw on the quivering Owsla veteran, and while Stonecrop just watched Justin with wide, transfixed eyes, Hazel took in the opportunity to give an order to Stonecrop, Blackavar, and Kehaar to carry back to the warren and to El-ahrairah's Owsla.  For now, Hazel and the others were well done in; they could no longer manage to travel much further.  Even Campion and Holly, experienced trackers and travelers, felt the aching soreness of their tired muscles in their legs and paws.  Pipkin, Acorn, and Dandelion appeared as if they were all ready to pass out.  Fortunately, with Snitter and Rowf on their side, it would be safer for them to catch a breather now before going to the warren.

                "Quickly, tell El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle that the cross-bearer has safely arrived! Increase the patrols to guard the warren along with Whitehorn and Blackavar! Raise the alarm at any sight of Elil-rah's Owsla and let no creature come close to the burrows without our consent!"

                Sensing the urgency in Hazel's voice and seeing as how fatigued and helpless the warriors of Watership Down were, Blackavar nodded readily, and on cue, Kehaar, with a single, vibrant "Yark!", shot up into the sky and immediately flew back to El-ahrairah's warren where he would pass the message to Whitehorn and the other animals who had chosen to side with the Prince of all Rabbits.  Stonecrop wordlessly agreed that the Watership fellowship should stay and rest while they would lead more and more rabbits to accompany them.  Stonecrop then asked, "Should we send more rabbits to help escort and guard the cross-bearer alongside you?"

                Holly nodded eagerly; that would certainly be a tremendous help.

                "Yes Stonecrop, and hurry! We haven't much time!"  With those last words, the two rabbits took off like a shot, silently treading upon the wet grass and moist earth, as secretive as the gentle breeze, while they made their way back to their headquarters.  During their conversation, however, Justin, was unable to recognize the dialect Hazel, Holly, Stonecrop, and Blackavar were conversing between themselves with.  The unfamiliar words of the Lapine language just washed over his head like roaring surf of the sea.  To the human adolescent, it rather sounded like this:

                "Hraray, meth il El-ahrairah a Rabscuttle, u 'cross-bearer' laynt dayn vao!  Voir u hrahayil na hay u hlien, asith Whitehorn a Blackavar!  Paf os thli lay hayalt ol u Owsla Elil-rah, a nahl lay drao dayn kyt u flowil nahl asith u meth mon!"

                "On lay drao skayn voir nayltil na val rah a hay u 'cross-bearer' asith mes?"

                "Vahl Stonecrop, a layth hraray!  On lay nahl koi hrair hithril!"

                As the teenager watched the rabbits leave, puzzled, he asked Bigwig, "Why aren't we going with them?  If we're so close to your home, why not go for it?  I mean, I can see it within the distance!  It's probably just another mile or so!"

                "_Another_ mile?!" whimpered Bluebell, "I can't even go another _step_, young bucko!"

                Hawkbit grumbled with bad-mannered temperament, "Easy for YOU to say, you duffer!  Let us watch you carry a heavy human on your back on all fours and go running like there is no tomorrow and then let us see how you like it!"

                Acorn panted, "Justin, we have to rest now!  All of us are exhausted!  Any more traveling and we will all likely collapse!"

                Justin blushed, realizing he didn't take his companions' well being in consideration.  "Sorry, you guys.  I didn't realize."

                Rowf just snickered maliciously, "Such pathetic weaklings.  And to think that no soldier of Elil-rah's Owsla was even able to defeat you weak, inadequate louts.  Without the cross-bearer's powers to constantly keep things in control, you lot would have all easily perished a long time ago.  I find it hard to even believe your duties are to protect the boy for he surely could find better aid from the horrid dung you rabbits leave behind."  Snitter tried to shush his friend, but the tired rabbits already heard the insult and were not taking it quite well.

                "That does it!" snarled Hawkbit.

                "Let me at him!  I'll kill him!" Bluebell snapped.

                "I don't care if you _were_ sent by Prince Rainbow to help us!  You, embleer dog, are going to get brutally beaten!" threatened Bigwig.  Rowf then narrowed his eyes as he lowered his head like a charging bull, bared his teeth, and tightened the muscles on his legs.

                "Just try it, rabbits!  Come at me, then, you weaklings!  I daresay this would hardly be a challenging fight!"  It took the efforts of Snitter, Silver, Buckthorn, Speedwell, Pipkin and Justin to break them up before blows would be exchanged.  As Justin, for no reason, replayed the discussion Hazel and the others had with Stonecrop and Blackavar in his head, a sudden thought then struck him.

                "Hazel?"

                "Yes, Justin?"

                "Come to think of it, why...why am I called, 'cross-bearer'?" Justin asked hesitantly.  The rabbits, and Rowf and Snitter, just blankly looked at the adolescent, confused at the randomness of the query.

                Speedwell answered for his leader, "Because...because that was what El-ahrairah and the legends of the past and the prophecy called you, young one."

                Justin fought to keep the irritation out of his voice as he asked, "But I remember Campion telling me when I first met you guys that men can't understand the language of Lapine, the language that you rabbits communicate in.  That's why you guys were transformed in humanoid bodies, because you'd be able to protect me better and be able to talk to me."

                Campion seemed unsure as he hesitantly said, "Yes, and your point being, Justin??"

                Every one of the rabbits, including Hazel and Blackberry, had looks of puzzlement and slow comprehension behind their whiskers, unable to grasp what Justin was getting at, so Justin tried again.

                "Well, think about it: 'Owsla', 'elil', 'flayrah', and 'hraka'; every one of those words I said are all Lapine words, right?  They're all words of the rabbit language, right?"

                Buckthorn supported, "Yes.  Go on."

                "And before, could you rabbits ever understand what humans say?  Could you guys ever recall understanding and speaking to men at all?  I mean, did any rabbit ever speak in the language of humans?  _Ever_??"

                Strawberry then shook his head, speaking for the rest of the group, "No, cross-bearer, there has never been such an attempt or an act.  It would be considered an impossible feat that no animal of Frith could ever achieve, at least not without divine guidance and magic."

                Dandelion then asked, "Justin, why all the questions?  Whatever is so odd about all this?"

                Justin then spoke what was on his troubled mind, a tidbit of information so overlooked, and yet upon realization, it was certainly disconcerting, to say the least.

                "If all rabbits can only speak Lapine...then why is the word 'cross-bearer' _in English_??"

                Buckthorn's jaw dropped.  "What...what in Frith's name did you say?"

                "I was...I was wondering because it just came to me: when Holly and Hazel were talking in Lapine, Stonecrop and Blackavar said the word, 'cross-bearer', in English, and well...since it doesn't seem that there is a Lapine version of the word, and that the rabbits seem to know how to at least say _that_ word in Enlgish, I was just wondering how it was even possible."

                Speedwell was stunned.  "Are...are you quite sure, young one??  Could you not have imagined it?"

                Justin then asked, "Well say it Lapine then.  I mean, how do you say 'cross-bearer' in Lapine??"

                Bluebell answered, "Cross-bearer."  Yet the instant the rabbit jester said that, everyone, at that moment, realized that Justin was speaking the truth, that the word 'cross-bearer' was equivalent for both Lapine and English.  Astoundingly, the language of rabbits and the language of men had a common link.

                This stunned the rabbits of Watership Down, a single bolt of dawning recognition and insight that struck each one of the rabbits straight into their brains, only to open new doors and paths of possibilities and theories of questioning wonderment.

                "O Frith and Inle," Blackberry gasped to himself as his eyes went wide.

                "Oh!" Dandelion exclaimed in surprise, realizing.

                Pipkin, who was having trouble seeing the connection, asked Justin in a high voice, "So...so that is what is troubling you, Justin?  Because we know how to say 'the cross-bearer' in your language, the language of man?"

                Justin explained thoroughly, "Pipkin, that's the thing.  Strawberry just said no rabbit can ever speak the language humans use and rabbits can't understand their words and phrases unless someone _tells_ them.  Don't you see, Pipkin?  Stonecrop and Blackavar don't have special powers, they weren't blessed by El-ahrairah's magic like you were, and they can only speak Lapine...and yet they were able to say the word, 'cross-bearer', a word that is in English, a human language.  The only way...the only way El-ahrairah and the rest of the rabbits could have been able to call me 'cross-bearer', a word in my language, would be -"

                "...would be _only_ possible if someone, whether a human or another gifted being whom understood the language of man, named you the cross-bearer in the first place," Hazel whispered in awe, the mystery now clicking into place.

                "_Another_ human?"  Justin felt Campion's paws tighten their hold protectively on the teenager's shoulders as the rabbits spoke in disbelief.

                Dandelion shook his head in dizzying wonderment, rebutting, "Hazel-rah, that cannot be!  That just cannot be possible!  Never before has a human, a man, ever entered in the land beyond life!  It would not correspond to the legend of the cross-bearer and the prophecy itself!  Justin is the first boy to ever come within these sacred lands!"

                Buckthorn then asked, "Wait, Dandelion, what about a 'promised friend'?  Could it be possible that a promised friend could be a human or some creature that understands the language of men?"

                Justin was confused.  "A promised friend??  What's that??"

                Speedwell then explained, "Young one, it is part of a legend about El-ahrairah.  You see, El-ahrairah one day requested a favor from Frith that he and his children may find some respite from the Thousand, the animals that are elil and that hunt and kill all rabbits.  Frith agreed, and then he made it so that out of countless generations, one elil, out of many, shall be born and be a friend to all rabbits, for Frith will bless them so that they will be born as a friend, that they will not seek to hunt and slay our kind, and that their young will also be allies with us, but at great cost to them for the elil will be deemed unnatural by their peers and families, and they may be even persecuted or killed for their loyal behavior.  Yet, such a friend will come as Frith promised El-ahrairah, and thus, that was where the term, 'promised friend', comes from."

                "So...so this means that...there _was_ a human before me?!  Maybe...someone else was the cross-bearer before I came along!"

                Silver shook his head, clarifying, "No, chap, it is not that simple.  You see, Frith specifically promised that a promised friend would be an eli, an animal of the Thousand, a creature of Frith itself, and remember, Frith did not create humans nor are humans considered part of the Thousand.  Though they may be enemies, they are considered a special case, for they are the elil of elil, the universal enemy of _all_ animals who cruelty and ruthlessness is unmatched by any creature."

                "Thanks," mumbled the teenager sarcastically, giving Strawberry an annoyed look.

                "I was just replying the truth, young one.  There is no need to be sardonic," Silver said, amused.

                "Besides," continued Bluebell for Strawberry, "The only promised friends we have known are Lane, Mara, Mark, Carol, and Gina."

                "WHAT?!" cried Justin, shocked at the information, "Bluebell, those...those are _human_ names!"

                Speedwell then added slyly, "Yes, but they are foxes, to tell the truth.  Hate to disappoint you, young chap, but the only promised friends we have known about are those hrair hombil, and I would highly doubt that they would be the ones who named you the cross-bearer."

                "But...but then who named the 'cross-bearer'?  It would have to be someone who knows English," Justin chipped in worriedly.

                Blackberry sighed in confusion.  "Unfortunately, that alone eliminates all animals that have ever existed and that have arrived to the land beyond life.  No creature blessed by Frith can ever speak to a human; it was a tremendous taboo, and not to mention that humans were different animals altogether, not created by Frith, but by God, so as a result, it would be perfectly logical if men and animals cannot speak to each other as if they were kindred families."

                Holly then stated, "Not to mention, young Justin, that the chap who named you would also have had to been alive or existing during the times of Frith and God, during the battle with the dark beast and the creation of man and of Frith's blessings of all the animals."

                Hawkbit pondered for a bit before asking, "Wait, why couldn't it have simply been El-ahrairah or Frith himself?  Frith and El-ahrairah surely would have been able to have the power to communicate in the language of man.  Or...or perhaps God, the one Justin believes in, was the bally chap who named our friend and created the prophecy."

                Holly sighed, defeated and unable to provide an answer, "That is the problem, though, Hawkbit.  They are excellent possibilities, yet there is simply no being in the land beyond life that knows more about the legend and the prophecy more than we do, and as such, I would highly doubt that no one could provide an answer to this riddle!"

                Fiver then exclaimed, "No, wait!  There is a bit of information that we had not realized before!  Do you not remember, Justin, what the King of Tomorrow during our trial told us about you and your role with El-ahrairah?!  He said there was another excerpt that said that the cross-bearer would lead to the death and destruction of the Prince of a Thousand!  Do you not remember?!  And yet, what was odd about it was that it was a piece of the prophecy that El-ahrairah did not know nor did he bother to inform us!"

                Snitter was confused.  "Let me get this straight, Fiver: your Prince, El-ahrairah, is requesting the help of Justin, a human boy, the chosen cross-bearer, to help him fight and defend your warren, when there is a possibility that he may just simply destroy it??  Is he mad??"

                Rowf scoffed, enjoying that Justin was appearing to be malignant to the land beyond life, "I can hardly say I am surprised."

                "That's enough, Rowf!!" growled Silver and Campion thickly.

                Justin felt clammy and his mouth was dry as he spoke, "So...so you think it's true?  That...that I will bring danger to El-ahrairah and the land beyond life??  That I'm evil??"

                Campion was beside himself as he gripped Justin angrily by the shoulders and lectured, "Justin, for the sake of Frith and El-ahrairah, do NOT think of such things!!  Fur, paw, and tail of all rabbits of Frith, you cannot think that embleer king knows everything about the prophecy!  So, embleer Frith, stop it NOW!"

                Justin weakly nodded, but Bigwig's head then perked.  The fur-cropped rabbit was extremely thoguhtful.

                "Now that I think about it, there is something quite odd about this entire 'cross-bearer' prophecy," muttered Bigwig aloud, "In fact, several things."  Justin felt his blood cool slightly, but he could honestly say he could not tell if it was because of fear or curiosity.

                "How so, chap?" Blackberry asked, furrowing his brow in deep scrutiny.

                "Well, you hardly have to think about it, but...do you all remember what Prince Rainbow said the day before?  When he had us imprisoned in that tharn prison and threatened to send all of us to limbo?  One thing did stick in my mind: it was when he said that cryptic message on the real truth of why Elil-rah wished his power and evil solely on El-ahrairah, on why we, the rabbits and children of the Prince of a Thousand, are the targets of Woundwort and Elil-rah's Owsla, and how Justin was closer to Elil-rah than he thought?"

                Pipkin shivered as he recalled the horrific torture, but he gulped easily, "Perhaps...perhaps Hawkbit was right; Prince Rainbow was simply lying, saying a ruse, hoping he could force Justin to weaken or be off guard?"

                Speedwell cast Pipkin a wry, dubious glance.  "Since when has Hawkbit _ever_ been right?"

                "Excuse me, you white-furred, smart-mouthed, has-a-pitiful-sense-of-humor duffer, but I'm right _here_ you know!" hissed Hawkbit, annoyed, as he crossed his paws and glared at Speedwell who was actually standing right next to him.  Speedwell ignored him as Pipkin asked Snitter and Rowf hesitantly.

                "Snitter, Rowf, what do you think?  Could you possibly have any idea about what in Frith's name was Prince Rainbow talking about?  You know, about the real reason Justin is being targeted by Elil-rah?"

                Rowf just glared at Pipkin before deliberately turning his head in the other direction, harrumphing, making it plain and evident that he was not going to answer the question.  Snitter, on the other hand, tentatively, but wearily, sighed, "I wish I could, Pipkin, yet...we do not know anything nor could we offer any possible insight except..."

                Snitter paused.

                "Except what?" Dandelion asked, his ears perked upwards.

                The terrier then swallowed uneasily as he forced himself to continue, "Well, when Rowf and I were by Prince Rainbow's side, we had regular meetings with Elil-rah and General Woundwort on certain strategies, and well...we overheard Elil-rah and Prince Rainbow arguing.  Prince Rainbow asked why could it simply not be that Elil-rah kill the cross-bearer himself, that he simply wipe him and El-ahrairah out all at once.  And then we heard Elil-rah laugh as he told us that Justin and El-ahrairah had a bigger role in his plan to spread his rule over the land beyond life than just their deaths."  The rabbits just gaped at him, disbelieving.  Snitter then added hastily, "That is all we know, I swear!  I'm sorry if that is not of much help, Hazel."

                "Wait a minute," broke in Justin, another realization coming to him, "How is it that this whole thing was true to begin with?!"

                "Meaning what, cross-bearer?" Campion queried.

                "I just thought about it.  This is the thing, Shardik, Rowf and Snitter, and the tale of how Hazel and the rest of you guys came to establish Watership Down and your warren, you guys were all part of a story!  A fairy tale, a piece of fiction!  Don't you see?!  How is it that...that if it was a simple story, something make-believe, then how come everything I've seen since I've arrived here in the land beyond life, the Efrafans, the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow, Woundwort, Prince Rainbow, El-ahrairah, everything was true?!  How could those stories be true?!  Especially since they all came from the same author, a man named Richard Adams, a human, just like me?!  How...how is it that all of this is true, that all these stories would be real, that...that I would be protected by characters from my favorite novel ever?!  I can't decide if this is a dream or a nightmare!"

                "Justin, that's not exactly a bad thing to ponder over," replied Acorn blithely, "Every story is true, whether they be tales of El-ahrairah and his adventures or simple recollections of past journeys of other rabbits and their ancestors.  I don't see why it should be such a shock to you as well."

                Justin fought to keep the irritated fear and anxiety out of his voice, "But it's _not_ common in my world.  This is all supposed to be a fairy tale, a story that's simply not true, that was made up from imagination and fantasy!  Well, if that was the case, then why is this all true?!  why are there so many coincidences where everything I've read came to life??!  How could a man in my world have known about your adventures, your journeys, and write them in a story for all men to understand?!"

                No rabbit could answer this, so resigned, Holly said convincingly and kindly, "I'm sure we shall find out the truth about this once we reach El-ahrairah, all right young one?  Now is certainly not the time to drive yourself mad with such thoughts, all right Justin?"

                Justin sighed, knowing Holly was probably right.

                Pipkin then chimed in optimistically, "At least we are now back home, and without a sniff of Elil-rah's Owsla, El-ahrairah will be able to recover with Justin's cross and we were able to succeed in our mission without Justin falling victim to attacks!"  We were able to keep the cross-bearer safe!"

                "You rabbits would have to do better than that, you sad, pitiful fools!" roared a triumphant voice as a portal of darkness, swirling in colors of harsh gray, black and white, materialized several yards away and out jumped was none other than the most feared rabbit of his time back in the physical world, the mortal nemesis of Hazel of Watership Down, and the right paw of the evil Elil-rah himself, was Woundwort.  He had come at last.

                "Woundwort?!" shrieked Pipkin as Rowf, Buckthorn, Campion, Holly and Bigwig protectively got in front of the group, automatically forming a line of offense to shield Justin and the madly, jabbering rabbits.  Justin managed to get a good glance at the legendary enemy rabbit.  He was certainly fearsome if not lethal.  Woundwort was about the same size as Bigwig, perhaps even a bit taller, with a well-built, large, chest, long, sharp claws of the deepest dusk, powerful legs and paws that seemed formidable enough to smash square, human-like jaw, grim, set, and full of stern authority and demand.  Woundwort then crowed as he raised a paw, pointing towards El-ahrairah's warren.

                "You fools think you could actually succeed in hiding the boy from us?!  Look around you, you wretches!!  Your home and your friends are now all under attack!  Your home, your warren, is now to be wiped out by Elil-rah!!  **ELIL-RAH CONQUERS ALL!!!**"

                To the animals and the cross-bearer's horrors, what Woundwort said was true.  Immediately, from out of the nowhere, the meadows of Fenlo were now completely ridden and riddled with absolute chaos.  As clouds of the murkiest gray and black completely blocked out the last, yearning traces of the moon, within fleeting moments of time, enemies, loyal, ravaging soldiers of Elil-rah's Owsla, turned up in droves, with roars and shrieks of mad delight and sick war adrenaline.  The rabbits and the other animals who were friends of El-ahrairah and his family, were startled, but immediately did their best to drive them off and hold them back, yet it was soon apparent that it was overwhelming.  To Hazel and the others' shocked observation, they could see that every single soldier that they had encountered while trying to bring Justin back to El-ahrairah safely was now at the war down below.  The calf, Whitehorn, though several times taller than any of the rabbits, was having much difficulty in battling the Ilips as she and Kehaar did their best to dodge the enraged animals' cuffs and to attack their paws with her horned head thrusts and Kehaar's aerial dives.  Veil Guplea was laughing maniacally not too far off, enjoying the sight of the rabbits cowering from the dark illusions of their deepest fears the rat, himself, had summoned with his magic while King Darzin watched and ordered his loyal cats to sing their harsh, cacophonous music, having their notes of death resonating across the entire fields of Fenlo.  With their combined powers, many of El-ahrairah's Owsla were too confounded, confused, and disoriented to even fight as they vainly cuffed thin air and even brawled with each other.  Sneezewort, Lousewort, Pimpernel, Toadflax, Blackavar, and the rest of the hlessi loyal to El-ahrairah, were now doing their best to drive off Volgnamass and his armored-weasel horde.  Forming a line of defense, the rabbits, Sneezewort and Lousewort prevented the massive army from entering the burrows where the helpless does and kittens lay, though just barely.  Holly was able to notice that out of all of them, Sneezewort and Lousewort were battling the most fiercely; if it were not for them, the others would have certainly been overpowered much too quickly.

                "Get off of him!!" Sneezewort bellowed as he rammed one of Volgnamass' soldiers off Blackavar so hard, the poor animal went flying into the air by at least thirty feet.

                "Sneezewort, 'ol mate, there's far too many!!  We can't keep this up!!" panted Lousewort as he picked up the unconscious body of a weasel soldier and started swinging the creature like a club, swatting enemies in a wide arc and allowing Toadflax and Pimpernel to back out of the weasels' metal claws.

                "We have to, old chum!  We have to keep it up!!"

                "How dare you betray us, you cowardly sleaze?!!" squealed Volgnamass in outrage, spitting and frothing like a hell beast as he watched, to his shocked anger, his best soldiers be stalled by two incompetent, useless fools, "After everything I had done for the both of you, you ungrateful traitors!!"

                "HA!!  _That's_ a laugh!!" snarled Lousewort through gritted teeth.

                "Come over here, and I'll be glad ta' show you our gratitude!!" snapped Sneezewort sarcastically as he gave a brutal, slashing swipe across a weasel's chest, tearing the poor soldier's chain-mail armor into shreds.

                Meanwhile, the fox Blood Whitetail, though no longer with the ability to control the power of the Wolfen Gale, was dashing amongst El-ahrairah's rabbits with surprising speed and agility, his sandstone knife hacking into the poor rabbits' chests as the eli flew by, causing many to be wounded and to crumble to the ground in blood and torment.  And running with him, side by side, was the dark-furred body of the rabbit, King Fur-Rocious, inflicting horrendous cuffs and blows as well, while King Fur-Rocious' army of rabbits, devoid of the stoats and weasels and rats due to Dandelion's incantation, was sparring violently with a massive group of El-ahrairah's Owsla from behind the warren.  Lane, Mara, Mark, Carol, and Gina, the foxes who allied themselves with El-ahrairah as promised friends, did their best to fight against King Fur-Rocious' army as they scampered and attacked madly.  However, the Owsla's attempts of protecting the does and kittens hidden in the burrow were futile as Blackberry and Speedwell noticed minor eruptions of dirt and sod spewing from the openings to the runs and panicked screams and wails of fright from the kittens cowering in the burrows.  Then they saw why.  The terrifying snake, Nekas, suddenly emerged from the ground nearby the warren of El-ahrairah, sending a sudden explosion of dirt and pebbles to rain down on the entire battlefield.  The serpent made its mark by burrowing into the roots of the rabbit home, destroying tunnels and runs in a blink of an eye, causing much of the infrastructure to collapse, burying many innocent rabbits alive in the suffocating dirt.  And to Blackberry's incensed outrage, Nekas also had the bodies of three crying baby rabbits dangling from its mouth, spitting them out onto the ground in a wrathful frenzy.  Though blind, Nekas was causing much devastation without his hypnotic eyes.

                "Skeleton paws!!" commanded a grating, familiar voice, and Strawberry had to grind his teeth in rage as he saw Cowslip, the rabbit he supposedly left in the Hall of Bones and was as good as dead, invoking his powers of the dead to summon skeletons, false, dark abominations created by Elil-rah and Cowslip's twisted mind, to rise from the sacred grounds of the meadows of Fenlo.  Horrified and tharn with fear, the soldiers of El-ahrairah's Owsla were unable to fight the unfeeling, cold monstrosities, allowing Cowslip to brutally attack and wound many of El-ahrairah's trusted friends and warriors.  One particular rabbit screamed in pain as a skeleton paw gorged itself gruesomely through the rabbit's stomach, and the only reason the poor animal stopped its hysterics was because its lungs filled up with blood, causing the rabbit to topple over, unable to even breathe, much less yell.  As many bucks and does were metaphorically crushed by the legion of bones, Silverweed cackled gleefully, sickeningly, as he stood behind Cowslip like a true coward and watched the battle, taking no part of the fighting.

                At another part of the battlefield stood Hufsa, the multicolored, calico splotched rabbit traitor.  Waving his paws gracefully like a conductor guiding an orchestra's symphony, Hufsa beckoned forth a plethora of snake-like vines and dark-green tendrils, and the bucks and does of El-ahrairah's army were faring none too well from the fact that many were snared, tangled, and caught in the web of evil, rendering them helpless to the excruciating torment of the razor-sharp leaves and the thorns gouging into their fur and flesh.  In addition to dodging the vines, the rabbit warriors were also vainly trying to distance themselves and counterattack the militia of Efrafans being led by none other than Mallow and Vervain.  Yet it was hopeless.  The iron spears and lances the Efrafans were armed with made the demented Owsla of Woundwort just as lethal far off as they were in close combat.  Any rabbit of El-ahrairah that managed to avoid the vicious thrusts and swipes from the weapons that the Efrafans assailed easily like fighting staffs were unable to avoid the airborne instances of the lances being thrown with deadly precision.  Soon, the field rained iron spears like deadly hail, only to pierce the heads and bodies of good, noble warriors, leaving El-ahrairah's court horrifically injured and bloodied.  It put the Owsla of El-ahrairah and Frith at a great disadvantage.  And to add the final insult, Lord Brock, the perfidious, deceitful, greedy badger of the mountains, back after his excursion with Greenweed, was now directly bludgeoning and clawing at the giant tree housing El-ahrairah's home, hacking the trunk, causing chunks of splintered wood to fall out, and weakening the very ceiling of the runs and tunnels below.  If the lendri continued, it would be most likely that the warren would collapse underground and the dirt from the walls and ceiling would cave in.

                In short, the once peaceful meadows of Fenlo was now considered to be the depths of hell and warfare.

                "O embleer Frith!!!" gasped Bluebell out loud, "It's a siege!!!  A SIEGE!!!  Woundwort is making a last attempt to stop Justin from reaching El-ahrairah!!!"

                "That's right, you pathetic fools!!" crowed Woundwort, and before the rabbits could react, the rabbit general leapt off the ledge, aiming himself for a tackle directly at Justin.  "And now, the cross-bearer shall die!!!"

                However, Justin was quicker.

                "Time freeze!  STOP!!!"  In a flash, Woundwort was now suspended in midair, cloaked with sunlight as remained stiff, unresponsive, and stationary.  Yet, before Justin could focus his attention back to the frantic discussion of the battle, the adolescent could not help noticing that even frozen, Woundwort was actually smiling disturbingly.

                Strawberry growled uncharacteristically, "Embleer Cowslip!  I should have injured him and that dratted Silverweed far more than before in the Hall of Bones!"

                "When I get my paws on that Hufsa..." rumbled Buckthorn, his eyes now twitching with hatred and lust for fighting.

                Bigwig then barked, "Hazel-rah, we must help them!  The buckos are being wiped out!!  I daresay we will never be able to heal El-ahrairah now if this continues!!"

                Hazel then nodded fiercely as he then whipped to Justin, "Young one, we need you, now, more than ever.  You must not be afraid and must trust your life in our paws, but we cannot leave you alone here while we go into the heat of war for El-ahrairah.  I have the feeling that is exactly what Elil-rah wishes: for this to distract us and the rest of El-ahrairah's Owsla from our duty of protecting you and keeping vigilance.  Justin, use your cross and bless us, all of us, with the powers we have gained since we have first met, but once we step into the array, you are NOT to leave my side.  Is that clear, young one?"

                Justin nodded.  Hawkbit, getting all the more impatient, snapped, "Will you get on with it?!!"

                Justin then obediently grabbed his golden jewel and yelled with all his might, "GIVE THEM STRENGTH!!!"

                Meanwhile, as the battle raged on, it was starting to look incredibly bleak for El-ahrairah's side.  One Ilip, with a lucky strike, managed to deliver a sharp, brutal cuff onto Kehaar's body as the gull dived by, narrowly missing the animal's eyes.  With a cry of pain, the black-headed bird crashed onto the grass, his wing now unpleasantly broken and useless.  Blethlin, a tough, gray-furred doe, was doing her best to avoid and dodge Blood Whitetail's assaults, jumping and ducking the sandstone blade as it brushed against her ears and delivering a few good kicks and scratches on her own.  Unlike most of the does, she was eagerly staying behind to fight because she was protecting the group of kittens huddling together in fright behind her; Blethlin was preventing the homba from getting close to the younglings.

                "Stand still, you troublesome, filthy pest!!" howled Blood as he missed again and wincing as Blethlin's hind foot managed to scratch out some bloody fur off the fox's left cheek.

                "Having trouble with your joints already, you old scrap-eater?!" belittled Blethlin, "Frith in a hole, and it's a bloody shame that Elil-rah was so desperate to pick an embleer, flea-infested, short-sighted homba that could not even fight his way out of a frail spider web!  You smell just as bad as that pig-faced Hawkbit!"

                "HAWKBIT?!!!" roared Blood Whitetail in enraged surprise, his angry battle aura now ten times greater at the mention of the rabbit, the cantankerous, loud-mouthed rabbit who ruined his one and only chance to be held in Elil-rah's high esteem.  Now, he became even more savage and intense as he violently flung himself in a mad, stabbing frenzy upon Blethlin who was now actually having trouble dodging the dagger.

                "Embleer Frith!" she yelped as the blade nicked her forepaw painfully, "What did I say?!  What did I say?!!"

                Flyairth, Hyzenthlay, Thethuthinnang, Violet and Vilthuril were busy attempting to deal with Nekas, and though the snake was blind, the reptile still managed to sense the four does with its precise sense of smell and movement, and its attempt to thrust its head out and bite the rabbits were so quick, they were nearly a blur.  Flyairth, in a brilliant display of cunning and bravery, pounced high into the air, avoiding Nekas' fangs, and landed roughly atop on the head of the eli.  The snake hissed dangerously as it tried to shake off the burly doe who now sunk her claws and teeth into the enemy's scalp, and now distracted, Nekas was unable to pay attention to Thethuthinnang, Hyzenthlay, Vilthuril, and Violet as they bit, clawed, and kicked Nekas' underbelly, their claws managing to rip out the scales and shed blood quite painfully.

                Stonecrop was actually sinking to the ground in pain, holding his ears very tightly, as the cats of King Darzin were singing unmercifully, vibrating painfully in the rabbit's brain and mind.  It was so unbearable, Stonecrop felt a small trickle of blood leak out of his nose, and he was gasping for air, the fluids in his veins and arteries now threatening to cease function, making his lungs and heart burn with fire.  The Threarah, managing to escape the fighting, braced himself in front of Silverweed.

                "You are finished, embleer furball!" Threarah snapped.  Silverweed just smiled maliciously before he transformed into an exact clone of Bigwig.  Threarah gasped, wide-eyed.

                "No, _you_ are finished, you fool!" Silverweed cackled in Bigwig's gruff voice, and Threarah was momentarily stunned, tharn, which was exactly why Silverweed was able to strike down the former Chief rabbit with one, swift cuff across the face.  While this was going on, Hufsa managed to snare his most valued prey: Rabscuttle, second-in-command to El-ahrairah himself, and now, the cruel enemy held Rabscuttle squealing at his mercy whilst Hufsa forced vines to tighten around Rabscuttle's paws, legs and neck, nastily biting into the rabbit's skin and flesh and drawing blood.  No amount of kicking and squirming could free him.

                "Any final words before I tear you apart, Rabscuttle?" Hufsa sneered, and Rabscuttle managed to choke out as his vision blurred with tears and his breathing nearly stopped from strangulation.

                "El-ahrairah...I...I'm sorry," the good rabbit whispered, croaking as he was on the brink on consciousness.

                And then the tide of the battle turned.

                There was a sudden _swish_ as Rabscuttle felt something thin, bold, and frigid fly by the vines, narrowly missing his fur as he felt the gripping vise of the plants lessen, and Rabscuttle, weak, sank to the ground, only to find himself being propped up roughly by a strong body.  Rabscuttle looked up imperceptibly to find that he fell into the paws of Buckthorn.  Buckthorn gave a small, kind spark from his blue eyes as he let down El-ahrairah's helper gently onto the grass.  Rabscuttle's eyes were now blurred with tears of relief.

                "Buckthorn, you came back.  You...have finally come back," he murmured.

                Meanwhile, the Ilips were having a difficult time now that Pipkin, Lane, Mara, Mark, Carol, Gina, and Speedwell joined with Whitehorn in her standoff.  With his newfound wings of flight, Pipkin persistently buzzed around the large animals, distracting and annoying them endlessly, sometimes even getting a good cuff every now and then as he dashed by their faces.  With the shaggy creatures distracted, it allowed Whitehorn to charge her horned head directly into Zhuron's leg right at the joint.  With a strong crack, the Ilip's leg was dislocated, tearing its ligament and muscle quite painfully, and Zhuron, losing his balance, stumbled and crashed into Trycaw on his left, sending both Ilips to fall and crash into the ground.  On cue, the five promised friends leapt on top of the bodies, with Lane and Mara gnawing ferociously at Zhuron's face and Whitehorn, Mark, Gina, and Carol brawling and wrestling with Trycaw.  As Pipkin did his best to fight with the remaining Ilip, Speedwell then had a brilliant thought strike him.  He commanded to the injured Kehaar who was weakly lying beside him, "Kehaar, I need you to cover me and protect me from all attacks!  Do not let any elil or soldier get close to my body!  Drive them off as best as you can!  Don't worry, chap!  I won't be gone long!"

                Kehaar was genuinely baffled.  "Vat??!  VAT you do??!!!"

                Speedwell didn't answer, and then, to the gull's amazement, he saw Speedwell astral-project himself out of his body, leaving a golden, phosphorescent specter of an exact likeness to emerge out of Speedwell's chest and to glide on thin air directly at the Ilip.  The Ilip was too busy fending himself from Pipkin to realize what Speedwell was doing until it was too late and the last fleeting moment he saw was the white rabbit's astral form merging into the Ilip's body.  The Ilip, feeling now incredibly strange and cold, started twitching as he could actually _hear_ and _feel_ Speedwell's presence in him.  It was as if a hot piece of heated iron was immersed into his blood, sending his body with throes of torment.

                "GET OUT OF MY HEAD, YOU WRETCH!!!" screamed the Ilip was he placed his paws on his clammy head, trying to ease his sudden headache.

                Speedwell's voice echoed in the Ilip's brain, cheerful and almost amused, "Hmph, not much of a brain to begin with, isn't it, you over-sized, foot-sniffing duffer?  Well, then fur and paw, perhaps I can do a bit to improve that rotten disposition of yours!"

                The Ilip suddenly felt heavy, weak, tired, drained.  His vision was starting to cloud over, and the animal could feel his muscles, his cells, his entire flesh and blood conforming to cold, lifeless, ice.  Even his heart was pounding excruciatingly.

                "What...in...the name...of...the...dark beast...are...you...doing...to me??!!" the Ilip managed to gasp.

                Speedwell's voice reverberated softly, "It is quite the odd thing, isn't it bucko?  In your body, I can see everything...your mind, your brain, and even your heart.  But, instead of beating so strongly, it's getting slower and slower, and my astral form can actually...well, I cannot explain it chap, but...I can control everything in your body.  And your heart is beating slower and slower...Frith forgive me what I must do to you, poor beast.  But...I am stopping your heart.  Just rest now."

                That was the last thing the Ilip heard before it toppled over, unconscious.  His job done, Pipkin and Kehaar just stared, gaping and wide-eyed as the golden spirit of Speedwell extracted himself out of the sleeping animal and returned back into Speedwell's still body.  Speedwell then opened his eyes, never knowing if he could ever get used to the out of body experience.

                Pipkin then gasped as he flew down, "Speedwell, how in Frith's name did you ever do that?!  Frith above, I never thought you could use your power such as that!"

                Speedwell grinned.  "Neither did I, bucko.  I just acted on the impulse."

                In another part, Stonecrop was miraculously saved as Snitter led a full-on assault against the cats of King Darzin, and once again, at the presence of a dog, the cats fled at the mere presence of a dog, and while Snitter helped Stonecrop regain his senses, Rowf and King Darzin were duking it out ferociously.

                "You are mine, Darzin!"

                "Die, you traitor!!" roared the lion as he pounced onto Rowf.  Within seconds, both carnivores were in a ferocious battle, wrestling with each other on the ground in a flurry of snarls, barks, biting, and clawing.  Blood and dirt flew and splattered around the field madly as Rowf and King Darzin did their best to outdo each other in the fight.  Snitter, understanding that his longtime friend would do best without his aid, after helping Stonecrop recover somewhat from his ordeal, both the rabbit and the Plague Dog, in an uncharacteristic alliance, ran to the battle where Bigwig was helping Lousewort, Sneezewort, Blackavar, Pimpernel, and Toadflax deal with the weasel horde of Volgnamass.  Bigwig was especially effective due to the fact that he towered over the weasels many times over, and with simple flicks of his paw, was able to crush the enemies in an instant.  Taking advantage of the respite, Toadflax, Stonecrop, Pimpernel, Snitter and Blackavar took care of the remaining elil while Lousewort and Sneezewort finally satisfied their revenge.  Volgnamass, the general of the weasel soldiers, went down, screaming, as Sneezewort and Lousewort started to disembowel him, tearing his body to bits with their claws and teeth, and thought Volgnamass was twice as large, the weasel allies clearly had the advantage.

                The homba, Blood Whitetail, had finally managed to knock Blethlin senseless and now jumped on the doe's back, grabbing her sadistically by her ears as he brought the sandstone knife to her throat, ready to slit it.  Whimpering, the doe bucked and thrashed, but the homba was heavy, stolid, and just pulled on Blethlin's ears even further.  Suddenly, a familiar, annoying, yet sound voice rang out.

                "KNIFE!"  Within a flash, the sandstone knife vanished from the homba's paws in a beautiful glory of sunshine and gold.  Blethlin was spared.  The homba then looked up to see, to his scandal and outrage, Hawkbit, clad in his green and gold uniform, standing on his hind feet and giving a very smug look of satisfaction as the sandstone weapon magically appeared into Hawkbit's paw.  Blessed with Justin's light, Hawkbit simply summoned Blood Whitetail's blade into his own possession.  For the briefest instant, Blood was stunned; that instant was all it took.  With an expert fling, Hawkbit threw the knife, straight and true, leaving Blood Whitetail to fall off the doe he held prisoner and onto his back on the grassy field, the sandstone knife now embedded deep in the fox's throat, leaving the animal horribly injured, weak, and gurgling for air as his mouth dribbled with blood, as red as the eli's fur coat.  Blethlin, as she got up, for a fleeting moment, had an extreme look of happiness and joy on her face before she scowled at the blackish loudmouth.

                "What kept you?!!  Do you have any idea how long we had to put up with your tardiness and incompetence??!!" she screamed.  Hawkbit's eyes narrowed, now eager for a welcome argument.

                "Whatever happened to 'thank you', you mule-headed, disgraceful, embleer, crazy female?!!"

                "Thank _you_??!!  Frith in a hole, whatever for??!!  For nearly letting me get my bloody throat torn apart by that homba??!!!"

                "You are such an ingrate!!  I _saved_ you!!"

                "Barely!!" snapped Blethlin.

                "Fur and paw, I did a far better task than you ever could, you whiny, clover-stealing, bad-tempered, silly leech!!"

                "Argh!  Why do I ever put up with you, you flea-infested, foul-mouthed hraka?!!  Why did you ever have to come back with Hazel-rah and the others?!!  The warren just managed to rid itself of your embleer odor!!!"

                "Frith in a barn and garden, I should have just let the homba hurt you!!  Lord Frith and Inle knows how much we could have used the peace and quiet with you not being able to talk!!"

                "I didn't need YOUR help, duffer!!  I could have handled that weakling on my own!!!"

                "Oh?" Hawkbit spat sarcastically, "Whatever was your plan?  Besides unconditional surrender and begging for your life, of course?"

                "Why you...!!!" and that was all Blethlin was able to utter before she tackled Hawkbit and they both were sent flying and tussling with each other in the grass, with Blethlin actually having the upper hand and delivering several good cuffs on Hawkbit's head.

                Acorn, now with many, many replicas of his person, with the strategic order of Hazel-rah, Bigwig, and Holly, managed to keep the vast, massive army of King Fur-Rocious at bay, preventing them from advancing even further towards the tree and entering the blessed home of El-ahrairah.  Though the multiples of Acorns were many times greater than King Fur-Rocious' warriors, these dark rabbits were no weaklings for they were thick, heavy, solid, and knew everything there was to learn about close combat.  While Blackberry was helping the injured bucks and does return back to the warren underground where they would be safe and shielded from King Fur-Rocious' soldiers, Dandelion was going one-to-one against King Fur-Rocious himself.  Now even more wrathful and irate at the previous battle he lost against the storyteller of Watership Down, King Fur-Rocious was mad with anger, will for battle, and vengeance, and Dandelion was barely able to avoid the quick and agile speed attacks and claws of the gargantuan rabbit.  If not for the teleportation powers given to him, Dandelion would have certainly fallen victim to his mortal nemesis.  As a result, the duel became increasingly aggravating for the servant of Elil-rah, for every time he managed to attempt to tackle or eviscerate the rabbit bard, Dandelion would always flicker and vanish in a blaze of yellow sparks, leaving the enemy rabbit to hit only thin air, allowing Dandelion within a split second later to teleport from another proximity and deliver a swift, powerful blow from behind.  And with so much open space, King Fur-Rocious was unable to calculate or guess when the Watership warrior would appear next.

                Acorn, the real, original one, called out while he struck down a rabbit, "Blackberry, we could really use your help now, chap!  Hurry!  Do you have any brilliant schemes?!!"

                Blackberry, as he helped Scabious down the run, nodded fiercely.  He then hollered with all his might, "Dandelion, Acorn!!!  Both of you buckos, **CLEAR OUT**!!!"

                Acorn nodded, allowing his multiples to continue fighting and attacking the army of enemy rabbits, and Dandelion then managed to come up with a cunning plan to buy Blackberry and himself some time.  With a quick flash, Dandelion teleported onto King Fur-Rocious' back and sank his claws into the soldier, attaching himself and maintaining a good hold.  King Fur-Rocious bellowed with rage and shock as he tried to reach behind and pry the bard off him, but then Dandelion teleported again _with King Fur-Rocious_.  Acorn and Blackberry looked up to see another midst of golden sparkling dust appear in the sky, about half a mile above, only to show Dandelion and King Fur-Rocious appear in thin air.  With a pleased smile, Dandelion released his hold on the enemy, stating snidely and drawling, "Enjoy your flight, King of all embleer hraka!"

                As Dandelion teleported safely back to the ground, King Fur-Rocious was helpless to do anything but scream as gravity took into effect and the commanding rabbit plummeted down to the grass below.

                "**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA -!!!**"

                WHUMP!  King Fur-Rocious' yelling was cut abruptly short as the ground met with the rabbit.

                Acorn winced.  "The bloody wretch is certainly going to feel THAT for a while!"

                Dandelion snickered, "Shameful, really, though.  I would have certainly been delighted to try that stunt once again, just to treasure that look upon the duffer's face!  Blackberry, now is the time to act!!"

                Blackberry nodded as his power given to him by Justin, the manipulation of the weather, suddenly took into his effect, and with some concentration, all above King Fur-Rocious and his army (who were still fighting helplessly with Acorn's multiples), dark, black clouds of rainstorms slowly, but steadily gathered, positioning themselves only right above the enemy rabbits.  Exactly like how Justin used his powers before to flood the canyon and valley when Nekas tried to attack.  Dazed and with multiple fractures, King Fur-Rocious lifted his head, noticing how his section of the battlefield went dark, blocked from the light of the crescent moon, and seconds later, he felt the cold rush of water as a sudden downpour drenched him, his rabbits, and the entire battlefield.  Already, the grass and dirt around them was starting to flood, like a swamp or a wetland.  King Fur-Rocious, while shakily rising to his paws, gave a harsh laugh as he scoffed at Blackberry's attempt.

                "HA!!  You cursed Watership rabbits have not won yet!!" King Fur-Rocious crowed, blood and froth foaming at his mouth, "Do you pathetic, weak fools actually think that a little rain would stop me, a rabbit far stronger than El-ahrairah?!!"

                Blackberry narrowed his eyes as he growled fervently, "Then how about a little lightning?"

                King Fur-Rocious' eyes widened as he heard the telltale clap of thunder booming above him, and even worse, he realized he and his rabbits were up to their haunches with moist grass and water...which was an excellent conductor for electricity.  That was why Blackberry flooded the battlefield in the first place.

                "O Frith and Inle," King Fur-Rocious whimpered, blanching, as a gigantic blitz of white, hot lightning energy came crashing down upon them and the wet battlefield, with Blackberry, Acorn, and Dandelion standing safely away from the brutal, wet edge.

                "**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!**" screamed King Fur-Rocious and his rabbit as one as the white energy crackled, snaked, and traveled throughout their bodies and senses.  The attack had no effect on the Acorn multiples, though, for they vanished in the air like smoke the instant the lightning struck.

                Dandelion raised an eyebrow.  "Quite entertaining, is it not?"

                "I take back everything I have ever said about how Elil-rah's Owsla are not very bright," Acorn quipped.  Blackberry guffawed at that joke.

                In the meantime, Fiver was actually in physical combat with the dark master of illusions, the rat, Veil Guplea, and so far, it was a tense standoff.  Veil was actually chortling with surprised wickedness as he invoked his illusions all around Fiver, subjecting the small rabbit soldier to his deepest fears and endless sadness.  Beads of sweat were actually appearing on Fiver's forehead and clumping his short fur as he winced and struggled to not wince from the pain and soreness in his pounding head as the field was ablaze with fire, surrounding the poor, confused Owsla warrior, and in the illusions, Fiver was being attacked by humanoid creatures with huge, yellow metal claws, similar to those of the tractors, the machines that destroyed his home at Sandleford, and their vile eyes were glowing with the demon-like embers of fiery ashes, dripping with blood.  Fiver bit back the urge to whimper and run as he backed away slowly from the mirages as the creatures walked through the border of flames and advanced on him.  The king of all rats laughed at the ease of destroying Fiver.

                "You persistent, delusional, disbelieving fool!" Veil bragged, swaggering and drunk with victory, "Did you actually think that you could ever resist and fight against me?!  Face the truth, you weak runt!!  Without any special powers blessed to you by the cross-bearer, you don't stand a ch -!!"  Yet the accusation and jeers died in the rat's throat and his red eyes bulged as Fiver barreled out of the flames, running with graceful yet powerful leaps as he charged and delivered a head-butt directly into Veil Guplea's face, cracking the rat's skull from the tremendous impact.  Dazed and with his entire face bloody, the rat managed to gasp and croak between swallows of his own blood and cerebral fluid leaking into his throat, "H...h...ow?"

                Fiver's eyes burned with passion and power, none of which Veil had ever seen before in any creature, and the small rabbit was deceptively calm and composed as his voice rang in uncommon coldness.

                "A word of advice, Veil: never try to deceive and fool a seer..._and_ an empath."  With that, Fiver leapt onto the rat, kicking, scratching, and clawing ferociously while Veil, now no longer dependent on his power of illusions, writhed and screamed as he scrapped madly and desperately.

                Buckthorn and Strawberry were faring a lot worse than Fiver.  Even with Strawberry's seismokinesis, Cowslip was able to avoid the tremors and ground-shattering earthquakes with quick agility, and no matter how many waves of earth that Strawberry tried to summon to engulf and crush Cowslip, the fat, wily oaf managed to elude Strawberry's best efforts with minimal concentration.  In fact, the former leader of the Warren of Shining Wires was throwing heckles and insults in a harsh manner as he kept invoking skeleton atrocities to multiply and try to overwhelm Strawberry, who was doing his best to destroy them with his powerful seismic attacks.  The difficulty was that for every one carcass of the dead that Strawberry vanquished, several more took its place.  It wouldn't be long before there would too many for Strawberry to defend himself from and the Watership warrior would be completely swallowed by the dead minions.  Buckthorn was also in jeopardy.  Even with his sword, his main concern was trying to shield Rabscuttle, who was now unconscious from his battle, from the flock of vines that threatened to ensnare Buckthorn relentlessly.  Already, the entire ground was littered with hacked pieces of plants, leaves, and thorns, and yet still, the whips came at him.  Some were truly horrendous, ranging from tentacles filled completely with dry, thin brambles, sharp and poisonous, to thick, green roots that had at the very tip, pink flower bulbs that opened up to reveal circular, red mouths lined with sharp teeth, ready to tear Buckthorn's flesh and suck his body dry of blood.  Obviously, Hufsa became very creative with his flora creations, like a demented artist.  The quandary was that both Cowslip and Hufsa have seen exactly what Justin's blessings on Strawberry and Buckthorn were capable of, so they knew their attacks and were quite wary of them.  Then Strawberry and Buckthorn, in unison, arrived to the same conclusion.

                "Buckthorn, switch adversaries!" Strawberry squealed.  Buckthorn automatically used Strawberry's broad back as a stepping stone, and with the fluidity of a gymnast, jumped high into the air and flipped with the golden blade braced for an attack, calling over his shoulder gruffly, "Protect Rabscuttle, bucko!"

                Strawberry, with a fierce stomp, created such a powerful tremor, it ripped the field apart, severing the ground around them in two with a tremendous, crooked chasm spreading from Strawberry's hind foot as he hit the ground.  The vibration ran right through the creepers and tendrils, ripping them by their roots from the ground and leaving them writhing and dying on the grass in a flurry of flopping and agonized screeches.  And Hufsa was so stunned from the unexpectedness of the strike, he was unable to run away as the ground crumbled beneath his paws, leaving him to nose-dive into the dark abyss screaming with wide-eyed fear, and Strawberry cut the rabbit off as he sealed the chasm back as one, covering the earth as if there was no damage to begin with, burying the enemy underground.

                Buckthorn was now dashing so fast, the skeletons were unable to grab the Watership rabbit as he flew by, jumping, scurrying on his hind legs while slashing occasionally with the sword if a bony monster got too close for comfort.  His feet touched the ground as light as a feather, his body was as nimble and evasive as the wind, and even Cowslip was getting dizzy from trying to keep his eyes trained on him while summoning his powers.  He was so distracted, Buckthorn knew then that the time was right.  With a great leap, Buckthorn sailed straight up into the sky before diving down directly at Cowslip from above like a hawk.  Cowslip saw the threat immediately.

                "Skeleton paws!  Crush that rabbit!" he screamed and at once, a pair of bone claws, edged with amber talons, emerged from the ground beside the slothful rabbit, ready to shield Cowslip from the aerial attack and ready to grab hold of Buckthorn.  With a flick of his muscular forearms, Buckthorn brought down the golden sword of the cross.

                SLASH!

                Cowslip was outraged to find that Buckthorn, flaunting his success, somersaulted arrogantly and landed on his hind feet gracefully, but that anger gave way to tormenting anguish as with a cry, Cowslip, with burning tears of torturing grief, realized that Buckthorn, not only having destroyed the skeleton paws but also hacked off Cowslip's paws with one swipe.  On the grass, in two small puddles of blood, lay his severed paws, now amputated and departed from Cowslip's body, and all that was left of Cowslip's former appendages were two stumps, cut cleanly and now spilling a downpour of crimson fluid.  Cowslip sank to the floor, sniveling and crying piteously, whimpering and screaming with mournful ire, "Damn you!!  What have you done to me?!!  Damn you, what have you done to me?!!  DAMN YOU!!  DAMN YOU ALL!!!"

                Strawberry, awkwardly holding up Rabscuttle, gave a poisonous glare at Cowslip, growling without compassion and sympathy, "_You're_ the only one who has been damned, Cowslip."

                The Threarah squealed in distress as Silverweed, still disguised as Bigwig, pummeled him into the ground until Silverweed's paws were now smeared with the Threarah's blood as Silverweed prepared for the final blow, raising his paw high above his head.  Threarah, too weak and battered to even move, just laid there, helpless.  Suddenly, there was a heavy thud as something heavy and large walloped into Silverweed, momentarily saving the Threarah from the finishing move.  The gray, frizzled rabbit weakly got on his own four paws as he looked at the large, fat, silver rabbit who was pinning Silverweed to the ground with much difficulty as he burrowed his teeth into Silverweed's throat.  Silverweed let out a garbled scream, choked horrendously as blood started to spatter on both rabbits, and soon, the coughs were weak and raspy before they died in Silverweed's throat, and the shapeshifter twitched for the final time before being still.  Silver released his hold on Silverweed's neck, blood running down his muzzle and giving the gentle giant a very gruesome appearance.

                "That was for Justin...and Strawberry, you embleer rah," Silver spat, disgusted at the unconscious form of Silverweed as the former rabbit of the Shining Wires now reverted back to his original form of a gaunt, thin, malnourished weakling.  Silver, wiping the blood from his mouth with his paws, did not even bother to turn around to face his uncle as the Threarah said coldly, "Why did you come back??  Why couldn't you have failed and let me have my peace of seeing you fall short once again, like you always have before?"

                Silver muttered simply, "Be quiet.  My life no longer centers on your approval; go help anyone you can.  I must help the cross-bearer and Hazel-rah."  With that, the large silver warrior galloped away, leaving the Threarah watching his retreating form, still cursing the day Silver was born.

                Bluebell, Campion, and Holly were all trying to overcome Lord Brock and preventing the lendri from destroying the warren by tearing the oversized tree by its roots.  Unfortunately, that was the case.  With a mighty roar, Lord Brock, using every bit of strength he could muster, lifted the gigantic tree by the trunk clear off the ground, its dusty roots, brown from age and dirt, now dangling uselessly while hundreds of tunnels in El-ahrairah's warren, now no longer supported by the strong, supple roots of the tree of all trees, crumbled and collapsed, resulting in multiple cave-ins and many does and kittens were buried alive in the suffocating dirt and soil, and those that were able to escape such a fate were madly digging, trying to locate their friends and family.  Bluebell gasped, crying silently as he roared angrily to the badger of the mountains, "You heartless wretch!!  How could you?!!  HOW COULD YOU EVER DO SUCH A THING IN THE NAME OF FRITH?!!  Justin took mercy on you, and so did Holly, and this is how you repay our kindness??!!"

                Lord Brock sneered shamelessly, "It is the rule of survival, you disgusting, pathetic fools!  Only the dark and strong can rule in the land beyond life, existing only to crush the weak and loving, and Elil-rah has decided that I may be shown merciful rewards and bounty I never dreamed of if I helped his army destroy your home!!  Face it, you feeble rabbits!  El-ahrairah is nothing but a delusional, soft-hearted, loving, old worm who needs to be crushed so that the true animals, the ones meant for greatness, can crush the little weaklings that get in their way!!!"

                Campion was shaking with rage as he yelled, "No, it is _us_ who will crush _you_!!  YOU are the fool, Brock!!"

                With a mighty heave and grunt, the badger flung the heavy tree, which probably weighed more than several thousand tons, directly at Bluebell, Holly and Campion.  The giant specimen swirled wildly before dropping heavily towards the three rabbits, but Bluebell was quicker with his power to stop time, given to him willingly by Justin's cross.

                "TIME, STOP!!!"

                With a golden flash of light, the tree hung in the air, suspended and fully immersed with golden light as Bluebell's power was sufficient enough to prevent the three of them from being trampled.  The Watership soldiers of El-ahrairah's Owsla scurried away from the potential danger.  Lord Brock, undaunted, started to run off like a true coward, knowing exactly what Holly would do to him if he got the slightest chance to use his rending powers, but Campion was faster.

                "You are not going anywhere, you cowardly hraka!!" the rabbit bellowed as his anger, his rage, his mad passion against injustice, literally caused the rabbit to glow with the fierce, burning sunlight that had been used before to destroy Veil Guplea's illusions and to melt away the rat's powers.  Except that now, the strength and intensity of that golden light of the sun and cross was now more than a thousand fold as Campion, with barely a second thought, invoked the light of truth, of justice, of his fiery heart, to engulf and surround every inch of the large badger's body with the searing heat.  The eli roared and howled like the insanity of the damned, as he tried to continue his retreat, but every bit of his fur was razing, alight with small flames and embers, as his flesh and skin was immediately forming white blisters and pooping painfully from the heat, releasing bubbling blood and fluid quite excruciatingly.  By the dark beast, even the very blood in his veins felt like it was about to explode and discharge all over the field!  Lord Brock fell to his stomach, convulsing and vomiting as the heat continued to torment his body and mind.  Holly, seeing as how Campion could handle things, immediately went over to the remains of the warren where he saw all able-bodied rabbits were doing their best to rescue all the other rabbits trapped underground.  A few he recognized were Groundsel, Sandwort, and Peerton.

                Holly commanded ardently, "Grounsel, have all the rabbits stop digging and get back!!"

                Groundsel was confused as he glanced upwards from the deep hole that used to be El-ahrairah's warren.  "WHAT??!!"

                Peerton squealed, "Have you lost your mind, Holly?!  Our comrades and friends are trapped down here!!"

                Sandwort snapped at the both of them, "Be quiet and listen!  Trust Holly!  He knows what he is doing!  Listen to him, for the sake of El-ahrairah!!"  The rabbits, baffled and uncertain and doubtful, obeyed.  holly, closing his eyes and beckoning every last ounce of vigor and focus he could gather, flicked his paws at the dirt-filled tunnels and the collapsed sections of the warren.  With a huge explosion, a fast and furious discharge of dirt disappeared from the ground, nearly scaring all the rabbits to death and sending some to stumble onto their backs from the abruptness of the event.  Yet, Holly opened his eyes to see, to his joy, that his rending powers tore away all the dirt trapping El-ahrairah's brethren in the claustrophobic prisons.  Clover, Holly's mate, as she helped some wailing kittens clamber up from their ordeal, shot a look of grateful and loving admiration to Holly.  Holly gave back a nod, full of relief and kind, loyal devotion etched on his face.

                Nekas had finally managed to pull off Flyairth from its face by ingeniously using its clawed tail as an appendage to pry the annoyance off, and with some thought, the snake tossed the heavy doe into Violet, Thethuthinnang, and Vilthuril, and with a final thrust, it aimed himself directly at Hyzenthlay who was helpless to stop the giant snake from swallowing her up whole.  She screamed as she turned her head in fright, but miraculously, she felt no blow strike her, and the doe cautiously opened up her eyes to witness a stunning sight.  Nekas was writhing and spitting madly, hissing curses and its outrage, as it rammed itself like crazy against a spherical orb of sunlight that formed around the enemy, like a bubble.  The orb of gold and orange was solid and sturdy, like the hardest diamond, and no effort from the snake could ever free itself from the prison of shielding, protective sunlight.  It was now confined and incarcerated, away from the does.

                Thethuthinnang was nearly tharn as she sputtered, "O Frith and Inle, how did that ever happen?!!"

                A baritone yet kind chuckle of amusement sounded from behind them as a familiar voice said, "Thethuthinnang, I am quite surprised at your confusion.  You were never one to question Frith's miracles."

                The five female rabbits spun around to see, to their joy, and slight apprehension, Hazel-rah, standing in his red and silver tunic on his hind feet, protectively guarding a human boy next to him.  Justin had given Hazel his power to create defensive shields of the purest sunbeams, and with that gift, the leader and former Chief rabbit of Watership Down created the sphere to imprison Nekas and spare the does from its ruthlessness.

                "Hazel!" cried Hyzenthlay with happiness as she dashed into her mate's paws, burying her face against his torso and letting the strange, yet familiar humanoid, anthropomorphic rabbit embrace her body, nuzzling her gently and lovingly.  It was obviously clear that they missed each other greatly.  Flyairth, Thethuthinnang, and Violet were staring at Justin, but Vilthuril let out a squeal of excited relief, "It is the cross-bearer!  Oh thank the stars!  Hazel-rah!  You and the rest of the Watership rabbits have done it!  You have brought the cross-bearer home to us, to help El-ahrairah and save our home and future!!"

                Flyairth then gasped as a swift movement from the sky caught her attention.  She screamed, "Hazel, the boy!!"

                Hazel turned around to see, to his horror, several Efrafan lances, thrown by Mallow, Vervain, and several others of Woundwort's army, were already airborne and now were speeding towards Justin, ready to slay him in an instant.  Yet before Hazel could use his power, Silver already beat him to it.

                "Levitate!" Silver bellowed, and with the aid of Justin's gift, golden rings of light appeared around each lance, stopping them in mid-air and silently hovering them uselessly above, dangling and held in place by the power of Silver's levitation magic.  Thethuthinnang's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, but Vilthuril explained, "The cross-bearer's work, Thethuthinnang.  Do not let it surprise you, for the boy has obviously given our friends gifts beyond our imaginations."

                Hazel then turned to Justin, relying on his next plan of action as the Efrafans charged towards the group, "Justin, it is starting to look bleak, and our enemies are still trying to fight!  you must freeze the entire fields of Fenlo!  Hurry Justin!"

                "Hazel?!" demanded Silver incredulously, "Justin is too weak to do it!  His injury is far too serious and -!!"  Yet before the silver rabbit could argue any further, Justin, with a deep breath, grabbed his cross and with his loudest shout, the boy yelled fervently enough to echo to the heavens.

                "TIME, STOP PLEASE!!!  PLEASE, STOP TIME SO WE CAN STOP THE BATTLE AND SAVE EL-AHRAIRAH!!!  PLEASE, USE ALL MY STRENGTH AND FREEZE THE LAND!!!  JUST THIS ONCE!!!"  With a flash of light that covered the Fenlo meadows, it was done, and to the joy and relief of all the rabbits of El-ahrairah and his allies, every soldier of Elil-rah's dark Owsla was immobilized, in temporal stasis.  Justin, his energy drained, stumbled backwards and nearly fainted as the light from his cross died.

                "Justin!" Silver cried worriedly as he caught the adolescent before he hit the ground.  Justin was so tired from exertion, he was about to lose consciousness, but he managed to croak feebly, "I...I'm all right, Silver, thanks."

                Silver's tone was reproachful.  "Young one, that was incredibly foolish! You were far too weak to do such an act!  You're now completely defenseless if you tire yourself out!"

                Vilthuril managed to console Silver, "Silver, do not be angry for the young child did what was necessary to cease the fighting for now.  El-ahrairah's health is of the utmost urgency now!"

                Hazel nodded with fatigue, "Yes, and with Elil-rah's Owsla suspended and frozen as of this moment, it will give us the chance to heal our Prince without any danger!"  Yet, by Murphy's Law, this was not the case.  With a dying gleam, the sunlight covering the fields were now destroyed by shimmers of dark mist and blackness, and to everyone's dread and shock, the Owsla of Elil-rah was now free from the time-freeze, completely healed and ready to fight and attack again, without Justin's intervention.  The cross-bearer's time freeze was eradicated.

                Flyairth gasped before screaming, "Frith in a hole, it's Woundwort!!"

                Hazel and Silver looked up to see that the doe had spoken the truth.  Directly in front of them, Woundwort was standing before their very eyes, still smiling knowingly as his good eye gleamed with triumph and enjoyment at the loss of El-ahrairah's army.

                Hazel was stunned.  "No, it cannot be!"

                Woundwort chuckled as he confessed smugly, "But it is, Hazel, you fool!  Do you honestly think our dark master, Elil-rah, would have not anticipated the cross-bearer blessing you with the powers and light of the cross to fight against us?!  He wished for the young boy to use his powers recklessly and without caution like this, eager and willing to fight and protect your worthless legacy and Prince!!  With so much use of his jewel, Justin is far too weak to fight and now, you rabbits are far too worn out to even protect him!!  The cross-bearer is ours now!!"

                "It will not be!!" Hazel roared angrily.

                Silver snarled, "You will have to get through us first, Woundwort!"

                Woundwort just smiled as he called out, "Now witness our new allies, the beast specially created by Elil-rah to capture and kidnap the young boy!  DAEMONS, **SHOW YOURSELVES!!!**"  Woundwort's voice was so dramatic and powerful, it echoed across the fields and actually caused all animals, elil and rabbit alike, to stop and stare aimlessly.  At first, there was silence, but then from the sky came the horrible truth.  The sky was filled with hundreds of creatures, shrieking and cawing and screaming with the demonic cries of the bloodthirsty, unholy underworld.  Hazel did not know how to describe them, but they were large and humanoid, with black skin as thick and tough as the strongest leather. Their wings were similar to bats and were attached to the underside of their arms.  These abominations had the ears of a rabbit, but it gave the daemons the appearances of horns, and their feet and hands had claws, white like the cleanest bones, and their eyes had no pupils, but were just an eerie white, devoid of any feeling or emotion except to obey their master Elil-rah.  Hurriedly, the flock of many swooped down, all of them aiming towards the group around Justin.

                "NO!!!" shouted Hazel but before he could make a shield of sunlight, Woundwort tackled Hazel, and both of them went down, tussling and fighting.  Hazel could hear Hyzenthlay screaming and trying her best to kick Woundwort off her mate as Woundwort sank his teeth into Hazel's throat.  Wincing, Hazel sank his claws into Woundwort's face and braced his hind legs underneath the heavy general, slightly pushing the enemy off him.  However, this gave the daemons the chance they needed and with a dive, one daemon lunged, knocking Silver away and carrying a near unconscious Justin with its hind claws, like a hawk or an owl that had just captured its prey.  The warriors of El-ahrairah's army saw this and immediately, there was a sorrowful uproar.

                "Justin!!" squealed Pipkin.  He tried to fly after the cross-bearer, but another daemon knocked him down, and to his horror, Pipkin crashed into the ground and his wings of flight disappeared with a faint shimmer of gold.  Now, Pipkin was powerless.

                "No, you can't!!" Buckthorn bellowed as his sword vanished from his paws, leaving him weaponless.

                "Bring him back!!" barked Snitter.

                "Time freeze!  Damn it all, stop time!  Save Justin!  Oh, confound it all, why won't it work?!!" cursed Bluebell.  His power was gone as well.

                Justin, before he lost consciousness from the fatigue and the tightening of the daemon's claws around his chest, squeezing him to lifelessness, whispered softly, "Please, please...don't let them get away.  Help my friends...find me...please."  The cross, with its last command, managed to glow before dying.

                Woundwort, before he disappeared in a billow of smoke and dark mists, sneered to Hazel, "Elil-rah has made certain that his powers would prevent you wretches from using your gifts the cross-bearer has given you!  This is his plague that he has placed on you and your lands, you fools!!  Enjoy your defeat, Hazel!  You shall never see Justin alive again, and El-ahrairah shall die!!"

                With that, he vanished.  Hazel, with the help of Hyzenthlay, shakily got up but his heart was heavy.  Apparently, Woundwort and Elil-rah had planned to teleport the rest of their army from the meadows of Fenlo, and now, their green pastures and grasslands were torn asunder, wrecked and damaged beyond repair, now a victim of the ruthless chaos between good and evil.  Silver was sobbing as the rest of the Watership Owsla gathered around Hazel, shock, numb, and at a loss.  Justin was gone, captured, and now, without his powers and protection of the cross, there was no hope of saving El-ahrairah and defeating Elil-rah. Lousewort and Sneezewort were silent, blaming themselves for not doing more.  Rowf was limping, bleeding in half a dozen places, but actually giving a small satisfied smile at knowing he injured King Darzin far worse.  And everyone else was bruised, battered, and innervated.

                Suddenly, Blackberry cried out to Holly as he noticed something on the grass not far off from where he was squatting.

                "Holly, whatever in Frith's name is this?!  What do you make of it?!" Blackberry wondered breathlessly.  The whiskered rabbit then noticed what got the black-eared buck's attention.  He could see a huge, ghastly and bothersome group of grayish, slimy slugs, lazily oozing their fat, gelatinous bodies over the tender blades of grass.  Yet that was impossible.  In the meadows of Fenlo, the fields of grass and flowers were devoid of any parasites and insects for this was deemed a heavenly, perfect haven to rabbits.  So how could slugs...?

                It then hit Holly then as he glanced up to see a miniscule yet obvious trail of slugs leading westward, the direction the daemons kidnapped Justin and fled, most likely towards the warren of Elil-rah.  But how...?  And then Holly remembered, remembered how on the very first night Justin met up with the Owsla of Watership Down and El-ahrairah, Justin, in practicing the extent of his new powers as the cross-bearer, summoned a pile of slugs by singing the same ditty Yona sand in "The Story of the Trial of El-ahrairah".  Justin, despite his weakened state, managed to summon his powers one last time to help the Watership rabbits; with this obvious trail, Hazel, Bigwig, Holly and the others would have no trouble finding and locating the dark warren of Elil-rah and his dark minions where Justin was being held prisoner.

                "Good, young one.  Clear use of your head," Holly thought to himself worriedly as Blackberry managed to call Hazel and the rest of the Watership Owsla over to the apparent trail of slugs, "Please, young Justin, for Firth's sake and for El-ahrairah's, just hold on!  We _will_ come and help you!"

                Bigwig and Campion and Silver immediately glanced at the trail of gray parasites and their faces slightly molded into relief.  Pipkin noticed Kehaar, though injured, was strong enough to ravenously devour the slimy worms with incredible appetite.

                "Kehaar, stop!  Those slugs will help us find Justin!  Stop eating them!"  Kehaar, though glaring darkly at Pipkin, obeyed.  Hazel then spoke to his band of brothers.

                "Bigwig, I will need you, Holly, Campion, Buckthorn, Blackberry, and Dandelion as a rescue party for Justin.  The rest of you, stay here and help tend to the wounded and to El-ahrairah!  Help prepare the warren for a second attack and form as much of a defense as you can with Blackavar and Whitehorn!  When we come back from Elil-rah's warren, be prepared to fight!"  Unfortunately for Hazel, the others who were not mentioned as part of the search party were incredibly outraged and immediately raised a huge affronting protest.

                "Over my dead body!!" snapped Bluebell.

                "Hazel-rah, this isn't fair!!  You have no right!!!" yelled Silver, his fatigued facade now broken with anger and distress at Justin's capture.

                "Please, Hazel-rah!!  We have to come with you!  We _must_ come with you!!  I want to help save Justin!" wailed Pipkin, crying.

                Bigwig fiercely admonished them, barking, "Listen, you louts!  There is to be no discussion about it!  Elil-rah's Owsla is extremely dangerous, and it would be simpler for us to have a smaller party to go rescue Justin before he is to be killed!  Not to mention that all of us have much more expertise at fighting and planning for battle and war than the rest of you!!  It is safer for Justin and for the rest of you this way!!  We shall go, the rest of you shall stay here, and that is the end of this argument!!"

                "Embleer Frith, Bigwig!" growled Hawkbit, and in an uncharacteristic display of courageous, justified anger, the rabbit, noticeable shorter than the Owsla captain, got in front of Bigwig and jabbed a paw into Bigwig's chest.  Bigwig, before he could retort, could have honestly said that he was slightly surprised to see a different look of strength, of determination, of valor, burning in Hawkbit's brown pupils.  Hawkbit continued, his memories of what he had been willing to endure, what he had been willing to fight for, what Justin had done for him, fueling his wrath.

                "Now, _you_ listen, Bigwig.  Before, we would have been willing to back down, to obey you and Hazel-rah, to be willing to take the secondary roles of caring and rebuilding the warren, _but not this time_.  We will not abandon Justin and leave the hrair of you to go into the thick of danger.  So, damn it all, Thlayli, if you and Hazel-rah go, _we all go_.  If you try to argue with us, we'll still stand by our decision and for every moment we waste arguing, Justin will be in greater danger.  If you try to run, we will follow you.  And Frith and El-ahrairah forbid, if you try to beat us senseless, I'll gladly endure it, just to make sure I can do anything I can to the best of my abilities that Justin will be safe.  In case you have forgotten, Justin and El-ahrairah trusted all of us, not just you and Hazel-rah, to protect the cross-bearer, and you have also forgotten that we all care about Justin as well.  We're not helpless, we will fight Elil-rah, and we will not back down, not when Justin needs us the most.  So we are going with you.  ALL of us."

                Hawkbit, though saying this as calmly as he could, was lucid and articulate and powerful enough to break though Bigwig's stubbornness.  To everyone's surprise, the fur-capped rabbit was speechless, his face stony.  Speedwell then broke in the silence in full support of Hawkbit.

                "Hawkbit's right, Bigwig!  Don't you remember how all of us had conquered and overcame every single obstacle and soldier Elil-rah had sent to assassinate Justin?  We all did it..._together_!"

                Strawberry then chimed in fervently, "Justin blessed all of us with the power of the cross, with his powers of the cross-bearer!  We've all been touched by his presence, by his grace, by his kindness!  To not have all of us go and to leave the salvation of Justin to the few of you would be a selfish insult...for Justin, for us, and for El-ahrairah!"

                Buckthorn then supplicated quietly to Bigwig, "Thlayli, you know they are right.  Justin needs us, all of us.  We are one, and as such, we must fulfill this, together."

                "I never though I would live to see the day when Hawkbit would actually be able to win an argument against Bigwig," murmured Dandelion to Blackberry in shock, "Fur and paw, his argument even made sense to me!"

                "It is the end of the world as I know it," muttered Blackberry with distasteful humor.

                Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, all the animals standing on the field, could hear El-ahrairah's voice echo in a heavenly, comforting tone of voice all around them.

                Hazel-rah, rabbits and kindred warriors of Watership Down, all is not lost yet.  You still have a chance to save our only key to our survival.

                Campion, after being silent, then asked hesitantly, "But, my Lord, how are we to do it?  we cannot possibly achieve such a task!  It would take hrair seasons to even begin searching!"

                I will give you rabbits my final gift: the gift of swiftness.  With this, you, all hrair of you, will be able to go and track down where the young human is being held prisoner for what has taken you a full Inle to travel and run will now take you only a brief instant to accomplish.

                "Then let us go as well!" demanded Lousewort angrily, "Justin is our mate too!  Let us help!!"

                No, I cannot do as you ask, for only the rabbits of Watership Down share the heart of the cross-bearer, and as such, this is their destiny, their mission ,their fate, and no other is meant to go confront Woundwort and El-ahrairah.  I am truly sorry, but this is what must be.

                "But, but what if we're too late?!" cried Acorn tearfully, "What if Justin is already dead?!  Woundwort and Elil-rah will murder the boy before we can even think!!  El-ahrairah, please tell us we are not too late!!"

                No, Justin is NOT dead.  Elil-rah will not kill him, but has a fate for him far worse than death.  He will only kill the boy if his plan does not become fruitful.  But beware, all of you: the one who fails to understand will surely fail and it takes only a touch to realize the true heart of your powers and the powers of the cross-bearer.

                "El-ahrairah??" Bigwig asked, confused, yet the Prince of all Rabbits was unable to elaborate even further.

_                Go, now.  Go rescue the cross-bearer and bring him back.  For...I cannot last...much longer.  Go, and my Frith bless you...al of you_.  With that, all was silent.

                Hazel took one last parting look at Hyzenthlay's pleading eyes.

                "I will be careful, Hyzenthlay.  Trust me, for I will not return until Justin is back."  Hyzenthlay, with tears in her eyes, nodded wordlessly and just touched noses with Hazel for what she hoped would not be for a final time.__

                And so, with El-ahrairah's last gift, the Owsla of Watership Down, vanished as suddenly as they came, running many, many times faster than any rabbit has ever dashed before, following the trail of worms left behind leading them directly to the warren of Elil-rah, where they would finally meet their destiny...or doom.

/*

Next: Face to Face with Woundwort

Yep, Justin meets You-Know-Who and Elil-rah!  I'll try to put this up after 3 weeks!

Oh, on a side note, the doe Blethlin and the Promised Friends are not my property!  Blethlin is a character created by WD author Pipkin3 and the Promised Friends was from the story written by WD author, wtw, also known as Bill Welch!  If anything, read "The Promised Friend"!  I will guarantee that you will not be disappointed with the story! ^_^  Oh yeah, and thanks to Loganberry for translating that quote for me in Lapine!  I know it wasn't easy for him, so I applaud his efforts!

**Fiver: You just borrow from ANYONE, don't you, you duffer?**

Quiet you!  Let's see YOU write a 300 page fic!

OK, if you have anything to say (praise and criticisms are welcome), review!  Press that little button on the left!  Otherwise, I'll send Bigwig after you! =)

*/


	27. Eye to Eye with Woundwort

/*

Author's note: I'm so sorry this took so long to finish.  I know, this is the longest time period I have ever taken to write a chapter, and the problem was, I had so much school and work to do in the university, it was not even funny.  As of right now, I am typing this at 5:00 A.M.  However, I know it was extremely annoying for you to wait, all of the fans of this fanfic, so I apologize for the lateness of the update.

Hazel-rah: YOU apologize?!  What about us?!

Hawkbit: You left us hanging for two months!

Justin: I'm still a prisoner to Woundwort and Elil-rah!

Campion: Justin could have been killed by now!

HEY, I SAID I WAS SORRY ALL RIGHT!  LET'S SEE YOU WRITE WHEN HAVING 2-3 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING PROJECTS DUE EVERY WEEK OR SO!!

I also can tell it was a bit unbearable because Woundwort is a major factor and character to all stories about "Watership Down", so I hope this chapter makes up for the time it took to post it!  Enjoy! ^_^

*/

CHAPTER 26 

                As the rabbit soldiers of Watership Down finally came to the realm of Elil-rah in simply a matter of hours, it took all the collective willpower of every iota of courage and determination for Justin's sake to not bolt and run back.

                The entire dominion of Elil-rah was, simply put, a wasteland.  It was completely opposite of the meadows of Fenlo that housed El-ahrairah's warren.  As far as the rabbits' eyes could see, there was not a single blade of grass and flora anywhere, and the ground, instead of soft, sweet-smelling, warm soil, was cold, bleak marble, stone, and granite, all blackened from the thick ash and smoke that permeated the air and made it very difficult to breathe in the stifling, warm heat.  Throughout the lands were active volcanoes, partly obscured by all the black ashes that were spewing from the mouths of the mountains, and the only audible thing the warriors could see were the demonic, red glows of the lava, making the sky an unholy deep, dark, red intertwined with the darkness of night.  Streams and rivers of molten rock flowed thickly throughout and made pools, precariously steaming and bubbling, waiting to accept some poor fool to stumble and fall in to be engulfed in a fiery demise.  All throughout, there were only the faint rumblings of the volcanoes and the dusty, dry, faint howling of the winds spreading the stifling cinders on the ground.  Add to the fact that the only animals that they could see were the daemons, screeching and crying as they scoured the skies made the rabbits incredibly edgy.  No animal to their knowledge had ever dared to enter the kingdom of Elil-rah; Blackavar and the hlessi even reported that no creature was ever desperate enough to even go near enough to witness the black smoke polluting the horizons.  The Watership Owsla were literally in the dead zone of the land beyond life.

                Luckily, the sky was cloudy enough for the daemons to not take notice of the group sneaking in, but little by little, the morale was starting to diminish.  The land, though barren and lifeless, was many, many times greater that the meadows they were so accustomed to and to search through to even find where the cross-bearer was being held prisoner would take ages.  By that time...

                Dandelion groaned, "Embleer Frith, how can we ever find Justin?!  There is too much land for us to even start searching for him!  We cannot even find his scent!  The daemons took him away by air!!  And here is where the trail of slugs ends!  They do not lead to anywhere now!!"

                "But...but then if we...we cannot find the chap," blurted out Speedwell, quivering, "then...then Justin will be..."

                Holly, though annoyed at the unspoken remark, could understand Speedwell's anxiety and fear, so he gently, if not caringly, cuffed Speedwell lightly on the head, whispering softly, "Speedwell, don't think that.  _Please_.  For Frith's sake.  It will not help Justin in any way by brooding such worries and possibilities."

                Speedwell weakly nodded, his face clammy.  Pipkin was softly whimpering, with his eyes shut and his body shivering with paralyzing fear, his mind chanting over and over again, _I am not scared, I am not scared, I am not scared_...

                Buckthorn noticed his brother and comrade succumbing to the apprehension, and slowly, without the others noticing, wordlessly drew his body close to Pipkin's, his heat of his strong, taut body radiating comfortingly to the smaller buck's.  Pipkin did find that it helped slightly, but he was still worried.  So much was at stake at this mission, and now, more than ever, Justin was in mortal peril.  Pipkin managed to sob, "Oh, oh, oh!  What if we can't protect him, Buckthorn?  What...what if we lose?  What if we cannot win?  We are going to fight against Woundwort and Elil-rah!  Then we haven't any hope!  Oh, oh, oh!"

                Buckthorn had no answer, and instead, his eyes just showed a steely glint of resolve as he embraced Pipkin tightly.  It would not happen.  He would not let it happen.

                Bigwig stood by side by side with, to his slight disbelief, Hawkbit, and both of them surveyed the dark and dreary landscape of hell depths.  After a minute or two of awkward silence, Bigwig couldn't help but sneer slightly at Hawkbit, hoping to lighten the mood, "Scared, are you?"

                Hawkbit, for once, remained serious and didn't even frown at Bigwig's snide tone, but he did reply softly, in deep thought, "Yes, I daresay I am, Bigwig.  But, I know that no matter what...I won't leave here until Justin is safe with us.  And no matter what _you_ say Bigwig, I'm as much as an Owsla soldier as you are, so I will not back down in battle if it comes to it."

                Bigwig snorted.  Hawkbit turned his head fiercely at the fur-cropped rabbit with flashing eyes, but he did not give in to his annoyance.  The temper aside, Hawkbit then spoke what Bigwig would describe as a true yet rare display of their bond.

                "Bigwig...I need you to promise something...for my sake."

                "Give you a bath in the river to get rid of your flea problem?  Cuff you every day?  Force you to undergo more rigorous Owsla training?"

                "I want you to tell Blethlin that I'm sorry and that despite everything, I really did care for her."

                Bigwig looked at him, wide-eyed at the sentiment, but then he realized that Hawkbit used the word 'did', as in the past tense.  Hawkbit solemnly continued, wearily not looking at the fur-cropped Owsla veteran.

                "I...I just wanted to let Blethlin know how I feel, in case I don't make out of this with the rest of you buckos.  I...I just have the feeling, this fight will be different from all the rest, that facing Elil-rah isn't something we were meant to face, that there is the possibility that since I'm not as good of a fighter, I might not -"

                "Don't."  Hawkbit felt the ferocity of the whisper from Bigwig as Bigwig firmly, yet gently, placed a paw in front of Hawkbit's snout, preventing him from finishing the sentence.  The dark-furred rabbit's emerald eyes widened in surprise to see Bigwig fighting the tears that were threatening to leak out.

                Bigwig continued, "Don't..._just don't_, Hawkbit.  I promised El-ahrairah that I'd make sure I'd watch out for you chaps, and by Frith and the Black Rabbit, I will NOT give up on that oath.  We have fought all of Elil-rah's Owsla before, and this fight shall be no different!  As long as we fight together, not even Woundwort will have a likely chance against us!  And if you think I'm going to leave with Justin without you, you are the most simplistic, arrogant duffer I have ever known!  Regardless of what has been in the past, Hawkbit, I'm NOT letting you get hurt, just like how I will not allow any of our chaps to get hurt!  You're brave when you need to be, loyal, outright, and Frith in a hole, you have even risked your own safety to fight that homba and his Wolfen Gale, so I am not going to let a rabbit like you succumb to Elil-rah!  I don't know what I would do if I did lose you, chap.  You're worth more than a thousand rabbits like Woundwort."

                Bigwig added this last part softly, like a confessional whisper.  Hawkbit's eyes softened a bit.

                Hawkbit said uncomfortably, "I...I never knew; I always thought you jolly well hated me, that you didn't give a damn about me."

                "Just because I yell at you, give you orders and subject you to remedial duties, just because I insult you, cuff you to no end, and always quarrel and fight with you does not mean I do not think of you as my heart-brother."

                Hawkbit's whiskers twitched at the irony of the statement.

                Fiver and Hazel were conversing secretly from the group, trying to have a private conversation between the two of them.  Fiver then shivered as he had another force of his premonitions and visions.  Hazel's heart nearly leapt into his mouth; this certainly could not have had better timing.

                Fiver then whispered to himself, whimpering, "A warren in the sky...temptations of the deepest desires...friend or foe, only Frith knows, but for tonight, eyes are made blind and a lost comrade shall be found and there will be much anger and joy."

                Hazel was thoughtful, but slightly even more hopeful when Fiver broke out of his apt trance; from the sound of it, Justin would be found, and since there was no mention of death, it was then an excellent, optimistic sign that they may escape out with their safety and the life of the cross-bearer.  But...a warren in the sky?  Frith above, such a thing was unheard of, even in stories of El-ahrairah, and even if they could locate such a place, there would be no way to even gain access.  Silver no longer had his powers of levitation, and Pipkin no longer had the wings blessed to him by the cross-bearer.  Suddenly, a cry of alarm from Acorn got Hazel's attention.

                Acorn stamped, panicking, "Hazel-rah, something is coming!  From the skies above!  Something is approaching us!!  We have been seen!"

                "Should we run?!" asked Pipkin breathlessly as Bigwig, Holly, Buckthorn, and Campion braced themselves for a strike.  Yet, Silver's sharp nose and eyes caught something familiar about the scent of plumage from the approaching avian.  It was almost as if...  Then Silver realized that the imminent figures were not daemons, but hawks.

                "Wait, Bigwig, Holly!  WAIT!!  Do not attack!  It's Scry-rah and his hawk horde!  It is most likely that they are not enemies anymore!  Frith in a barn, do not attack!!" Silver commanded.  This unfortunately did not make things easier on the rabbits' mistrust and trepidation.

                Blackberry then shot the accusation, "Silver, do not be daft!  They may still be on the side of Elil-rah and his Owsla!!  Why else would they even be in Elil-rah's kingdom if they had fled as Scry-rah claimed?!  I would not be at all surprised if these dark soldiers wanted to take us back as prisoners to Elil-rah!!"  Several rabbit voiced their same sentiments with approving grunts and grumbles.

                Hazel then commanded, "No, I trust Silver and his judgment!  Let them come and have their say!!"  Begrudgingly, the Watership rabbits obeyed, twitching and uneasy.  With a sharp cry, Scry-rah and his multicolored family of hawks and falcons landed gracefully, yet heavily, onto the marble and stone ground no more than a yard or two away from Hazel and his group.  Most of the rabbits glared at the flock of cawing birds who simply glowered at them back with equal venom with their round, yellow eyes.  Silver then hopped forward and spoke to Scry-rah politely, who was directly in front of the fat, silver rabbit.

                "Scry-rah, why are you and your flock here?  Are you chaps all right?  We remembered you said earlier that you were no longer a part of Elil-rah's Owsla.  So, why in Frith's name did you come back?"

                Scry-rah cawed discordantly, "SKKKEEEAAAHHH!  Scry-rah hears Elil-rah has cross-bearer!  Is bad!  Is bad!  He kill Justin, he kill Justin for light bright.  Scry-rah and hawk no want to battle.  Scry-rah and hawks no want to anger Elil-rah.  We is fearfully of dark one's powers.  But..."  Scry-rah's eyes softened a bit during the pause.  "Scry-rah remember human Justin, Scry-rah remember human cross-bearer.  Hawks not forget cross-bearer use powers to stop falling rocks, hawks not forget human boy heal Scry-rah.  He is fool, but he is fool very honorable.  Scry-rah know where Elil-rah have Justin.  Scry-rah know where Elil-rah be."

                At this, the rabbits appeared joyful, so Scry-rah hastily continued before they could interrupt him with annoying, pointless questions.

                "Scry-rah remember where Elil-rah live, where Elil-rah live with Owsla.  Is in sky, is a nest on a rock flying on cloud!"

                "Embleer Frith," whispered Speedwell, his face now ashen.  Hazel looked at Fiver sharply, realizing that his glimpse of the future was coming to pass.  He shuddered to think what other surprises were meant to be interpreted through Fiver's second sight.

                "A warren??  In the skies above?!  Is there any way we can get to it?!" pestered Strawberry.  Scry-rah glared at the reddish rabbit for his frank outburst, but the hawk leader let it slide graciously.

                Kittakel, one of the loyal hawks that also started the rockslide that nearly crushed Silver and Justin, then shrieked, "Scry-rah and hawks know where nest is, we know rabbits no fly.  Scry-rah say...we take you to Elil-rah, to save Justin boy.  We help rabbits now."

                Blackberry still narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he accused, "How do we know you and the rest of the hawks and falcons are not plotting to surrender us to Elil-rah, that you are simply not deceiving us so that you could imprison us in Elil-rah's warren, so that you could make yourselves more favorable in Elil-rah's presence?"

                "Blackberry!" growled Silver.

                Campion then placated, "No, Blackberry has a point, chap. We have already known to take too many chances to risk this mission, and we are so close now, so you cannot blame the bucko for being cautious."

                Scry-rah then waddled on his claws towards Hazel.  Puzzled, the rabbits could only look on as the enormous brown hawk reached back and plucked out one of his own tail feathers with his sharp, yellow beak.  Ignoring the slight pain, Scry-rah then solemnly placed the tail feather, which was larger than Bigwig himself, in front of Hazel before looking into the Chief Rabbit's eyes and stating seriously, "Hazel rabbit, Scry-rah give word as hawk.  Scry-rah not lying.  Hawks not lying.  We fly to Elil-rah nest, we help you save Justin cross-bearer.  Scry-rah feather, shows hawk give oath, give promise.  Scry-rah not lying.  We is fearful too.  Elil-rah know we not kill Justin, Elil-rah know we leave.  Elil-rah punish Scry-rah and hawks if we come back...but we help rabbits still."

                Hazel nodded; he could see the fear, the reluctance, and the ray of devotion and honor in the hawk's demeanor.  Hazel said in a firm voice, "I believe you, Scry-rah, and we thank you.  El-ahrairah and Frith also thank you.  Let us go now."

                In a matter of minutes, all the rabbits were riding on the backs of the fierce avian, one rabbit per hawk, and relentlessly, but with quiet grace and speed, did the group sail off west, towards an ugly gathering of mountains with numerous active volcanoes, red hot with lava and magma, all spewing thick, black smoke into the air.  The rabbits, despite their courage, were slightly fearful of riding so precariously on the backs of large birds.  Bigwig was humorously trying to keep his balance by lying flat on his stomach and digging his claws into the falcon's feathered back for a good hold.

                "Frith in a hole!" whined Bluebell as he held on tightly, scared out of his wits, "This is a lot worse than being attacked by Elil-rah's Owsla or climbing up the mountains where we got attacked by Lord Brock!"

                Campion then tried to comfort the jester by calmly saying, "Yet it was the best way, Bluebell.  The hawks know the path to Elil-rah's warren and without them, we would never be able to find it nor cross the lands that surround and guard the warren safely.  Hazel and the others decided that this was the easiest way to cross the lands and reach Elil-rah undetected."

                Strawberry managed to gasp, "By the fur and tail of the Black Rabbit of Inle, I would rather have gone on paw and just ran the rest of the way!"

                "I don't!  This is absolutely wonderful!!" chimed in Pipkin as he sat effortlessly on the back of a white falcon, with as much ease as if Pipkin was squatting on a calm, level field of grass, the small buck gracefully keeping his balance on his haunches as the falcon flew.  He was apparently the _only_ Watership rabbit who was enjoying the ride of flight.  Dandelion glared at Pipkin's boast.

                "You are a very annoying rabbit sometimes, you know that, chap?" Dandelion muttered.

                                                                                ***

                Justin groaned as the darkness surrounding him started to turn into a misty, gray haze.  He could begin to feel and perceive his current situation.  He was on his back, lying on something hard, littered with pebbles and dust.  He could smell dusty air, dry breezes caressing his face.  Weakly, the teen opened his eyes to the bright light.  His sight focused, and then...Justin gasped in bewilderment.

                He was back...home.  His home, his world of men, the physical world.  He was lying on the sidewalk, his backpack and fallen textbooks a short foot away from his body.  He could see the cars driving past lazily on the black roads next to him, hear the distant hum of the drivers traveling by the highway.  The church where Justin converted a little ways off and is the distance, he could see automobiles waiting at the traffic lights, customers stepping out of the nearby cafe, restaurant, and coffee shop and happily conversing with each other.  In the neighboring houses, children were happily playing with their toys in the front yards, and the local bus was dropping off and picking up several people at the bus stop close by across the street.  He was back, Justin was back in his world, his realm.  With trembling, cold hands, Justin held up his cross necklace within his eyesight.  The trinket was no longer crystal, made from the purest sunbeams of orange and gold, but just a simply, plain silver trinket, hardly extraordinary.  It was no longer the cross Justin had used to help the rabbits of Watership Down.  It was as if he never left the world of men.  Next to him was the field of dry grass and weeds, the very same field where Justin had first bought his cross and where the weird occurrences started happening before Justin even came to the land beyond life.  The land beyond life?  Justin then wondered, was it...a dream?  Did I imagine all of it?  Like, was any of it real?

                Justin then realized that his broken arm from Rowf's jaws, his wounds he received from the numerous attempts from Elil-rah's Owsla, all his aches, sores, and injuries, had vanished.  There was not a mark on his body.  His clothes appeared threadbare, but still as good as new with no frays, dirt, or ragged gashes.  All evidence of Justin's travels, his trials, his battles...were all gone.  There wasn't a single trace of any physical evidence.  Justin's heart sank.  Then it never happened.  He simply dreamed the entire thing when he fainted.  It wasn't hard to be convinced for Justin had always been a dreamer, and this time, it was probably just a simple case of his imagination getting the better of him.

                Though Justin was back where he belonged with other humans, the adolescent started to cradle in head in his arms as he sat in a fetal position and started to cry with bitterness and disappointment, there on the sidewalk.  He was so sure that it was real, that he was, for once, actually happy.  His fantasy of being loved by his most treasured characters from "Watership Down", of going on an endless adventure, on being valued and liked for once...it was all a lie, a dream.  Now, Justin had to face reality again, back to his abusive father, back to his jeering classmates, back to his melancholy life.  If only it really did happen, if only it was just real for once, damn it!

                Justin cursed at the unfairness, the injustice of it, for about half an hour, and the chubby teen only stopped when dusk settled, eliminating the traces of the setting sun bit by bit.  The boy then wiped his face and nose on his wet sleeve, dreading to go back home where his father was resting before his night shift as a guard.  He really did not want a confrontation where he'd probably be beaten if he dared so much as look at his father rebelliously.  But knowing it could not be avoided, the teenager picked up his backpack and textbooks and trudged back home, his feet as heavy as stone, but his heart much more laden with difficult sadness.

                A voice in Justin's head told him, _Look, it was just a dream, a nice, little fantasy that appealed to you and made you joyful and at peace for once in your life, but let it go.  It was just a dream.  There's nothing to get so worked up about.  You should know better than anyone that dreams aren't real and that they never last forever_.

                "Then why do I feel like a part of me just died?" whispered Justin to himself sorrowfully, his eyes starting to water again.

                                                                                ***

                Scry-rah and the other hawks along with Watership rabbits had just emerged out of the smoking plumes of ash, smoke, and choking dust, only, to their short-lived relief, to see that the fog of black mist had temporarily cleared away to reveal that they were all hovering precariously over a gigantic volcano, its circumference larger than an entire city, a circular black rim of rocks forming a basin full of smoldering heat, fire, lava, and brimstone.  Even from up above, the rabbits' furs and the hawks' feathers were starting to singe and wither.  Then the hawk Crimcraw, who was carrying Blackberry, announced loudly, "There, rabbits!  There is Elil-rah nest!"

                "By the Black Rabbit of Inle," murmured Blackberry upon seeing it.

                "Great golden Frith and all his blessings," gasped Bluebell.

                Pipkin, Buckthorn and Campion just stared at the fortress silently, though Pipkin was slightly trembling and whimpering at the view.

                As the neared their destination, every one of the Watership soldiers, for the very first time, witnessed the very epicenter and heart of Elil-rah's reign of evil in the land.  Scry-rah and the other hawks were right; Elil-rah's warren was truly a castle in the sky.  It was basically a huge black cliff of the darkest obsidian, dead, carbonized rock, hardened ash, and charcoal, about as large as El-ahrairah's warren itself, but the most noticeable oddity was that the portion of earth was floating.  There it hung, suspended over the lava as if being held by an invisible force.  Throughout the gigantic, mammoth mountain of rock were numerous holes and openings, though the rabbits could not detect any movement or presences inhabiting those cavities.  It was as if every soldier of Elil-rah's army had vanished from sight.  In a twisted parallel, Elil-rah's warren was also housed by a gargantuan tree exactly like the warren of the Watership warriors.  Except that this tree was thick, dead of any leaves and greenery, and stained completely with blood, red, slick, and glistening under the crimson light of the volcano.  Even more grotesque was that the roots of tree were actually squirming and writhing like tentacles of an octopus or a squid, burrowed into the earth and making odd, squishing noises of disgusting purrs and squelches as the animate tree sickeningly caressed the mountain of evil and purgatory.  Scry-rah whispered intently to Hazel, who was riding carefully on the hawk's back, firmly positioned on the bird's broad, thick neck, "That is Elil-rah nest, that be probably where Woundwort rabbit take cross-bearer.  If cross-bearer live, he be there.  Is bad, is bad.  Nest is called 'Skies of Hellfire'.  Is bad, is bad!"

                Skies of Hellfire?  Hazel had to admit that it did have a certain, foreboding ring to it.  Despite their uneasiness, to Hazel's slight relief, there were no defensive attacks or any sign that they had been spotted by Elil-rah's Owsla.  Within a short while, all the hawks had landed safely onto the grounds of the dark warren.  After all the rabbits had jumped off (and humorously, in Speedwell and Acorn's cases, they started whimpering with joy at being back on solid ground and just comically laid there on their bellies, hugging the rock), Hazel and Silver talked with Scry-rah one last time.

                "Scry-rah go now with hawk brethren," Scry-rah cawed solemnly, "Scry-rah no wait.  Is bad, is dangerous for hawks.  Elil-rah no spare Scry-rah if he see, no let Scry-rah be free if he catching us.  We go now.  We no longer stay, we no longer helping rabbits."

                Though they were all a bit disappointed, Silver nodded, understanding.  This was the mission for the Watership rabbits alone; to put other creatures in further danger would be selfish.  Yet then, Acorn asked hesitantly, "Wait!  Scry-rah, how can we even get back to El-ahrairah?!  We can't fly!!  So, how in Frith's name are we to get off this mountain if we manage to get out with Justin?!"

                Scry-rah then shot a meaningful glance at Dandelion as he said enigmatically, "No need is worry.  Frith and Rainbow tell us be all right."  With that, in a powerful, combined typhoon of wind, Scry-rah and his birds of prey took off and flew as fast as they could back to the east.  Dandelion was puzzled at the alpha hawk's ambiguous answer, and Speedwell asked the storyteller, "Dandelion, whatever did the feathered chap mean?  Since when can _you_ fly?  If I recall correctly, the only one who ever had wings in this family were Kehaar and Pipkin."

                "We'll figure that part out later chaps, for Frith's sake!" barked Bigwig, "C'mon!  we must find Justin!  There is no time to lose!  Stay together, all of you!  We'll go as one!  We're not losing any rabbit behind, and we won't be losing Justin behind either!  It's now or never, chaps!"

                "Let us go," said Hazel with determination, and in the darkness of the tunnels did the rabbits disappear, almost as if they were swallowed into a grave of never-ending darkness.

                                                                                ***

                Justin wearily walked up the path back to his house when he suddenly realized that something was...odd.  There were two cars in the driveway to his house, both of them minivans in good condition, and parked peacefully and perfectly upon the cracked gravel.  This was certainly confusing.  His dad, being a security guard, only had one car, a used station wagon that broke down twice, maybe three times a year, and it was the most he was able to afford on his meager paycheck.  And the station wagon was nowhere to be found.  Then Justin took a closer look at his house did a double take, confused, bewildered, and wondering whether or not he made a mistake and accidentally arrived at someone else's house.  Instead of a dusty, blackened one-story house with peeling white paint, cobwebs brown with age, overgrown hedges and trees never tended by garden maintenance, and a dead lawn full of weeds and crabgrass, the teenager was in front of a new, shiny version of his home with blue coats of paint against fresh white trim, clean wood without the least sign of age and termites, beautifully trimmed trees of maple and evergreen, and the lawn was fresh, new, tender, bursting with dew and beds of roses.

                Justin felt his face flush; he obviously went to a stranger's house by accident, but...this was the path he always took, and it was clearly the same address where Justin had always lived with his father.  So why..?  Justin decided to turn back and see if he was on a different street.

                "Hey Justin!" called out a cheery, familiar, feminine voice, not quite childish, but actually like the sound of a girl reaching the beginning of maturity.  It was coming from the house, and someone clearly spotted him from one of the curtained windows and a second later, to the adolescent's puzzlement, the front door opened to reveal...

                Justin's breath nearly caught in his throat and his eyes widened considerably as he realized, there, running up to him on the walk, was his younger sister by seven years, Melanie, her raven hair, sleek and shiny, tossing over her tan shoulders as she skipped to her brother in her T-shirt and shorts.  Justin was completely floored, and that was what allowed his giggling, younger sister to grab his frozen hand and lead Justin, almost dragging the poor teen, up the walk and to the front door.  All throughout the time, she was laughing, "Justin, where have you been?!  Dad was a little worried when you didn't come back home straight away!  Dinner's almost ready, you know?  Now come on!  I'm starving for Mom's hamburger casserole and salad!"

                Justin felt his shock multiply ten-fold.  Did his sister say what he thought she said?  It just couldn't be.  Without a word, he broke free of his sister's hold and tore into the house, his sister scoffing, "HEY!  There's plenty, you know!  No need to eat like a horse!  Wait for me!"

                Justin didn't even hear his sister as he tore into the living, recklessly dropping his books and backpack next to an unfamiliar mahogany coffee table, reaching the kitchen where he could actually smell the tantalizing odors of home cooking.  It couldn't be, he thought to himself anxiously, nervously, in amazement, it couldn't be, it couldn't be!  His mother and father were divorced, he lived alone with his father under his custody...

                The pudgy teenager then reached the kitchen, sparkling white and smelling of garlic, flowers, and satisfactory cleanliness as he saw, humming daintily while tending to a dish in the oven...

                "M...M...Mom?" Justin nearly sobbed in shock, and his mother turned, her lanky, tall yet elegant features warming instantly at the sight of her son, clad in her apron and a trim sweater and slacks.

                "Oh, you're just in time, Justin!" she chirped pleasantly, "Dinner will be ready soon, so call your father from the den so that we can eat!  Hurry up now, Justin.  My goodness, what's wrong?  Justin, it looks like you're...you're crying.  Is something wrong?"

                Justin just numbly hugged his mother silently, finding it a bit alien, but at the same time, comforting and full of euphoria.  He hadn't seen his mother in over seven long years, and yet...and yet...she was here, with him, and he had a family again.  Justin's mother just clicked her tongue as she shooed her son out of the kitchen tenderly, saying how Justin was making such a big fuss over something so trivial and telling him to wash up.  As Justin just numbly looked around the unfamiliar house, his brain was racing furiously.  This...this didn't make sense.  This wasn't what he thought he remembered, this wasn't the old life he recalled before he dreamed (Justin had to wince at this word) that he came to the land beyond life.  Something in his heart was nagging at him to run away, that something was wrong, that Justin was in trouble.  Yet, Justin ignored the feeling.  This was something he longed for so much, his family to be reunited, for himself to not be alone...

                "Justin!" called out a familiar voice.  The adolescent stiffened his body, recognizing the familiar bass timbre of his father's voice, but something was not quite right.  Suddenly, Justin gave a little squeak of surprise as he was grabbed from behind and a large hand ruffled his hair jokingly, lovingly, like a ritual of compassion and play.  Justin just stood there in shock before the person came up from behind and chuckled warmly in his face.  It was Justin's father.  Except, only this time...he wasn't angry, annoyed, or even had the slightest note of dark emotion etched on his worn, aged face.  Justin trembled slightly.

                Justin's patriarch guffawed, "Geez, tiger, put some laughter in that sense of yours!  What, can't a father give his son a noogie?"  Justin's jaw could not have dropped further that it already was; it felt loose enough to reach the bowels of the center of the earth, and the teen could only gape like a fish at the strange behavior of his parent.  Justin's father crinkled his eyes a bit in confusion before giving his son a sly wink and tickled his son's midsection playfully, forcing Justin to laugh, though a little forced.

                "Aw, c'mon son!  Laugh it up!  Have some fun!  Don't be so melancholy!  Hey, how about we go to the theater after dinner, just the two of us?  One of those pictures showing is that new sci-fi alien movie that we've been both dying to see!  You wanna go?  Oh, come on!  Can't keep you cooped up here forever like a bird in a cage doing homework!  We can't spend enough time together!  So, whaddaya say, Justin?  C'mon!  Movie after dinner, some father-son bonding!  What could be better, right?!"  Justin, despite the laughs, managed to nod uneasily, wordlessly.  What was going on?  Father-son bonding?  Having fun?  Enjoying a movie?

                "Enough with your man-play, you two!" scolded Justin's mother with rolled, exasperated eyes, though there was amusement in her tone, "I swear, you two will never stop acting like two children with all your fascination with movies, TV, comedies, and roughhousing!  Enough to give a woman gray hairs, you know!  Now come one, boys!  Dinner is ready!"

                Justin's father gave Justin one last loving look before arriving at the dinner table, complete with china, silverware, delicious food, and a white, linen tablecloth.  Justin felt stunned, before he forced himself to walk towards his family.  His family, all together laughing, starting to serve food, his father throwing a joke or two, making Justin's estranged mother laugh and nudge her husband jokingly in the ribs with her elbow.  His sister was scooping servings of casserole into her plate along with some bread and she was busying herself with her dinner, but showing a look of contentment and peace.  This couldn't possibly be real...could it?  But then again, Justin was starting to realize that nothing made sense now.  Perhaps...perhaps this was real, that all the things he had dreamed about, the divorce, the painful childhood, the beatings, the loneliness, the brokenness, had simply...never happened.  Justin then, to his joy, found himself wishing, Please, please God, if this is a dream, I don't ever wanna wake up!

                _Of course.  There's no pain, no sadness, no trouble.  Only peace, satisfaction, love, and harmony.  No cross to bear.  No need to subject yourself to the weight of a cross ever again._

                The voice in his head was foreign, but Justin did not even give it a second thought as he sat down happily, as if he was a weary traveler who journeyed through harsh conditions, treacherous wasteland, only to come back home, to his haven, to his realm of blissful sanctuary.

                                                                                ***

                "Get back, you wretch!!" growled Acorn as he gave one of King Fur-Rocious' Owsla rabbit a brutal kick in the gut before expertly dodging the two other swift cuffs from several Efrafans with a nimble backward flip.  Silver knocked the two antagonists down before barking, "Everyone, get back!!!  These blokes are trying to delay us!!  Fiver and Blackberry think they have found a way into the heart of the warren, and Fiver thinks that is where we will find Justin!!  Hurry, follow Fiver, Blackberry, and Hazel-rah!!  We're all going together but we'll cover while the rest of you chaps run for it!!!"

                Silver, Buckthorn, and Bigwig held back the remnants of Elil-rah's Owsla ferociously and valiantly while the others made their way into the tunnel that was indicated by Fiver and Blackberry.  Luckily, it was very fortunate that most of the members of Elil-rah's Owsla were still terribly injured from the battle in the meadows of Fenlo.  Most of the vermin, such as King Fur-Rocious, Cowslip, and King Darzin were still so beaten, injured, and in Cowslip's case, mutilated, that they simply did not even have the strength to show surprise as the rabbits entered the warren, storming past the startled enemies who were all busy tending to their wounds and their comrades.  Even though several such as the Efrafans, the cat minions of King Darzin, and Nekas were still strong enough to strike, the rabbits managed to scatter and beat the enemies back as best as they could while Fiver's intuition notified them about Justin's incarceration.  They were getting close and they can't stop now.  As Hawkbit and Bluebell urged Speedwell and Pipkin through the tunnels, Bluebell could honestly say he pitied the so-called rewarded Owsla of Elil-rah.  It was clear that the dark beast could not care less about his faithful servants, otherwise he would have simply healed them and cared for them as their very own children.  Instead, they were merely pawns in Elil-rah's thirst for power and destruction against all Frith had ever created.  Though some such as Scry-rah and Lousewort and Sneezewort were fortunate enough to catch on to the reality of their situation, the other fools were not so lucky.  And to remain loyal to such a dark creature would be their own downfall.

                Hawkbit yelled to Bigwig, silver, and Buckthorn, "Hurry chaps!  You'll all be overwhelmed if you do not escape while you have the chance!  We're not leaving you!"

                Bigwig then managed to throw Vervain painfully against the group of cats before they could try to sing their harsh symphony, and Buckthorn, Silver, and he fled as fast as they could into the tunnel, bowling past and shoving any other rabbit that dared to attempt to block their path into the runs.  Furious, Mallow and Nekas were about to go pursue and chase when Elil-rah's voice, cold, calculating, and disappointed, echoed emotionlessly in their heads.

                "**MY OWN SERVANTS...YOU, ALL OF YOU, ONCE AGAIN, HAVE FAILED ME.  AND TO THINK THAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED HEALING THE LOT OF YOU FOR YOUR USEFULNESS IN MY PLANS.**"

                "LET US THROUGH MY LORD," hissed Nekas in a disembodied tone, "WE WILL NOT LET THE RABBITS IN YOUR DOMAIN.  PLEASE, MY LORD.  WE CAN STILL STOP THOSE CURSED PROTECTORS OF THE CROSS-BEARER IF WE CAN.  WE CAN STILL WIN, MY LORD.  WE CAN STILL STOP THE RABBITS FROM REACHING YOUR SANCTUARY."

"**NO, NEKAS, YOU AND THE OTHERS WILL NOT ATTEMPT ANY SUCH THING.  TIME AND TIME AGAIN, I HAVE ENTURSTED YOU TO DEFEAT THE RABBITS OF WATERSHIP DOWN AND ASSASINATE THE CROSS-BEARER, BUT YOU HAVE ALL FAILED ME.  I NOW FULLY REALIZE THAT I HAVE PLACED MY FAITH IN THE WRONG PAWS OF MY OWSLA.  THE BOY IS STILL NOT DONE WITH HIS TREATMENT AND I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE HIS POWER, AND NOW WITH THE RABBITS OF EL-AHRAIRAH SO CLOSE TO FOILING MY PLANS, I WILL BE COMPLETELY FOOLISH AND BEYOND ANY MENTAL CAPACITY TO LEAVE THE JOB OF WAR TO YOU PATHETIC LOT.  I SHALL HAVE WOUNDWORT TAKE CARE OF THIS MATTER ONCE AND FOR ALL.**"

                Mallow, though having his stomach tighten in icy suspicion, managed to cower, "But...but my Lord, what...what shall we do for you then?"

"**YOU SHALL SIMPLY REFLECT ON YOUR FAILURES AS PUNISHMENT FOR I AM NOW DONE WITH YOU AND YOUR SERVICES.  REMEMBER YOUR SNIVELLING, PATHETIC ATTEMPTS AND YOUR LOSSES AS YOU, ALL OF YOU, SIT IN ETERNAL DARKNESS OR BURNING AGONY.**"  With sinking horrors and fears, the Owsla immediately guessed what this meant, with dread.

                "NO!  PLEASE, HAVE MERCY, MY LORD!!" shrieked one of the female cats as several others, too afraid to stay and see what punishments Elil-rah had planned for them, dashed immediately for the tunnels that would lead them into the exits out of the Skies of Hellfire.  Yet, Elil-rah's tone was stony, cold, and as barren and devoid of anything except satisfaction and boredom.

"**FAREWELL.**"

                In an instant, it was immediately chaos for the Owsla of Elil-rah, both injured and non-injured.  The ones who were too mutilated and wounded to even move cried out pitifully for any creature to help them escape, but their pleas fell on deaf ears as their own comrades, warriors who have fought side by side with them, abandoned their own allies just to save their own hides.  Unfortunately, it was not to be.  The very floor that the minions were standing on crumbled into dust, sending the screaming dark soldiers hurtling down in a deadly plummet, only to break their fall in the scalding molten rock and lava.  The very red fluid engulfing every part of their senses, coating their bodies, unable to see or even scream out in pain, and struggling despite the burns, merely just to sink into the flaming depths of the volcano where they would likely remain for a very long time.  Nekas was the last one to keep its head out of the magma the longest, writhing and hissing in excruciating distress.  Those that were fortunate enough to scurry into the tunnels such as Vervain and King Darzin were only able to escape the punishment of the lava, but Elil-rah simply just led them to a different type of oblivion.  The tunnels suddenly collapsed upon the doomed animals, hardening, crushing, and suffocating them until they were all completely encased in rock, forced to remain still, permanent, and entombed in the torturous darkness for as long as Elil-rah wished.  The dark beast of all evil had simply fossilized them into an eternity of rock and unbearable solitude.

                What Strawberry had said earlier to Cowslip at the battle of El-ahrairah's warren in Fenlo had come to pass; they truly were the ones who were damned.

                                                                                ***

                Justin could scarcely believe what his life was like from before.  It was as if the slate of life was wiped clean and rewritten to form everything from his most desired wishes and wants.  The time spent on dinner and the movies just simply flew by like mere seconds.  Justin could have nearly forgotten all about the adventures with Hazel and the Watership rabbits as he enjoyed the improved house, the laughter, the togetherness of having a now reunited, whole family, the time he spent bonding with his now loving father, who, after the move, decided that the two of them play a bit of basketball, just for fun, in the park even though it was past ten at night and Justin still needed to go to school.  It was now morning as his father dropped off Justin at school, but not before giving Justin $20 for spending money just because Justin's dad told his son "Just cause I love you."  Justin could not have been happier; he now had his mother and sister back in his life, his time with a loving, caring, understanding and gentle father figure nearly erased any conceptions of the harsh tyrant Justin knew from before.  It was as if he now had the perfect life.  But then...why did he feel incomplete?  Discontented?

                _Enough, Justin.  There is no need to reflect on your dream, your imaginative fantasy about "Watership Down" and those rabbits.  Why do you still hang on to that dream?  Surely you're much happier here, with your family, with your own kind, with everything you have ever wanted and wished for.  You never needed that cross, that flight of the imagination about being with a band of rabbits that protected and spent time with you.  Throw away that cross; it shall bring nothing but bad memories and distractions._

                Justin actually pondered this, fingering the cross trinket, feeling the cold silver at his fingertips.  After some inner debating, Justin decided to still keep the cross necklace around his neck.  For some reason, Justin could have sworn that the air around him rumbled slightly, as if disapproving or irked, but the feeling faded quickly, so the adolescent decided that he had probably imagined it.  It was probably the anxiety of the realization that just popped into Justin's head that there was still the matter of bullies to contend with, not to mention the fact that he was probably still the scorn of the entire high school.  Yet the calm, soothing voice in his head seemed to repeat and placate in the boy's subconscious again, bolstering the teen's sinful pride.

                _There is no need for worry.  You will be loved by the world.  The world will love you, just as if you were their king, their ruler, their best and brightest. All because you are special, you are worthy, and you are surely better than any other wretches out there.  Ignore the humility, the thoughts of kindness and consideration.  Those are for the weak, just like those who depend on blind faith..._

                "Justin!"

                The cry was faint, very faint, almost as hollow and wispy as the wind, but it almost sounded like...Hazel-rah?  Justin, though he did not even realize why, felt his face break out into a big smile of surprise and excitement as he whirled around to see...nothing.  There was nothing in the hallway except a considerable crowd of students getting ready for class, chattering animatedly about life and homework.  There was no sign of an anthropomorphic rabbit in a red and silver tunic anywhere.  Justin sighed slightly in disappointment as the air around him seemed a bit heated.  Justin, a bit heavy-hearted, turned around and trudged up the hallway towards his first class.

                                                                                ***

                "Justin!  Young chap!!  Where are you?!!  Can you hear us, young one?!!  Answer us!  Justin!  Please, Justin, call out!  Justin!!  Cross-bearer!!"

                The rabbits voices, frantic and covered with apprehension, distress, and misery, echoes throughout the caverns as they scurried around in the darkness, vying every nook and hole and ditch they could find while Blackberry and Fiver tried to get their bearings.

                Meanwhile, in the Great Cavern, Woundwort hissed furiously, "My Lord, I cannot keep the boy in this state much longer if those cursed rabbits are calling out to him!  My powers are working, but I need more time, embleer fur and paw!  Can you stop Hazel-rah and his cursed, annoying Owsla?!!  Can you silence them?!!"

                Elil-rah's voice was slightly offended as the creature growled, "**I WOULD HIGHLY ADVISE YOU TO WATCH THAT IMPUDENT TONE, WOUNDWORT.  AND I HAVE DECIDED TO LET HAZEL-RAH AND HIS RABBITS OF WATERSHIP DOWN COME TO THIS ABODE, THIS EPICENTER, WITHOUT TROUBLE.  WOUNDWORT, IF YOU CANNOT INFLUENCE THE CHILD, THEN WE CAN DO THE NEXT BEST THING: HIS GUARDIANS, HIS PROTECTORS, ARE ALL GATHERED IN ONE PLACE, AND THERE WILL BE NO POSSIBLE WAY TO ESCAPE.  ALONG WITH THE CROSS-BEARER BEING POWERLESS IN MY DOMINION, THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THE ONE AND ONLY CHANCE OF EL-AHRAIRAH'S SALVATION, HIS FUTURE, HIS ROLE AS A THREAT TO OUR GLORY, WILL ALL BE TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE.  YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO WOUNDWORT.  DO NOT FAIL ME.**"

                Woundwort then smiled as his red eye flashed with malicious hatred...and anticipation.

                                                                                ***

                As Justin walked in the school's hallways later that day, he was once again treated to a very welcome array of pleasant surprises.  Every student he had ever passed smiled and waved at him, gave him greeting and a group of girls he passed by giggled with admiration and interest as they watched him with sly, yet desiring looks.  It was certainly different from the usual greetings of scorn, disgust, and contempt he normally got.

                "Hey Justin!" grinned the quarterback of the school football team warmly, his eyes friendly and non-artic, from behind.  Justin felt his defensive mind spring up; he never fully trusted jocks, especially from his past dealings with Damien.

                "Uh...hi," Justin replied, lamely, not sure what to expect, but the jock just affectionately patted the teenager on the shoulder, all the meanwhile saying, "Hey, I can't thank you enough, man!  Your tutoring helped me get that 'A' in the big calculus test last week, and now, I won't have anything to jeopardize my participation in the Homecoming game next week!  Can't thank you enough!  Hey, me and the guys are going to the mall after school!  Need a ride?"

                Justin really could not say he had ever been more shocked.  Every time he had said such a thing, during this past day, a new surprised managed to break that assertion.  He said, stuttering, "Uh...yeah...sure, I guess."

                "Great!  I owe ya' one, Justin," and with that, the quarterback left, leaving Justin with even more confusion.  But, Justin felt...prideful, proud, and at ease because he was accepted, he was treated like he was special, like someone sincerely and truly appreciated him without question or requirement.  An athlete, a person of high status and popularity in his school, acknowledged him and treated him like a brother.  It actually felt really good.

                "Justin!  Justin!!  Justin!  Justin!!  Where are you?!!"

                Justin's eyes went wide in surprise.  Those voices...they were faint, almost ethereal, and Justin could have sworn he had simply imagined it in his head but...it surely...could it have been...real?

                The voice again echoed in his head, _Your imagination, Justin.  It is your overactive imagination, Justin.  Such a feat never happened, such a life of hardship and disappointment was simply not real.  None of what you thought before was real.  Do not give in, Justin.  It was simply a dream.  Can't you see that this is what you have always lived as?  People are nice to you, welcome you into their society with loving greetings and warmth.  No need for hardship, no need for suffering, no need for sadness.  This is truly your life Justin.  you have no cross to bear.  You have no cross to bear.  You have no need for such a thing._

                Justin furrowed his brow in deep thought as he now held the metal cross in the palm of his hand, the dull metal now appeared to have lost its luster, its shine, making it old, tarnished, tatty, and worthless.  It certainly wasn't the same jewel Justin had before; now it seemed completely...distasteful to have such a thing.

                _Throw it away, Justin.  It has no value now.  You have no cross to bear._

                Despite the persistence of the voice, Justin felt it would be better just to keep it, for sentimentality's sake, and he simply tucked the necklace in his shirt as he walked to class.

                The day kept getting better and better.  In Justin's classes, he got the highest scores in tests of every caliber and subject.  The rest of the students in the classes praised Justin, made him feel special and admired for his genius, and some students even were nothing short of pleading that Justin help them by giving tutoring lessons as well.  Justin, being very new at this, was actually loving the adulation.  Before, in what he considered his mistaken outlook, Justin was only about average in some of his studies, and though he did get good marks, he certainly was not the student who was the smartest or had the most potential.  This of course led to whenever he got a mistake or asked a stupid question, it would certainly cause some of the meaner kids to scoff at Justin's simplicity or find sadistic enjoyment at feeling superior of Justin's intellect, proving he wasn't as smart as the teen thought.  But now...now, Justin was actually on top of things, was perceived with admiration and looked up to as a spectacular role model.

                It didn't just end there, though.  At lunch, he was invited to sit with several of the rich students whose parents provided them with cars, money, and every type of luxury that could ever be gifted to a child.  As they were eating, they joked around with the adolescent, complemented him, discussed serious topics and cared about his matter of opinions.  One girl in particular said she was having a pool party complete with music, dancing, alcohol and even a barbeque, and she said it would mean so much to her if he could show up to her celebration.  Justin meekly said yes; after all, she was politely asking him and he certainly could not refuse in his face.

                Then, the school coach of football and baseball then stopped by the table where Justin was sitting and tapped Justin lightly on the shoulder, saying proudly, "How's my star player today?  Gotta' say, Justin, I need you to meet up with me and your other teammates so that we can get planning on some new gameplays before the soccer season starts.  Don't forget, OK Justin?  Can't leave out my best team captain out of the soccer preparations!"

                Justin would have been floored had he not been sitting on the bench.  "Wha...me??  I'm...on the soccer team?!  ME??"

                The gruff, bearded coach just chuckled, as if Justin was making a humorous joke, "Don't put on such a humble act, Justin!  Of course!  Don't you remember?  You're the star player and the team captain of the school's soccer team!  We've won two years in a row because of your involvement, so it's vital that you come to the meeting, all right, kid?  See you soon!"  With that, the coach left, leaving Justin befuddled and taken aback...but in a prideful, pleasant sort of way.

                "I'm...I'm really a star athlete??" Justin wondered out loud.

                "Duh, of course you are!" a nearby kid laughed as he clapped Justin on the back in merry jest, "After all, you're one of the most well-liked and popular kids in this school!  You've helped so many people with your tutoring and you really care about others with your generosity and everyone's simply in love with you and your personality!"

                A girl giggled, "Don't forget, you're also on the school committee and student body government, so of course you're popular!  All the kids want to hang out with you!  Oh yeah, speaking of which, you free this weekend?  We could really use some help in setting up preparations for the Homecoming Dance at the auditorium, and you've always been so fantastic at setting up the design and decorations!  It'll be perfect if you can give a hand!"

                "HEY!  Justin's going to hang out with us this weekend!" one boy protested, but in a non-threatening demeanor, "C'mon Justin, come with us instead!  We're planning to go dirt-biking in the mountains, and we've got an extra bike we can spare for you, and the weather this weekend's gonna be so awesome!  Sunny and cool all day!  C'mon, whaddya say?"

                "No, Justin needs to help us out!" the girl retorted, flicking her amber hair agitatedly.

                "No way!  We want to hang out with Justin at the mall this weekend!" piped up a cheerleader with her group of friends.

                "Hey, that can't be fair!" another boy jumped in, "We were planning to go to the next 'Lord of the Rings' marathon at the Cineplex this weekend!"  As a result, the kids at the table started to noisily, but thoughtfully, banter and fight over who would spend time with Justin.  Justin just watched all of this with a shocked, yet amused and pleased look on his face.  He was absolutely loving this!

                "Justin!  Please, don't!" called out a faint voice.  Justin stared off into space as he recalled the voice.  It almost sounded like...Silver.

                _Justin, Justin, Justin, how foolish must you be?  Why must you torture yourself like this?  That dream about "Watership Down", the dream about the rabbits helping you, the adventure, the journey, the fun...it never happened.  Try to remember that._

                "Justin!  Cross-bearer!  Don't do anything!  For Frith's sake, don't!"  Justin's breath nearly caught in his throat and his skin turned.  Now he could almost hear Buckthorn's voice reverberate in his head amidst the noise in the cafeteria..

                _That cross, Justin.  Can't you see it is troubling you, that it is forcing you to remember things that never happened, that it made you think up about such awful travesties about your life, your past, your family?  It is harming you, tearing your mind apart._

                "Justin!  Justin!!"  Now the young teen could hear Holly and Strawberry chorusing together in urgency.

                _Justin, you have no need for the cross.  Just get rid of it.  It is too much trouble to keep it, to have it close by.  It is not worth the pain._

                "Justin!!!" screamed Hawkbit, Fiver, and Pipkin.

                _Justin, take off the necklace.  Get rid of the trinket.  Abandon it.  Do you not like it here?  Do you not wish you could remain here forever?  Do you not think this life is your greatest wish come true?_

                "Justin!  WAKE UP!!" roared Dandelion.

                _Justin, just give up the cross.  Your life will be so much easier._

                Numbly, though Justin had no idea why and his mind was a complete blank, reached for the very claps on the back of his neck.  After all, he wanted to stay so much here!  He had it all: a family, friends, a life of company and...

                "**JUSTIN!!!**" Hazel then appeared out of thin air into the teen's face, right in the middle of the cafeteria, and before Justin could remove the trinket, Hazel, the brown Watership Chief Rabbit of El-ahrairah, grabbed Justin roughly by the shoulder, jerked him to his feet, and cuffed the cross-bearer hard across the face, momentarily bringing Justin to his senses.  Justin held his cheek numbly as Hazel whispered sorrowfully, tears watering the rabbit warrior's eyes, "You're far too noble and young to make such a decision, young one."

                Justin, despite what he had experienced for the past day, despite being back with his own race, despite the endless remunerations of life, luxury, and happiness...Justin cried openly with relief as he and Hazel embraced tightly, all the meanwhile the cafeteria stood to an absolute standstill, as if someone had paused the world at that very moment, teetering on the brink of existence and reality.  Justin buried his face into Hazel's strong torso whereas the brown rabbit was sobbing, "We nearly lost you, Justin.  We nearly lost you.  Thank Frith we have found you.  Thank Frith."

                The voice around them was now bellowing, _Justin, you fool!  You are ruining everything!!  Is that what you want?!  I'll give you riches, status, power, vices beyond the wildest imaginations of any human, and yet you are willing to forsake it all...for that illusion!  You fool!  It is not real!  Turn back while you can, cross-bearer!!"_  And it was at that instant, during the rage and disappointed gall, where Woundwort made his grave mistake.  He had just called Justin, 'the cross-bearer', and as such, it was the one word that validated everything Justin remembered about Watership Down and the land beyond life.  He had just averred, to the General's horror, that it was not a dream, that it was true.

                Justin then declared fiercely, "No, I don't want it!  I don't want anything!  Everything I ever wanted...is with me right now!  Hazel, please don't leave me!  Please!"

                "I won't, cross-bearer," Hazel promised as the world around them started to crumble and swirl away into nothingness.  Justin then realized it was all a lie, an illusion, a mirage.  Justin then found himself, dirty, with cuts, bruised and painfully aware of his broken arm, as the light of the trickery and deception faded to reveal all the rabbits, the Owsla of Watership Down and El-ahrairah squatting around them in a circle, their fearful anxiety melting away to short lived relief.  Justin then realized where he was.  They were all in some sort of large cavern, wide, spacious, and as large as a football field and tall enough to allow a horde of Ilips to room into, but the den was cold, uninviting and bare.  Bleak, black rocks, marble, obsidian, charcoal, and graphite lined the rough, uneven, bumpy walls as they curved upwards the sky to form a high, domed ceiling, lined with phosphorescent, glittering shards of crystal and quartz, giving the entire area an unholy, unearthly, forbidding eerie glow of demonic power.

                Justin was shaking inside, quivering with the fear and coldness of the dangers that was looming over them.  He managed to croak out, flinching at the bothersome pain of his injuries, "Where...where are we?"

                Blackberry managed to gasp breathlessly, "We are in the warren of Elil-rah, Justin!  But, we have no time to explain!  We have to find a way out of here!"

                Hazel-rah felt his heart sink as he did not realize what was happening.  He choked, "Why?  Can we not escape, Blackberry?!"

                Campion shook his head wildly, worriedly, "No, Hazel-rah!  The instant we entered this warren, the run that led us to this room had sealed off on its own!  The same has happened with every other opening that opened into this foul spot!  Embleer Frith, can't you see, Hazel-rah?!  We're trapped here!  Bigwig and I cannot even find the slightest trace of an opening!"

                "It is obviously Elil-rah and Woundwort's treachery, no doubt about it!" shuddered Fiver with a mixture of fear and anger, "I can feel it!  It is so cold, colder than the Black Rabbit, but full of evil, sin, and wicked intent!  Hazel, we are all in trouble!  Can't you see?!!  This is the lair of the dark beast, the center and heart of darkness, his power, his rule, his influence of lies, deceit, and horrible vice!!  We are all in the very location where the darkness of Elil-rah comes from!"

                "Embleer Frith in a barn, you couldn't foresee this sooner, Fiver?!" cursed Hawkbit in anger, his claws twitching with irritation, "Damn it all, you just had to lead us to another fine mess, didn't you?!"

                "HAWKBIT, SHUT UP!!!" yelled the rabbits with sharp retort.

                "This is not the time to start fighting, both of you!" snapped an uneasy Speedwell, "Hurry, Justin!  Use your cross, your power!  Get us out of here so that we can escape back to El-ahrairah!!"  Justin grabbed his cross and prayed, but several slow seconds passed.  Then, to Justin and the rabbits' horrors and dread, the cross was apparently refusing to work.  The adolescent looked closer at his jewel, and to his petrified panic, the crystal cross was dead, lifeless, and with a black tint shadowing the sparks of life and rejuvenating power that should have normally come forth from his jewel.  The cross was now gone, its power suppressed by something prevailing, dominant, and potent.

                "Oh no!" the boy moaned with disheartening, sickening dizziness, "The cross!  It won't work!  It's not answering my prayers!!"

                "WHAT?!" gasped the rabbits in unison, and Justin was trembling again in Hazel's strong paws.

                "O Frith and Inle!" quaked Bluebell.

                "How can that be possible?!" squealed Pipkin.

                But then a voice, a voice that they all have eventually learned to fear and dread, answered Pipkin's questioning fear and dread.

                "Did you pathetic fools really think that this rescue would be THAT easy?" snorted Woundwort and he emerged from the shadows into the pool of light covering the cavern, his red eye glinting a foreboding aura while his dead white eye stared on lazily and portentously.  There was now a sadistic gleam on his face as the large, formidably rabbit crossed in paws in front of his powerful chest arrogantly as he took in the sight of the rabbits rushing in front of Hazel and Justin, shielding them from the opponent.  How touching, Woundwort thought to himself in disgust.

                Justin was now truly scared.  Even though he had been powerless before, Woundwort was supposed to be the most fearful and terrifying enemy the rabbits of Watership Down had ever faced, and not even elil could withstand the harsh power of Woundwort and his rule and command of thoughtless, ruthless, merciless soldiers.  And General Woundwort was second-in-command and the right paw of Elil-rah himself, meaning that this battle would not be like all the other elil and soldiers of Elil-rah's dark Owsla.  THIS would be the battle of Justin's very life.

                Woundwort scoffed, "Did you pathetic fools really think that Elil-rah would actually not anticipate your relentless loyalty in salvaging the cross-bearer?  Did you really think we would not anticipate the fact that you would so stupidly try to do everything you can to spare that boy's life??  Elil-rah had allowed you and your band to come here...so that we can finish this!!"

                Suddenly, to the dread of the noble warriors, the sudden boom of Elil-rah's voice emerged from the shadows as the unholy, red eyes appeared above the figure of Woundwort, the slits of black pupils against the bloody sea of awesome evil now glaring at the fellowship with such radiating, searing, intense hate and displease.  Even though the rabbits of Watership Down had seen Elil-rah's eyes before in past battles, such a prospect would truly even strike fear into the heart of El-ahrairah himself.  Pipkin was trembling so hard, Silver had to block his view by shielding his large body in front of his friend, hoping it cold calm him down.  Holly had to firmly grasp the paw of a tharn Blackberry in order to bring the buck back to the present, and Strawberry was heard fiercely whispering to Acorn and Fiver, "Steady chaps, steady.  Do not give in to your fear."

                Justin felt Hazel grasp him even tighter as Woundwort crowed, "My Lord, your orders?"

                Elil-rah rumbled simply, "**I WANT THE CHILD'S CROSS, WOUNDWORT.  KILL HIM...NOW.**"

                Justin let out a cold, shaky exhale of dismay.

                "**NO!!!**" screamed Speedwell, Buckthorn, Campion and Bigwig with all their might as they charged directly at Woundwort, hoping to tackle him before he could even move, intent on doing everything they can to protect the cross-bearer.  General Woundwort's good right eye then radiated even brighter, and before anyone could guess what was happening, it was over before they could comprehend the loss.  Buckthorn, Speedwell, Campion, and Bigwig were all sent flying back in the air, pushed back by an concentrated, invisible force, and together the four Owsla veterans soared into the opposite wall, their bodies cracking hard against the stone and rock.  They slid down to the marble ground, horribly injured and in much pain.

                Dandelion cursed, his face white, "O embleer Frith and all his blessings!"

                "FRITH DOES NOT RESIDE HERE, YOU FOOL!!" snarled Woundwort as his eye began to glow again and with a united cry, everyone, save for Justin, was sent flying and crashing away into a messy heap of furry bodies.  Woundwort, however, was not done with the Watership guardians, and to Justin's shock, Woundwort stood on his hind paws as he slowly, but surely rose in the air, levitating on the shadows as if they were physically solid.  He rose until he was looking down on the fallen bodies of Hazel and his Owsla of El-ahrairah.

                "Feel the true power of my rage and pain, you cursed, embleer beasts!!!" Woundwort howled from the rotting bowels of his heart and with his eye again, he used his power to come crashing down on the rabbits' bodies full force, the gravity all around the Owsla increasing by more than ten-fold, drawing blood in mere seconds, forming small pools, and scared stiff, Justin could distinctly hear some bones breaking against the soft tissue and fur during the impact.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Bluebell.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Campion.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Bigwig.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Acorn.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Hawkbit.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Silver.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Pipkin.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Blackberry.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Speedwell.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Buckthorn.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Fiver.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Dandelion.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Strawberry.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Holly.

                "**AAAAAA!!!**" screamed Hazel.

                Woundwort just laughed as he utilized his power even more on the group, and Justin desperate, tried praying with his cross again.

                "Please, help my friends!  Please!  Save them!  Give them power!  Protect them!  Please!  woundwort will kill them if they don't get help!!  Please, for the love of God, please!!!"

                "There is no God in this place, you damned human, only hell," stated Woundwort coldly as he floated back down on the ground again, only to be several feet away from a terrified Justin, "And no matter how much you beg and plead for your useless protectors, your cross will never work!  We are in Elil-rah's warren, the very heart and soul of his power, the root of all darkness and iniquity in the land beyond life.  It is so consuming, so deep, so utterly potent that it will continue to shield and block your light of your cross, you small, defenseless idiot!  Can you not see now, oh silly cross-bearer?!  Nothing will save you now!  The rabbits cannot help you, El-ahrairah cannot help you, and not even Frith and God can spare you from the blessed power of psychometry given to me by the Dark Lord himself!  It allows me to manipulate the very threads of reality and existence of any object I chose, and not only that, but I can use my emotions of rage, war, anger, and bitterness to form into a formidable force, a very force that will crush you where you stand, Justin!  A pity, though.  I had really expected you to take the simple, selfish way out, when I manipulated your thoughts and memories with my powers to put you within that dream state, giving you the useless vices that you had always yearned for, longed for!  If you had abandoned your cross there and then, you would have lost your powers as the cross-bearer and would have no longer been a threat to Elil-rah's rule.  You would have been left in that comatose state forever!  But now...now, I can see I am to achieve this the hard way!!"

                And at the sight and joy of killing the teenager, Woundwort's rage had reached new levels not even the General could comprehend as his power raged around him in a shimmering, foreboding warning before rushing out like lightning only to strike Justin directly.  The cross-bearer, now without anything to safeguard him, could only yell in pain as he flew back and rolled painfully on the cold ground, his old wounds now bleeding again from the force of the psychometric power of rage and hate.  Woundwort was not finished yet, and with another bay of animalistic, demonic frenzy, Justin was sent flying again, only to come crashing down on his side, bruising, if not breaking, his ribcage.  Justin let out a shuddering breath of moaning, excruciating pain as blood began to seep into his sense of taste.  Woundwort then shot at the adolescent a third time.

                As Woundwort was pummeling, beating and discharging his power directly at Justin, his anger and rage was pouring out, and all the memories of the injustices done against him, all the hurt, all the pain, the unfairness, the loneliness, the fact that it was a fate he had never deserved, was so heavily laden on his scarred soul, Woundwort felt each time he heard Justin's body crack, it only made him more incensed, irate and eager to crush Justin until he was nothing more than a rotting mess of flesh and blood.  He wanted Justin to suffer the same way he had.

                "I hate you!!  You represent everything that has ever caused me suffering, that has tormented me day and night, even after I found death!  I never found any respite, any chance of peace, all because of you, you damned human!  I wish you never existed!!  I wish you never came!!!  YOU are the cause of every tragedy that I ever faced!!"  Woundwort snarled this as he sent Justin flying across the black marble floor of the chamber, the body of the teenager leaving a faint, smeared trail of blood as he skidded across the floor.

                Fiver managed to open his eyes despite the blood trickling down between his ears as the very words of Woundwort brought back some painful memories:

                _Fiver could only stand there and listen in shock as Hawkbit berated him in front of everyone, blaming him for the trials they had faced before entering the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow.  Hawkbit growled, malice in his eyes, "Yes, and it's all because of the tharn fact that you can't see things before they happen like before when we were able to escape the destruction at Sandleford, we are always putting Justin at risk!!  By the Black Rabbit, I wouldn't be surprised if the real reason you have those visions is because you're the one who causing all the bloody trouble we've been having!!  After all, if you were any kind of rabbit of El-ahrairah, you'd be more concerned and worried about your lack of visions rather than keeping such a tharn, nonchalant, blasé attitude."_

_                Fiver then remembered when he and his brother Hazel were just kittens, and they were still dependent of the milk on their mother, though it had already been several days when the two bucks were getting accustomed to the taste and texture of grass and roots.  In the dark, warm burrow, Fiver was about to suckle when another, miscellaneous older buck, another one of Fiver and Hazel's brothers from the litter, rudely shoved the smaller buck out of the way, bullying him out of the meal.  Fiver started whimpering, but then the brother growled, "Silence, you weakling!  You do not even deserve the milk!  Why don't you just crawl away and die so that you can leave us strong rabbits to grow healthy without you being a nuisance?!"  That was one of the few days Hazel saw Fiver cry nonstop._

_                Fiver then remembered hearing his father, the buck who mated with Hazel and Fiver's mother, smoothly conversing with several of his friends.  Fiver was hidden in the brush not too far off, so his father never got a chance to see nor smell him, which allowed him to say, to Fiver's hurt, "Thank the stars and Frith, I shall live to a happy old age to see my bucks and does grow into fine healthy rabbits...except for that runt, Hrairoo."_

_                One of the rabbits asked, "Why?  Whatever is the matter with that rabbit?"_

                _Fiver's father answered coldly, "That buck will never amount to anything.  He is too small and underweight to join the Owsla, is weak and always bullied around by the stronger bucks.  He cannot even do anything useful such as tell a story or take care of the kits.  What makes it worse is that I would not be able to get rid of the pathetic nuisance.  A fox would not want him, a doe would not wish to mate with him, and by the fur and paw, not even the Black Rabbit would care for such an outskirter.  I wish he had never been born or that I killed Fiver when I had the chance when he was a tiny kit."_

                Fiver got up.

                                                                                ***

                "You don't know how much I had to suffer, all because of men!!  You don't know what it's like to have your past haunt you, torment you, give you grief and terror, because all the blame heaps on your own soul until you give in to despair and guilt because you realize that there's nothing you can do but let it tear you apart and drive you mad!!!" Woundwort screamed with shrill rage as he blasted the cross-bearer against the wall, making a sickening thud resounding throughout the cavern as Justin cried out in pain, flames of sharpness gouging into his back.

                Campion, shakily, managed to prop his upper body with his front paws, valiantly trying to rise, as his mind flashed back to his sorrows:

                _It was back in Campion's life in the physical realm, back when he was the new Chief Rabbit of Efrafa after Woundwort's disappearance and the Council's fall of power.  Despite the general dislike for anything that was related to Woundwort, Campion was dying to have the feeling of adventure and mischief again from Wide Patrols.  However, by now, most Efrafans had such abhorrence to Woundwort's ideals, that many met Campion's offer to do a scouting expedition with scorn and mistrust.  The Wide Patrols were no less a taboo than before.  Still, Campion was able to successfully convince two young does, Nyreem and Daisy, and two young bucks, Aspen and Moss, to accompany him where he could train them on a Wide Patrol.  It had been a huge success, with the yearlings so eager to scamper and explore about...until one of the Thousand took away Daisy while she was sniffing about the nut-bushes.  The trip home was a somber one and Aspen was crying because Daisy was his sister.  When Campion tried to explain the situation gently to Daisy's parents, he was met with much blame, anger, and curses.  Aspen then said the words that tore into Campion's heart the most, "It's **your** fault Daisy stopped running!  She died because of you, and for what?!  For her to provide bait to the elil while you get away unscathed?!  You led her to her death, all for a useless Wide Patrol!  You're just as evil as Woundwort, you wretch!  I hate you!  I'll always hate you to my last dying breath, you monster!!"_

_                Campion also remembered a time, once he had made his home at Watership Down as the trainer of the young kittens for Wide Patrols, when was quietly resting against the beech tree one warm, clear night in late spring when he overheard his name come up from between two quietly, conversing rabbits._

_                "So, what do you think of Campion?" asked one._

_                The other yearling replied, "He's good, jolly good of a teacher and leader!  Frith and Inle, every chap and bucko wishes he could go under his command.  But...I still have reservations about Campion, though."_

_                "Why?"_

                _"It is the principle of the matter, really.  I mean, Campion is a fine buck, but...he's from Efrafa and he used to be second-in-command to General Woundwort.  It's quite a shame, really, to see that Campion is trying to settle here and impressing us with his expertise of patrolling and scouting, yet when it comes down to it, not too many rabbits trust him because we are not so sure if the chap is sincere in his motives or if he is trying to take over our warren and become the next General Woundwort. The lad is nice and understanding, but to tell you the truth, by Frith, I would not be sure if I would be willing to fight for him, especially since he got kicked out of Efrafa in the first place."  Campion never felt more hurt from this comparison than he had ever felt before in his entire life, and not waiting to hear the rest of the discussion, he quietly hopped away, alone, to go silflay under the cold judgment of the moonlight._

                Campion got up.

                                                                                ***

                "Do you even know what it is like to lose your trust in others?!!  Do you even know what it was like to be alone, because you could never open your heart to anyone, because no one could ever trust you?!!  Do you even know what it's like to always put up a facade of strength when in reality you are just as scared and vulnerable as the newest newborn?!!  I never could be at peace because of men!!  I could never find respite, never find trust...all because of YOU!!!"  Woundwort now grabbed Justin by the throat and sank his claws deep into the boy's neck as his paws wrapped tighter and tighter around Justin's windpipe, slowly strangling him.  Woundwort increased the pressure, his paws twitching with suppressed strength, as Justin weakly struggled.

                Bigwig gritted his buck teeth as the memories, thoughts he had hidden so deeply, not even Hazel-rah and El-ahrairah were aware of them, managed to creep out into his consciousness:

                _It was when Hazel and Fiver had first tried to warn their Chief Rabbit, the Threarah, back in the warren of Sandleford, about Fiver's visions of doom for their home.  After their dismissal, the aging Chief Rabbit then ordered Bigwig to come within his presence...forcefully, meaning that he was due for an incredible dressing down.  Bigwig then told the Threarah that he didn't care much about the Owsla life if it meant serving some senile, stubborn fool.  Angered beyond words, the Chief Rabbit than sneered, "Very well then, Thlayli, enjoy your exile with the other useless outskirters, you tiresome deserter!  I can honestly say I made a mistake in trusting you to be an Owsla rabbit!  Now, get out of my sight, you disgrace!"_

_                Bigwig left, but as he marched down the tunnel angrily, the fur-cropped rabbit was surprised to find that his wounded pride made him tear up a bit at what he lost, at what he gave up.  His vision blurred, Bigwig managed to make his way out of the tunnel, past the snickering fellow Owsla rabbits that overheard the "private" conversation and were thoroughly enjoying Bigwig's downfall._

_                In another memory, it was when Bigwig had just released the Efrafan does along with Blackavar, and despite seeking shelter at the arch, it was almost too much for them as Campion and General Woundwort arrived with their army.  Upon seeing Woundwort, Thethuthinnang screamed, "Thlayli!  The General!  The General!  Oh, what shall we do?!"_

                _Bigwig felt his whole world fall apart upon seeing the demonic rabbit, the monstrosity and abomination of nature and the deepest cruelty and authoritarianism.  Bigwig felt his blood run cold, his heart pump ice, his breath quiver and tremble.  Bigwig knew then that to fail to put on an act of bravery would send every other rabbit in a spiral of defeat and bleakness.  Despite the plan, despite the urge to fight, despite the blessings of Frith and El-ahrairah, Bigwig could and would never forget that one moment of fear, of terror, of helplessness and loss.  He wanted to give up, to ask for mercy.  He wished, for that one instant, that he was never asked to do this mission, that it was unfair that he had to carry the burden of succeeding or lying from failure, that everyone had to depend on him when in fact... Bigwig had no one to depend on for himself.  He was a lone maverick soldier, an isolated hermit of a warrior, and because of that, though his heart would never be vulnerable...it would never be comforted and touched either.  It was then clear that Bigwig, if he were meant to die on this night, he would die bravely, but alone._

                Bigwig got up.

                                                                                ***

                "You are a plague, a danger, to every creature in this land!!  Everything you do is for your own self, to fulfill your own needs, to satisfy your own wants, without giving a damn about the other creatures around you, without even sparing those less fortunate than your fat, worthless hide!!!"  There was another crack as General Woundwort no longer had the patience to look in Justin's bloodied face and instead threw the teenager hard against the floor, flinging him around like a rag doll.

                Acorn felt tears blur his eyes as he realized that he knew exactly what Woundwort felt:

                _It was back in the physical world where Acorn was still a young buck, just barely past half a year and he remembered he had such high expectations, such unyielding hopes, when he attempted to join the Owsla of Sandleford warren.  Acorn remembered that one training trial, the assessment that could finalize Captain Holly's decision to allow him into the Owsla, was when Captain Holly took Acorn, Nightshade, and a buck called Mistletoe for a raid on a neighboring farm.  Acorn, along with the two other bucks, were ordered to find some flayrah in the discreetness of the night and reconvene back to the warren while avoiding any elil they came across.  Acorn was able, to his delight, while edging against the wooden frame of the barn, to come across a lone bunch of fresh radishes, tied expertly together by their supple, green stems.  The farmer and his men must have inadvertently dropped it while gathering and storing their crops into the barn.  What luck!  It was enough to feed Acorn and three other bucks for a great night of simple feasting.  Though Acorn found it heavy, what kept him determined was the joy of feeling pride that he would feel from Holly's praise.  Surely this would allow him to be in the Owsla!  Surely now he would be happy, happiness he longed for all his life!  Yet it was not to be.  Acorn, while dragging the bounty, suddenly found himself face to face with Mistletoe, his beige and white fur depicting a gentle illusion from the brutal intentions running in his mind.  Acorn was puzzled as Mistletoe, who was a great deal taller and heavier than Acorn, advanced towards him._

_                "My, my, my," Mistletoe snarled, "It appears the runt, the under-weighted outskirter has gotten a blessing from El-ahrairah.  A blessing that should really go to a real rabbit such as me!"_

_                Acorn realized what this meant, and he squealed, "No, please don't!  Please!  I found this flayrah!  It is my own right, my accomplishment!"_

_                Mistletoe said nothing as he tackled Acorn and brutally cuffed him, beating the weaker rabbit until Acorn was senseless and barely moving.  Acorn could feel the sharp jabs from Mistletoe's claws still embedded into his flesh and trembling with shock, sadness, and shame, Acorn saw the buck carry off the radishes Acorn worked so hard to find.  Mistletoe now was taking off with Acorn's flayrah, and now, surely, once the rabbits at Sandleford see his task completed, he would surely be in the Owsla and have a glorious life of adventure and liberties, liberties that outskirters would never enjoy or relish in.  Acorn had lost his sole chance...to a buck that was better than he was.  Acorn wanted to get up, to run, to chase after his only chance of being in the Owsla, but instead, the skinny, brown rabbit could not even find the strength to rise as he just lay there, on his belly, amongst the weeds and tall grass, with a blank look of disbelief on his face masking the turmoil and screams that were churning in his stomach._

                _There was another time Acorn met up with Mistletoe, about several months later, when it was in the dead of winter, cold, dark, and a time of nothingness.  Acorn, who was shivering from the windy frost, managed to bring about some dead moss as a blanket of warmth in his burrow where he slept with several of the other outskirters of the warren  It wasn't the best burrow, with cracks, crumbling dirt, and being thin and narrow, but it was home to Acorn.  Yet, as he was about to retreat into sleep, he, to his shock and outrage, saw Mistletoe entering his run and fouling Acorn's moss for his own bed and he laid there, wordlessly stealing the buck's burrow.  Furious, but helpless, Acorn felt the injustice and pain of having what little he had be taken so heartlessly from some who never gave a damn about his well-being, but there was nothing he could do except whimper in chill in the Sandleford den, devoid of any other rabbits, where only the cold air would caress near him._

_                Several years later, when Acorn entered the land beyond life, the endless green, peaceful knolls of the meadows of Fenlo, during the brutal frost on Watership Down, Acorn was slightly heated and bitter from leaving his home, his friends, his life, just when he had just started to enjoy the peaceful paradise of Watership Down.  It literally made the rabbit brooding and in an extremely foul mood.  Which made things much worse when Mistletoe, who had perished in the destruction of Sandleford, had just seen Acorn's spirit arrive to the haven, and had obviously thought that it was certainly a good time to make amends with the soldier.  After all, he and the rest of the rabbits had heard the wonderful tales El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle had told them about their fellow rabbits surviving and making a true haven in the physical world, becoming legendary heroes.  Mistletoe looked sheepish, and slightly nervous as he tried to make his voice sound jovial and welcoming, "Acorn, jolly, old chap!  It is certainly wonderful to see you again!"_

_                Acorn did not answer, his grief and fuming anger hidden and obscure in the shadows of his face.  Mistletoe then tried to say what had been on his conscience for quite while._

_                "Look, bucko...I...I know I don't deserve to even say this to you, rabbit to rabbit...but I just wished to let you know chap, that everything I did to you, every unfair act, every deed of cruelty, every mean and horrible prank, act, and cuff I ever committed against you...I am truly sorry.  Believe me Acorn, if I could, I would go back and undo everything I ever did...but I cannot, and for that, I am sorry I have done such terrible acts against a noble Watership rabbit such as -" yet the rest of Mistletoe's sincere apology was abruptly and rudely cut off as the homesick Acorn, at the mention of Watership Down, cuffed Mistletoe furiously in the nose, drawing blood.  Cursing and in shock, Mistletoe just let the blood drip off his face as Acorn screamed at his former antagonist, "Don't you ever speak to me, you wretch!!  Do you think I want your apologies, your excuses, your meaningless thoughts and condolences?!  Embleer Frith, you made my life back at Sandleford a life of sadness, repression, and hurt!!  You honestly think I will forgive you for ruining my life, my chance of joy and happiness, for stealing what little I had?!!  Saying words of regret does not bring those chances back, you rotter!!  Get away from me!!  I can never forgive for what you have done!!!"_

_                With that, Acorn stomped off, leaving a hurt Mistletoe to tend to his wounds, but instead of the smug contentment and fulfillment Acorn dreamed of receiving from justly refusing to forgive and forget, instead, he felt disgusted with himself, and the anger refused to subside.  It just settled into a numb feeling in the rabbit's gut._

                Acorn got up.

                                                                                ***

                "You think you know sadness and suffering?!!  You think you can fully comprehend what all creatures of Frith have to endure because of you, because of men, because of the fact that they must face a bleak future due to the fact that no matter what we do, our efforts would be in vain because men gave himself the right and the authority to treat animals as food and slaves?!!  That no matter how hard we try to survive, men just simply wipe us out without even a thought of remorse?!!"

                Blackberry felt the sting of accusations strike his heart as he, despite his now crippled forepaws, managed to prop himself up to remember his life at Sandleford:

                _Blackberry lived decently with his father, mother, and two sisters, and with him being the eldest, Blackberry made sure he would always fulfill the role of the protective, older sibling, not like others rabbits who had bullied and cuffed their smaller sisters and brothers for the sport of it.  Blackberry remembered how much his father took him under his paw, joked with his only son, told him multiple times how often he was proud of his offspring and how he always advised the black-eared rabbit to always remain curious, watchful, cautious, and observant.  Blackberry remembered his father chuckling as he gently lectured to his son, "Blackberry, I wish for you to always be on alert and rely on your wits, your cunning, and the inspiration Frith has blessed you with.  Be sure to use it to take care of your mother and sisters whenever I am not around, all right, you little scamp?"_

_                Small and still an innocent kitten, Blackberry giggled, "Father, I won't have to!  You will always be around with us forever!"_

_                Blackberry's father just smiled warmly, not saying a word, as he fatherly hugged and tickled his son, causing the both of them to roll around, wrestling and laughing like loons.  That was the last thing Blackberry had ever done with his father for two days later, the male parent was killed by a hrududu when Blackberry' father was coming back home from a raid with a fresh turnip to provide for his family.  Unfortunately, that loving act cost the rabbit his life, and Blackberry and his family just silently looked at the remains of their loved one the next morning when they discovered he had not returned as of late and went off to find him...only to discover the gruesome accident.  The mother and sisters left, but Blackberry, frozen and in unfathomable grief, just stayed there mournfully, looking at the bloody remains of his father's body, too sad to cry, too cold to move.  Damn the human using the hrududu!  Damn them all!  They took his father away!  They ruined Blackberry's family!  It was not fair!  As Blackberry continued to remain near the road of his father's death, from that day on, Blackberry's heart grew as cold, hard, and impenetrable as rock, no longer being a slave to his emotions.  It just was not worth getting hurt again.  His wits and inspiration, the two things his caring father praised the most, was what Blackberry would resolve to from now on for it would never betray him._

_                That was what he decided on that day, and on the day his mother passed away from old age, and on the day one of his sisters was killed by a boy using a slingshot, and on the day when he heard that his Sandleford home had perished at the hands of men.  Each act of loss, instead of sending Blackberry to grief, had simply made the rabbit resolve that nothing good would ever come from the world of humans._

                Blackberry got up.

                                                                                ***

                "You do not know how many tears I've shed over the deaths I've seen, over the anguish I felt, all because of you and your blasted race!!  DAMN YOU!!!  You don't know what I've lost, how I've tried to keep all rabbits safe in Efrafa, to spare them from the heartaches of loss, only to have them turn their backs on my legacy and curse my name once your Watership friends came!!" Woundwort screamed as he cuffed Justin hard across the face.

                Old Holly, past Captain of Owsla in Sandleford, could hear the cries of pain and regret from misjudgment causing his weary bones to ache as he recalled back:

                _In the days of Sandleford, when Holy, was a bit younger, drier, and certainly more demeaning, harsh, and arrogant, the Owsla captain remembered the fateful day before the Sandleford rabbits fled and abandoned the warren, two of the outskirters, Hazel and Fiver, requested to see the Chief rabbit in front of himself and Bigwig.  Holly just crossly glared at them while chewing on a patch of burnet._

_                "Bigwig!" Holly barked, "What do they want?!"_

_                Bigwig replied simply, "They wish to see the Chief Rabbit."_

_                "What for?"  Now Holly's voice got darker and suspicious.  Fiver opened his mouth to speak of the warnings his visions gave him, but the Owsla captain then rudely cut the small buck before he could say anything, ordering to Bigwig, snidely, "Send them away."  Of all the nerve!  Those two outskirters, requesting to talk to the Chief Rabbit, the Threarah?!  Such insolence, such daring, such insult!  What did they know compared to the glorious Threarah and himself, a captain of the powerful Owsla?  They knew more about running, maintaining, and protecting a warren full of hrair rabbits than a whole field of outskirters would know! Those two lunatics were just troublemakers...and as such, he would be keeping an eye on them._

_                Later that very night, Hazel was leading a group of rabbits away from Sandleford when Holly, Bluebell, and another Owsla rabbit cut them off.  Holly was fuming.  He should have killed those two rabbits the moment he had the chance, before they could have caused all this chaos of dissention and mutiny.  They were a threat to himself and the Threarah.  Hazel, firm and protective, warned Holly, "Go.  Now.  Or we'll kill you."_

_                That was the final blow to Holly's foolish pride, and he moved for the kill, but Bigwig leapt in and stopped Holly from committing the deed, adding more to the weights of shock, outrage and affront to his self-importance and honor.  Holly swore that if he ever got the chance, he would kill Bigwig and Hazel for challenging his authority and position in the Sandleford Owsla.  As the rabbits fled, Holly still held to his belief that he was right, that the Threarah was right, that Hazel and the other traitors were all fools and would perish.  Those wretches would be leading those bungling, useless, pathetic rabbits to their deaths, and Holly felt haughty at the thought of crowing over their demise._

_                That thought quickly evaporated the next day when Holly, Toadflax, Pimpernel, and Bluebell witnessed, to their despair and horror, the sight of the tractors and the men desecrating their home, their warren, and all throughout the fields were strewn with torn soil, ruined plants, and the lifeless bodies of their friends and families, does, bucks and kittens all alike.  Holly then knew, he knew, that he was the fool, that he was wrong, and the thought of what he did, how he had a paw in leading so many rabbits to their deaths, left a bitter taste of shame and cold sickness in his stomach.  Nothing could ever right this moment ever again.  His pride, his intentions, his name led to the warren's downfall, and the thought of having El-ahrairah cursing Holly's soul for being such an obdurate fool and for being such a pompous puffball made Holly wish he had died with the others on that very day.  He did not know what was worse: observing the demolition of Sandleford or having to go up to Bigwig and Hazel like a true cowardly fool and having to admit he was wrong and humbling himself if he ever lived to find them._

                Holly got up.

                                                                                ***

                "All my work, all my worry, all my pain, all my efforts to rule over Efrafa and have it conform to my ideals of being a rabbit, of being happy and safe...all destroyed by the likes of your friends!!!  And to have them turn traitor to all animals to protect you, without giving a tharn care about the well-being and consideration of all animals who were destroyed and wiped out by men is an insult too cruel to bear!!!" Woundwort raged as he blasted Justin so hard, Justin felt his broken arm crack again, and the pain was so intense, Justin cried.

                Bluebell wanted to so give in to just simply curdle into a ball and shut out his senses, lost in his own little world of torment:

                _Bluebell was inside the tunnels of the Sandleford warren, choking under the effects of the noxious gas that flooded the warren, smothering the rabbits and turning the air thick with the stench of death and suffering.  It was dark, Bluebell had no idea of where he was going.  He was so dizzy.  He obviously could not make heads or tails of the situation, and despite the light-headed feeling, Bluebell knew he was going to die...and it scared him.  He was away from his family, away from the Threarah, away from the Owsla, all the rabbits he had lived with and played with.  Bluebell would have been willing to do anything, just to be sure that he would not die alone, cold, and sick in every miserable sense.  It was the worst feeling in world, and even to this day, Bluebell was never able to shake off that fear._

_                When Pimpernel, Holly, and Bluebell managed to escape the destruction of Sandleford and trace their way towards Watership Down, they inadvertently rested at Warren of Shining Wires, the warren where the others had nearly gotten Bigwig killed by the snares.  As soon as Cowslip and the other rabbits learned of Holly's identity, they attacked him, Bluebell and Pimpernel.  Bluebell and Holly were able to escape by the very fur on their skins, but Pimpernel, weakened and ill from the gas, was unable to escape._

_                Bluebell cried to Holly, "Captain Holly, we have to go back!!  Pimpernel is still back there with those rabbits!!"_

_                Holly commanded reasonably, "Bluebell, old chap, we can't turn back now.  Those rabbits outnumber us hrair to just us.  If we go back, both of us shall surely die by their paws, and Pimpernel, Frith save his soul, will not make it even if we did return to rescue him."_

_                A scream from Pimpernel sounded in the air, which instantly choked and gurgled, as if the rabbit's throat was filled with blood and being ripped out from the poor being's body.  The scream was now reduced to whimpers and silence before being overwhelmed by the roars and yells of the gleeful, vicious alien rabbits out for blood._

_                Bluebell could not help but sob, "We left Pimpernel to die, Holly!  O Frith and Inle, I cannot even make a joke to help us forget what had happened, what we had just seen!"_

_                And for once in his life, the jester was completely devoid of any humor, for not even a simple tease could erase and mull the tragic loss.  They had just witnessed the slaying of a dear friend, and one of the remaining few who had succeeded in escaping death by the hands of man...only to find himself delivered to death at the paws of rabbits.  The ultimate irony was also tragic.  And that was what Bluebell all the more sadder and colder._

                Bluebell got up.

                                                                                ***

                "Why couldn't you just die?!!  No animal in this land will ever love you of their own free will, no animal will ever trust you, and even if you do what you were meant to do, you honestly think that those fools will look upon you as some sort of savior?!  As their sovereign messiah?!!  No, they will turn on you the instant you help them, and then they will forget who you were or what you ever done for them!!  You...twisted...arrogant...bastard!!!" Woundwort screamed as he rammed his claws into Justin's upper torso, nearly crushing the boy's heart and lungs and leaving Justin windless.

                Buckthorn's eyes burned and the stolid buck shut his eyes and winced as he bowed his head down, maintaining all his willpower not to cry as his past surfaced in his mind:

_                Buckthorn was just under a yearling, due to making the Owsla very soon back at Sandleford.  He was busy at silflay one evening in late autumn, when he noticed several of the Owsla bucks were busy dragging and carrying back some lettuces for the Threarah.  One stolid, beige buck was having a difficult time with two succulent, baby vegetables, and exhausted, the buck dropped his bounty and paused on all fours, panting and breathless.  Then the buck looked up at Buckthorn, who blushed, realizing his was staring._

_                The buck called to Buckthorn, "Hey, you there chap!  Could you give me some well-needed assistance?"  Buckthorn silently nodded, and between the two bucks, they managed to safely and quickly store both lettuces into the burrows.  The Owsla veteran turned to the younger outskirter._

_                "I very much appreciated the help, bucko.  My name's Lichen, chap."_

_                "Buckthorn.  Pleasure to make acquaintances."_

_                Lichen then warmly smiled, "Say, Buckthorn, when the next time us Owsla rabbits go for a garden raid, how would you like to jolly come along?  We could use a buck like you to train for our Owsla!"_

_                Buckthorn's eyes sparkled; this was the chance he was waiting for!_

_                "Yes, sir!"_

_                "Good, then I'll see fu Inle at this very spot, all right then chap?"  Lichen then ruffled the spot between Buckthorn's ears affectionately, brotherly, and that act of intimacy made Buckthorn feel so alive, so warm, so useful and needed.  The buck could not wait to meet up with Lichen on his promise, but come the next night, Buckthorn was severely and brutally disappointed.  As the youngster came to the assigned meeting place, he did not see Lichen, but several unfamiliar Owsla rabbits.  Apparently, they were waiting for others to reconvene before going for another raid of flayrah from a nearby barn.  And they also weren't very happy to see Buckthorn, an outsider, join in on their reserved activity._

_                "What are you doing here, outskirter?" growled one buck._

_                Buckthorn bravely held his ground as he said shortly, "I was invited, by Lichen."_

_                "Liar!" snarled another Owsla soldier, "What right-minded buck would ever consider associating himself with a runt such as yourself?!"_

_                "I'll send him back," promised a large, black buck as he reached out to grab Buckthorn, but undaunted, Buckthorn leapt out of the veteran's reach and delivered a swift cuff, forcing the paw to not touch him.  There was an involuntary gasp, the Owsla bucks shocked that an outskirter would be so arrogant and presumptuous enough to fight back and attack an Owsla soldier.  Such impudence!  He must pay!_

_                Before any blood could break forth, Lichen emerged, irritated and asking, "What in the name of the Black Rabbit is going on here?!"_

_                "This...this weakling tried to come along with us to our garden raid!" snarled a buck, pointing a paw and Buckthorn who was now being pinned down by two heavy bucks, writhing, "The impudent annoyance claims that you, Lichen, invited him to come along with us, and when we tried to send him away, he attacked Mulberry!  That audacious outskirter must be made an example!"_

_                Buckthorn looked at Lichen, almost pleading.  If Lichen told the truth, Buckthorn would be free and he could go along and be protected and enjoy a night of Owsla fun.  Unfortunately, it was not to be.  Lichen narrowed his eyes maliciously at Buckthorn and rumbled, "I do not recognize the chap.  He is obviously mocking all of you.  We have never met."_

_                Buckthorn could not hear anything else over the roaring of outrage and humiliation surging in his ears, nor could he feel anything else except the Owsla rabbits giving him a good beating.  Buckthorn was barely able to crawl back to his burrow where he laid for a day, wallowing in the betrayal and misery of Lichen, the one rabbit Buckthorn bothered to trust, to hope for such a bond of friendship._

Buckthorn got up.

                                                                                ***

                "You stupid, little boy!!  You're just doing this to glorify yourself, and you are as mad as that troublemaking seer, Fiver!!  Your words of kindness and hope have no meaning to any right-minded animal, for everyone can see the truth: you are taking advantage of any fool who believes the hraka sprouting from you mouth, from the lies and deceit, all to make your own life easier and to selfishly ease your burdens, without giving a thought about how many innocents you had to destroy for it!!"

                The wise Strawberry then realized, for the first time in his life, that Woundwort and himself were actually not that different at all:

_                It was back at the Warren of the Shining Wires, and Strawberry and his doe, Nildro-hain, were busy showing Hazel around, including the stone "shapes" embedded and made in the dirt walls of the run by the rabbit, Laburnum.  Of course, at that time, Hazel and the other Sandleford rabbits had no idea that Cowslip and Strawberry and the other rabbits were plotting to sacrifice them as bait to the snares as the farmer's prey, just so that they could live a bit longer and prolong their own deaths.  Strawberry remembered he felt pain and great shame at deceiving these innocent outsiders.  But then he remembered that he was doing this for his doe, Nildro-hain, and his family, and his future.  He could not stop now, and though it was certainly inequitable, Hazel and the others must die before they could._

_                Hazel questioned some aspects of Strawberry's speech, staring at him with incredulity.  "But men won't shoot a homba."_

_                "Well, he killed this one, anyway.  He kills owls too.  We never need to dig.  N one's dug in my lifetime.  A lot of the burrows are lying empty, you know: rats live in one part, but the man kills them as well, when he can.  We don't need expeditions.  There's better food here than anywhere else.  Your friends will be happy living here."  Strawberry had to wince at this last sentence, feeling the bitter taste of bile rise up in his mouth.  Happy?  Here?  The one, lone, unmentioned danger hiding in the running knot of the hedge gap was enough to lay waste to every single desire ever offered by this grand warren.  Such kind, gentle words of offering and fruitful endowments meant nothing!  They were just lies, illusions, deceptions, mirages!  Strawberry may have been acting benevolent and open, but deep inside, he felt blacker than the Black Rabbit of Inle._

_                Strawberry then saw, to his immeasurable sorrows, the Nildro-hain, his beautiful mate, loving, kind, and tender, had fallen victim to one of the snares.  In tears, Strawberry turned to Cowslip, sobbing, "Cowslip, one of our own has passed!  Nildro-hain is gone, dead!  My mate, my life!  I cannot go on like this!  Cowslip, please, this must stop!  We have been sending our own innocents to die when we all should have just left when we had the chance!"_

_                At this, Cowslip, scratched Strawberry, snarling, "Do not **ever** mention this to any rabbit if you value your place at this warren, you wretch!  You fool!  Can you not see the glory and beauty of Nildro-hain, of how she is now, after the snare?!  She is truly stunning, a sight that could inspire and stop the music of a thousand songs of grace and happiness and bliss!  You are a close-minded simpleton if you refuse to see this truth!  If you do not like her fate, then go in exile along with the rest of those miserable rabbits, you coward!"  It was then that Strawberry realized the lies, the madness, the evil, behind Cowslip and Silverweed's doings of benevolence and kindness...and it scared him.  He knew he was not safe at the runs where he called home anymore.  Still, even after he left, he could never shake off the guilt for what he had transpired along with the other rabbits of the cursed wires._

                Strawberry got up.

                                                                                ***

                "If you and your cursed protectors only knew how much I have gone through, you would be able to understand how much I hate you...ALL of you!!!  What gives you and those Watership rabbits the right to be held in such high esteem, to have a life of ease and love and carefree while I had to suffer in loneliness, hatred, bitterness, and scorn!!!  It was not fair!!  What did I do to deserve all that?!!  Damn it all, I was just a kitten!!  A bloody kitten!!!  And yet I had to see pain that no creature should have gone through!!!" Woundwort growled as he grabbed Justin by the throat with one formidable paw and lifted the boy clear off from the ground.

                The innocent Pipkin, wincing in pain, managed to whimper only slightly as he scuffled weakly on the cold floor, trying to rise as he remembered so much of his past life:

_                "Leave me alone!" cried Pipkin as he struggled and writhed desperately.  It was back at Sandleford in the physical realm where Pipkin was practically a kitten, or at least was the size of one.  He was now being bullied by two taller, bigger, stronger, and meaner Owsla rabbits.  The Owsla soldiers, stuck with the boring, remedial duties of sentry, decided to have some fun.  And Pipkin happened to be nearby.  As a result, one Owsla buck was sitting on Pipkin while the other was poking and lightly cuffing the outskirter's head relentlessly._

_                "Please, let me go!" Pipkin squealed._

_                "Oh some now chap," chortled the Owsla buck cruelly, "You should be jolly well happy that you are receiving some attention!"_

_                "Besides, it is considered an honor to be given so much from an Owsla rabbit," claimed the other, "After all, no one really would give much thought to such a weak, pygmy such as yourself.  That is why you do not have too many friends here, isn't it, bucko?  No rabbit ever notices you, thinks about you, cares about you even."_

_                "No!  It's not true!"  Pipkin was now crying alligator tears._

_                "Of course it is true!  I have heard your own mother and father mention to everyone in the warren that they cannot even remember raising and rearing such a wee rabbit kit!  Likely, they said you were not really their son!  More as if you were born to a couple of mayflies, and they simply gave you dock ears, a tail of clematis before pushing you into your mother's litter!" the Owsla rabbit chuckled as he rapped harder on Pipkin's skull._

_                "Stop it!  Stop it!!  Please!!  STOP!" sobbed a squealing Pipkin, almost suffocating underneath the heavy weight of the rabbit's body.  That was unquestionably not the only time Pipkin had with the older, more ambitious rabbits._

_                There was also another time when it was fu Inle, and there was no moon against the cloudy, drafty night sky.  Pipkin was trying to get what little grass there was left in the early winter (if he wasn't being rudely shoved away by the older, powerful rabbits), when without warning, the temperature began to drop and the drafts began to pick up, breezing through quicker and harsher.  a storm was coming.  A rabbit stamped, which sent every other Lapine creature on the field to bolt back to the burrows.  Pipkin, unluckily, managed to get his hind paw stuck in a narrow crack in the ground, half hidden from view, and Pipkin painfully realized that no matter how much he pulled, he could not free his wedged paw.  He was stuck._

_                "Please, someone help me!" Pipkin squealed as the rain began to come in, icy-cold and a thousand times worse with the howling winds.  Black clouds loomed overhead like haunting specters, trees lost their foliage, stripped to their bare branches and looking surprisingly like skeletal hands.  All of which increased Pipkin's terror and screaming, but to his anguish and misery, no one, not even his mother and father, came to see if he was all right.  Pipkin was now cold, soaked to the bone, and scared senseless and giving in to the cold, Pipkin allowed himself to pass out in the middle of the field.  Yet, by Frith or El-ahrairah's guidance, who else should show up from a scouting expedition only to be entangled by vines of ivy and left for dead by his Owsla comrades than a very morose, miserable Silver.  Silver managed to see Pipkin alone in the rainstorm before his heart nearly broke.  Gently, he was able to dig Pipkin's foot free of the crevice and carried the shivering, wet, unconscious rabbit with his mouth back into Sandleford where he warmed Pipkin next to his own huge body in Silver's own burrow.  After all, misery loved company.  And that was what Silver and Pipkin needed._

                Pipkin got up.

                                                                                ***

                "You, the cross-bearer, the almighty, powerful one who was meant to defeat Elil-rah?!  Surely you jest, you meddlesome, disgusting worm!!  You're weak, you're foolish, you're dense, and you have never and will never amount to anything significant in your life!!!  You are nothing more than a pitiful specimen of a human who was a mistake, a wasted life, a worthless, disappointing vagabond upon whose death will only bring relief and joy to the world that so despised you!!!  You are nothing!!!"  The General now single-handedly threw Justin away from his presence.

                Speedwell felt the words tear into his heart like a hot knife through butter as he could very well relate to every single word of condemnation and scorn in Justin's life...simply because he was subjected by the very same thing:

_                Speedwell was hopping by, hurriedly.  He wished it didn't have to be this way, but it did.  No matter what time of the day, no matter how varied Speedwell tried to adhere his feeding routines, and no matter how discreet he tried to make himself be, he always ran into a group of Owsla rabbits during any time rabbits were out to feed at Sandleford warren.  Speedwell simply could not avoid them.  They were everywhere.  And every time the white jester passed by, just to eat and feed, he could always feel their sneering glares, their fierce barbs from their tongues.  Speedwell always tried to ignore it silently; he knew what would happen if he so much as dared to protest against them.  Unfortunately, such ignorance could not prevent him from feeling rejection and loneliness._

_                "Look at that white weakling," whispered one Owsla buck loudly, unabashed, "Trying to search for something edible to eat to fill up that scrawny stomach of his.  Too bad that bucko's not in the Owsla where he can enjoy raids and feasting on flayrah, enough to feed a whole battalion and fit enough for El-ahrairah!"_

_                "Him??  That runt??  In the Owsla?!  Hah!  Surely you jest!  He's so shy and underweight, he couldn't even scare off a kitten, much less one of the Thousand!"_

_                "Shy?  You mean pathetic and cowardly!  The least he could do is give us the decency to get into a brawl with us, defend his own honor!  We could use a good laugh or so!"_

_                "You are obviously mistaken, chap!  How can that outskirter defend his honor when he has none to defend?  After all, who could possibly take pride in being a pitiful specimen of a rabbit, one who would never last a day in the lands outside of Sandleford, one who would turn his back on his very allies if things got too difficult, and who would surely wriggle out of any opportunity to do hard labor?"_

_                "Such a miserable example of El-ahrairah's legacy."_

_                "Frith must have stopped his blessings when that rabbit was born!"_

_                The laughter came within seconds...and so did Speedwell's tears as he tried to force himself to eat the dry, brittle grass against the cold, night air._

                Speedwell got up.

                                                                                ***

                "You're evil and you're selfish, Justin!  I know everything about you, your life, your troubles, and to tell you the truth, you deserved it, every little bit, because your destiny to become the cross-bearer would be a greater travesty to animals who never deserved to be injured from your powers of the cross!!!  You deserved to be alone!!!"

                The storyteller, Dandelion, managed to stand on his own two feet, nearly sinking back to the ground in defeat, but his face displayed a rare morose, glum expression as he merely glanced at the trails in his life:

_                Dandelion smiled with contentment as the kittens got up from their positions to go back home to their mothers, to be warmed by their furry bodies and their succulent milk in their cozy, homey borrows made just for their families in Watership Down.  He had just finished telling the younger rabbits "The Story of Rowsby Woof and the Fairy Wogdog" along with "The Story of the Three Cows", to their attentive, sparkling eyes of admiration and awe and gaping, open, hushed mouths.  As he made his way back to his own burrow, he could hear the kittens still chattering._

_                "Mother, Dandelion just gave us a very special treat because he said he cared for us very much!  He told us **two** stories!"_

_                "Isn't Dandelion the best storyteller on Watership Down?"_

_                "Not for just Watership Down!  I daresay you shan't find a better chap to tell stories than Dandelion in all over this world!"_

_                "He's so nice, always polite to us, never too tired to play with us and chase us around or play bobstones!"_

_                "Frith and Inle, he's much more like an older brother than an adult!"_

_                "I wish I could have him tell us tales and stories as long as I wish!"_

_                "I wish he was my father," one kitten sighed softly._

_                Dandelion sadly looked in his cold, dark burrow where he had always lived with and slept by himself, without any doe, without any mate, without any litter of kittens to greet him.  Unlike many of the others, he never was able to manage kindling a litter of healthy kittens with any doe that was able to arrive to Watership Down...because he was barren.  As a result, he never could have a family, never get to know the feeling what it would be like to have a son or a daughter, a kitten to spoil, to scold at, to mollycoddle, to talk to, to share with, to love.  It was far less painful whenever he could tell a story of El-ahrairah, like a true bard, but it paled in comparison to seeing the joy and peace on some of his friends' faces whenever they tended to their young and family.  It was something Dandelion would never be able to understand._

_                "I wish I was someone's father as well, young one," Dandelion sighed sadly to himself as he laid to rest._

                Dandelion got up.

                                                                                ***

                "Do you honestly think that I turned my back on Frith and El-ahrairah, you presumptuous wretch?!  THEY turned their backs on ME!!  They abandoned me!!  They knew what I was going to endure, what I was going to feel, how I was to suffer, and yet they didn't give a damn!!!"  Woundwort was now sobbing, his voice cracking with unresolved torment and chaos as he raked his claws across Justin's chest.

                Hawkbit, his sides bleeding, his paws stinging, managed to bite back the moans of pain building up in his throat, making him wish he could vomit, as the gray loudmouth the remembered some laborious images:

_                El-ahrairah was in his chambers of the warren in the meadows of Fenlo, and where all the faithful rabbits of his Owsla, along with the summoned Lapine subjects from Watership Down, just stood and paid heed to their Prince's message with anxiety, confusion, and excitement.  Already, he had told them about the legend of the cross-bearer and how he needed certain rabbits to achieve the task of protecting the human and accompanying him to the warren.  Bigwig, Hazel, Fiver, Holly, Fiver, of course, were the obvious choices.  Most of the other rabbits from Watership Down El-ahrairah had also chosen, and though it was questionable, none of the others had much of a negative bias against such a decision, except for Campion.  Yet, those little rebuttals were quelled when El-ahrairah calmed them down with his sound, kind, reasoning.  Yet, there was a furious uproar of disbelief and scandal when El-ahrairah made a final decision in choosing the remainder of the fellowship, "Hawkbit, I will also require your presence to be in this fellowship for the cross-bearer.  You are to be the final rabbit I choose to carry out this mission."_

_                The crowd reacted as one, and Hawkbit noted immediately, which melted his pride and joy, were the stern looks of disappointment coming from Holly and Bigwig._

_                "Hawkbit?!  Frith in a hole, El-ahrairah!  Have you gone mad?!" shouted Groundsel._

_                "That loudmouthed idiot cannot even be trusted to watch over kittens, much less his comrades and the cross-bearer!  Send a **deserving** rabbit in his place instead!" Flyairth growled, glaring at the blackish rabbit unceremoniously._

_                Even Rabscuttle (and this did hurt) suggested, "My Lord, surely you can find a more competent rabbit?"_

_                Hawkbit tried to cover the mortification and indignity he was feeling by giving everyone a mock glower, but he noticed that Bigwig was still not very happy about El-ahrairah's final decision, simply because Hawkbit's strength's were being crude, obnoxious, opinionated, and raucous.  His sentiments, along with the sentiments of the other Watership warriors, echoed in:_

_                "Hawkbit, you idiot!" Bigwig yelled, cuffing him._

_                "Hawkbit, will you shut up?!" Holly snapped, clamping the buck's mouth shut._

                _"Must you always speak your mind at the worst possible time?!!" groaned Blackberry._

            _"Maybe if you weren't such a mule-headed rabbit," growled Bigwig, silently telling every fiber in his body to resist the urge to beat the living daylights our of Hawkbit, "we'd think differently about you and your place in this mission, but even Frith knows that that will be as likely as you sprouting wings and flying away!  And need I remind you, you dung-smelling, foul-mouthed furball, that when El-ahrairah summoned all of us to go on the expedition to find Justin, he assigned Hazel-rah, Holly, and me as the leader and commanders of this Owsla because he trusted in our leadership abilities."_

            _"You and your big mouth always has to start something, doesn't it?!" snapped Dandelion._

            _"Hawkbit!  He's trying to say 'thank you', you unfeeling, bellyaching, selfish cocklebur!!" yelled Speedwell as he cuffed Hawkbit lightly on the head, "So be nice!!"_

_"Hawkbit, if you don't keep that trap of yours quiet, I'll certainly be more than willing to show you how hard the ground is with your head!!" snarled Buckthorn._

_                The tirade of snaps, heated frustrations, and cuffings was endless.  And so was the hurt._

                Hawkbit got up.

                                                                                ***

                "All they cared about was focusing their attention on blessing pure potential such as yourself and your damned protectors, and yet all the meanwhile, they ignored me because I could not meet their expectations, their ideals!!  They abandoned me!!  _They_ were the ones who wronged me!!  And yet you think because I lived differently and joined with Elil-rah I must truly be the despicable one?!   HOW DARE YOU!!!" Woundwort yelled as he kicked Justin brutally in the stomach, his claws tripping Justin's shirt to shreds.

                Silver, the blubber underneath his fur shaking with the sobs racking across the gray-furred rabbit's body, flowed and bulged as Silver, despite the tears, managed to endure the pain of the memories that came to him at Woundwort's testimony:

                _"How could you abandon the carrots while we were running away from that dog, Silver?!" screamed Scabious at him, enraged that Silver lost the flayrah bounty for the Threarah."_

_                "I'm sorry, it was an accident!  I couldn't help it!" Silver apologized, but the other rabbits weren't very considerate and understanding._

_                "By the light of Frith, I knew it was a mistake to let you come with us!!" complained Nightshade._

_                "You're always getting in the way, having trouble getting through tight scrapes because of your huge size, being easily spotted by elil by more than a hrair distance because of your silver fur, always attracting attention!!" put in Pimpernel._

_                "What's the matter, Silver?!  Nothing to say in your defense, you clumsy, huge oaf?!  By the Black Rabbit, how in the name of Frith did such a mild, inadequate, overweight rabbit such as yourself ever become an Owsla soldier?!!" sneered Nightshade, seeing Silver's eyes water in shame and offense._

_                "By the Black Rabbit, wait until I tell the rest of the chaps back at Sandleford!!  You'll be lucky not to get laughed out of the warren, you fat, irresponsible idiot!!" shot Toadflax, "After all everyone knows that the reason you are even in the Owsla in the first place is because you're the Threarah's nephew, so you don't even deserve to be a true honorary Owsla soldier!!"_

                _"Please, help me!" shouted a younger, drier Silver as he tried to loosen himself from the bramble of vines that messily tangled and entwined his hind legs.  He, Toadflax and Pine Needles, after feasting in a farmer's garden, ran out and made their way through a narrow gap between two, lush undergrowths of thick ivy.  Unfortunately, because of Silver's size, he got caught again and was delaying the others.  Toadflax just sneered at him._

_                "And endanger ourselves with elil prowling about?!  You can forget it!  You got yourself into this mess, you can get yourself out!  Come now, Pine Needles, let's return to Sandleford."  Both of the bucks turned and started hopping off, slowly and deliberately, to spite the pained Silver._

_                "Are you sure it's safe?  Shouldn't we help him?" Silver heard Pine Needles whisper.  Toadflax laughed._

_                "He won't last long in the Owsla anyway, and even if he can't get out of this mess, it wouldn't make much of a difference.  Even the Threarah told Holly and I that he wished Silver would just die so that our warren and his reputation doesn't get tarnished from his bumbling, overweight nephew.  He's nobody, and he's not even important.  He's about as helpful as the outskirters!"  As Toadflax and Pine Needles chortled cruelly, Silver gnawed away at the vines wrapped around his legs, half-heartedly wishing that elil would come to put him out of his misery, his pain, his torment.  Yet, ironically for the weeping rabbit in the dark night, no elil came._

                Silver got up.

                                                                                ***

                "Maybe you'll truly understand why I hate you and the rest of El-ahrairah's legacy!!  Maybe you and the rest of those fools will understand why Elil-rah is the true savior of this world, why Frith's values are nothing, if you even had the faintest sliver of the knowledge how much it hurts to be cursed, to be ignored and scorned, to try to live to everyone's expectations, only to feel hurt and burning anger at the sight of others enjoying to witness your failures, your ideals mocked, and nothing you do could ever change the fact that you will always be nothing more than a deep disappointment!!" General Woundwort bellowed.

                Hazel, Chief Rabbit of Watership Down past, renowned and legendary rabbit of El-ahrairah's legacy, one of the most resourceful and cunning and inspirational rabbits Lapine history has ever known, was, for that one moment, in complete understanding of Woundwort:

                _The Black Rabbit, while they were trying to escape from the comical fields, glared at Hazel with his cold, unforgiving eyes as he stated, El-ahrairah also trusted Hazel in leading the Owsla of Watership Down to fight against Elil-rah and protect the cross-bearer, but after hrair brushes with danger and near-failures of having the human killed, I can honestly say with conviction that I do not believe Hazel  is capable of continuing his duty as the commander.  The rest of you, the members of the infamous Owsla of El-ahrairah, all of you have proven yourselves worthy as rabbits of the highest nobility, for all of you have shown blessings of power and courage and cunning worthy of El-ahrairah's legacy, all used to protect Justin.  Yet what troubles me is that Hazel has not proven himself, and if the cross-bearer has not chosen to bless him with power, then I am justified in thinking that perhaps, it would be more beneficial if Holly or Bigwig took control of Hazel's duties for the time being._

                _Hazel then remembered, with rising bile, what he did when he and the other Watership warriors had to go leave with Damien and abandoning Justin, how he disappointed everyone, how they were angry and outraged at his decisions:_

_                Pipkin was inconsolable as he turned to Hazel fiercely, whimpering, "Orders?!  Orders?!  Hazel-rah, how can you believe that?!  El-ahrairah would have never asked us to follow Damien!  And we left Holly behind!  He was just fighting for Justin's honor and defending him, and Damien was the one who injured him!  And yet we had to leave Holly behind because we needed to follow the new human!"_

_                "And what about Justin, Hazel-rah?!" Buckthorn snapped angrily, "What in the name of the Black Rabbit did he ever do to deserve this from Frith and El-ahrairah?!  He was our friend, our comrade, who did nothing but show us friendship and understanding, and yet we broke his heart and conveniently forgot all he had ever done for us!  He was the cross-bearer too!"_

                _"By Frith and Inle, not even El-ahrairah would do such an deed!!  I do not even know why I even look up to you as a Chief Rabbit, you...you rotter!!" yelled Hawkbit._

                _"You're the one to blame, Hazel!" screamed Strawberry, his voice artic and accusatory, "You could have stopped all this!  You could have made the decision to dismiss the accusations about me when Silverweed was disguised as Justin!  You could have had more faith and trust in me, after all I have gone through with you back in our physical lifetimes!  Embleer Frith in a hole, you're the bally leader!  We look up to you to make the right choice!  You should have known better than to even think that I'd betray Justin, but you didn't!  You couldn't!!  You just stood there and kept silent, unsure about what to do, and you did not object to Bigwig and Silver banishing me away, even after I swore my innocence!!  Embleer Frith, if you were any type of a brilliant leader, you would have remembered all that, gotten down to the bottom of this whole mess, and Justin would not have had to die by saving me!!  Justin died because of your hesitance and indecision!"_

_                Yet what was the most humiliating and the most pivotal image of how much Hazel could sympathize with Woundwort...was the memory of bowing to Damien, submitting his service like a lower, common servant, cracking and shattering the faith and trust of all his friends in that one moment._

                Hazel got up.

                                                                                ***

                Woundwort then heavily pinned Justin to the ground, his claws pressing hard against Justin's shoulders and preventing the teen from even having the chance to use his arms to struggle and writhe out of his grip.  Yet, it wasn't even a possibility.  Justin was on the brink of consciousness, his breath now ragged, uneven, and the human had to breathe deep, gulping breaths to even quell the fire in his chest.  Justin's eyes were half-open, and the part glazed look made the adolescent's pupils seemed drained, surrendering, and at a loss.  And throughout the cross-bearer's body, blood and gore was apparent everywhere.  His broken arm was now showing bone and ragged, pulpy flesh, his blood now forming a crimson patch on Justin's clothes.  Justin was now done for; if he was not going to die now, at Woundwort's paws, he would certainly die from his injuries later without medical aid.  And none of the Watership rabbits were blessed with the power of healing.

                "It is over, you pathetic wretch," growled Woundwort as his teeth reached for Justin's windpipe, "Farewell, you troublesome curse!"  Yet, before the General's teeth could break the skin, a voice, shrill with urgency and loss, bellowed out so strongly, Woundwort had to stop.

                "Don't!"

                Woundwort turned ever so slowly behind him.

                "**DON'T!!!**"  It was Bigwig, and though obviously hurt and holding his bleeding side excruciatingly with one paw, the fur-cropped rabbit, with sorrowful eyes, managed to shakily stand on his hind feet as he mustered his remaining strength to address to Woundwort.

                "You're wrong, Woundwort.  You're wrong about Justin!  For the love of all Frith has created, do not kill the boy!  PLEASE!!  He...he has done more for me than any other rabbit I have ever known!!"  Woundwort's eyes slightly widened; this was certainly the first Bigwig has ever humbled himself to the enemy, actually pleading, like a small child.  The others of the Watership Owsla also managed to rise and testify.

                Fiver strongly proclaimed, despite the blood running into his mouth, "Woundwort, I know you certainly do not trust us nor do you trust El-ahrairah, but you are making a severe, grave mistake.  O embleer Frith, General Woundwort, can you not see that to shed Justin's blood makes you no better than the misfortunes and the men that have brought shame and harsh misery to your own past?  Woundwort, the boy is the most innocent soul I have ever seen...and he is no different from the innocent kitten that lost his family to the weasel and the man a long time ago.  The kitten you once were."

                Hawkbit managed to growl, "We are not lying and we are not deluded, Woundwort!  Can't you see we are telling the truth?!!  Justin is the cross-bearer because he was meant to save this world, not destroy it!!  You are the fool, Woundwort!!  Can't you see that what you think, what Elil-rah told you, isn't true?!  It's a lie, all of it!!!  Just because you were treated unfairly doesn't mean you can blame us or the boy, you wretch!!  _Our_ lives were not a field of wildflowers and clover, you cheat!!" 

                Bluebell, though injured, also managed to stand up and defend Justin's actions with his words of sincere friendship.  "You...you have been hurt, and...and we can see that, poor chap.  You're NOT alone!  All of us have felt some of your pain exactly!  We know what it feels like...to be alone, to be scared, to survive on your wits and never have a moment's peace.  For the sake of El-ahrairah, you are not the only one!  We all have been through pain beyond description!  We have all felt loss and hurt!"

                Strawberry then choked as he nearly sobbed while testifying, "All of us have felt the torture that comes from men!  I came from the Warren of Shining Wires, Campion was subjected to the rigors, shame and cruelty of Efrafa during your rule, and Hazel-rah and the other Sandleford rabbits lost their home because men destroyed it and all their lands, just to make runs for their own selves!  We're not lying and we know you see the truth, that there are men who are the cause of all our plagues!  But that is only a partial truth, Woundwort!"

                Blackberry then quietly supplicated, "Woundwort, I do agree with your that most men are evil and that they should never be trusted, and yes, I still have reservations about Justin," (at this admission, some of the Watership Owsla threw Blackberry dirty looks), "I too, I have known the pain that comes from men, but please realize that Justin had never once betrayed our trust, our mission, and though he is foolish and impulsive, the fact that he follows his heart shows that he is good inside!  Never once have his actions led to pain and misery!  His spirit is no different from El-ahrairah!"

                "There will always exist the pain of being a rabbit, of being subjected to the short-sighted cruelties of the Thousand, of man, of fear and having to live on cunning and tricks without any rest or respite.  But General Woundwort, can you not see what a mistake, what an error you are about to perform?  Justin never caused us any of that pain; instead, he took it away from us, erased it from our minds and hearts because he gave us, all of us, something special...his friendship, his compassion, his kindness," Buckthorn barely managed to speak above a whisper as he limped forward, his leg still sprained horrifically.

                "Woundwort, Justin was not given the powers of the cross-bearer on a whim," cried a shivering, traumatized Silver, "Justin was chosen because of his heart, and even with your knowledge of the boy, you have no idea of how much we have bonded with the boy, of how much we have not really cared that we are different, that we were meant to be enemies, and that despite it all, Justin trusted us because he cared about us, thought of us as his family, and never once gave in the desire to quit and abandon the need for El-ahrairah, though it would have been so much simpler.  Justin is not evil, Woundwort.  He is not the one responsible for your pain."

                Dandelion then sobbed, "You're wrong about Justin, Woundwort.  He is truly the one human who is different from the rest!  He is not like other men you have seen in your life!  Embleer Frith, Woundwort, we love him!!  Can't you see that?!  We love that human, just as we are sure he loves us!!  He is our friend, the truest friend you could ever wish for!!"

                Pipkin then begged with tears streaking down his face, "Please, do not kill Justin!  Do not listen to Elil-rah!!  Justin isn't evil!  He never was!  Yes, he has faults, he is not holy nor is he a god, and he is not above all others, but he knows that and never pretends to be.  Nor is he what you and Elil-rah perceive him to be!  He...he is our friend and we are honored to have even met him!  And he could be your friend as well, Woundwort!  He can stop the pain, take away the loneliness, give you hope!"

                Speedwell then cried out with painful distress, "You truly have no idea how far off you are when you said all those things about the cross-bearer, about Justin, Woundwort!  He is not the worthless, despicable cause of every single disaster and curse that befell you and your legacy!  The boy was chosen because of his heart, because of his loyalty, his grace, his gentleness, and his faith!!  You are just blaming him because he is an easy target, a scapegoat for your troubles!!  Just because you think you know how men are does not mean the same applies to Justin, you fool!!"

                Campion then stated weakly, his breath dying, "General Woundwort, please, think this through!  El-ahrairah and Frith have requested for Justin to come here, and the boy did not choose to enter the land beyond life!!  None of this was his doing!!  He came because he was brought here, forced really, but despite the unfairness of it, he still chose to come with us, to trust us, to help El-ahrairah!!  You cannot possibly argue with that!!"

                "How can you even ignore the fact that Justin took mercy on your comrades and minions when your dark master, Elil-rah, would not?" demanded Holly, hoping his sharp tone could break though Woundwort's stubbornness, "Scry-rah and the hawks, Lousewort and Sneezewort from Volgnamass and his army of weasels, Lord Brock and how he fed and watered him despite his betrayals, Shardik and the animals from the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow, King Darzin and his cats after the battle with Bigwig!  Can't you see, General?!  Are you still blind with your hatred and self-righteous doggedness?!  Elil-rah did not spare them and reward them!  Justin did!  _He_ was the one who took mercy on them, even if they were on opposing sides, even if they were sent to kill him, because Justin did not wish to harm them ,because he wished to remain peaceful!  Can't you not see, Woundwort?!  It is _Elil-rah_ who will betray you!"

                Acorn then bawled, "Oh Woundwort, please, do not kill Justin!  Do you honestly think you will gain peace by dooming this world, this land, and killing El-ahrairah?!  Do you wish to suffer along with others?!  Justin can save you, just as he has saved all of us!  Killing the cross-bearer will never bring you peace, only temporary satisfaction and the twisted thoughts of evening the score for justice and fairness!  But it will not help with anything!!  It will just leave you more bitter and vengeful!!  I know, I know!!"

                "Woundwort, please listen: it is not too late to stop this, to end all this madness!!" Hazel demanded fiercely, "It is not too late to find redemption!  Spare the cross-bearer, and we will all be able to survive this insanity and save Frith's gentle rule in the land beyond life!  Kill Justin, and every single creature, yourself included, will be damned for all eternity under Elil-rah's rule!  You think that you have gone too far to do anything else except obey Elil-rah and find power?!  You are wrong!  It is never too late!!"

                Unfortunately, Woundwort just narrowed his eye and hissed furiously, frothing white foam, bubbling at the corners of his mouth, "Shut up, all of you!!  You're lying!!!  All of you blasted fools are lying, cursed with illusions of childish, naive mendacities!!!  NONE of you have any idea of what I went through, of what I have lived with!!!  I hate you!!!  ALL OF YOU!!!  I hate you for what you did to me, for the misfortunes you blighted me with for all these years!!!"

                "That is not true!" Pipkin protested with wide, sad eyes, "Woundwort, please, do not say such things!"

                "Can't you fools see that this is the only way for me to find peace, to avenge my defeats, for finding restitution for a lifetime of torment, injustice, and bitterness?!"  Then, to Hazel-rah and the rest of Watership Down rabbits' collective horrors, Woundwort bared his teeth, lost in his mad desire for reconciliation and haven as he growled, his voice magnifying with each passing second, "I may not ever erase the past, I may not ever find a life of blessing and respite from the darkness that haunts me, BUT I KNOW THAT I WILL FINALLY HAVE SOME FULFILLMENT IN KILLING JUSTIN AND CAUSING GRIEF AND PAIN TO ALL WHO EVER MOCKED ME!!!"

                Woundwort then felt two clammy, sweaty, yet tender hands gently touch his right paw, and sensitive to the touch, the General turned down to see that Justin, despite his injuries and Woundwort pressing down on his chest, managed to whisper with a solemn face and troubled eyes, "You're...you're wrong, Woundwort.  I...I _don't_...hate you.  I'm...I'm sorry that you had to go through that."

                Woundwort's denial and anger immediately surfaced as he roared, "YOU'RE LYING, YOU EMBLEER WRETCH!!!"

                Then, to his surprise, due to the psychometry Elil-rah bestowed upon him, General Woundwort then saw everything about Justin's history.  With the simple touch of Justin's skin upon his hard, disordered fur, the cursed, past Efrafan leader then saw:

                _Images of Justin enduring taunts and jeers from his classmates back at school, wincing inwardly from every insult, rude gesture, and scornful act of bullying and violent act.  But despite the blows and the hate-filled words, Justin never made a move to defend himself.  Instead, he seemed to sadly accept it, as if he would never escape such treatment, as if he would always be fated to live through such acts of misery._

_                Scenes of Justin's own father beating Justin, subjecting him to pain and verbal abuse as an equality of discipline._

_                Reflections of Justin crying, cold, alone, and in a fetal position in his dark room, as Woundwort could clearly observe that the human had no one for comfort, had no one to look up to, to be close with, had nothing really to live for._

_                Pain._

_                Sadness._

_                Isolation._

_                Coldness._

_                Despair._

_                Sorrow._

At the same time, Justin saw:

                _A weary, heavy laden doe with her litter running away and escaping their home that was being dug up from a nearby, angry farmer who was irate at the buck ruining his crops._

_                Elil and predators picking off the kittens who were too slow or too weak to continue following their mother, meaning Woundwort had to see his brothers and sisters become easy prey._

_                A weasel grabbing the doe by her throat, ripping her neck apart and spreading blood everywhere, while a terrified Woundwort, as a kitten, watched on, horrified and cold._

_                Woundwort crying alone, in the bushes, with no one to protect him, the remainders of his family killed off._

_                Woundwort now being held against his will by a kind schoolteacher who was willing to raise the rabbit as a pet, and was now confined to a prison of wire and wood, forced to live off the hands of the creature man he had most despised._

_                Pain._

_                Sadness._

_                Isolation._

_                Coldness._

_                Despair._

_                Sorrow._

                In a flash, it was all over.  Woundwort and Justin shakily looked into each other's eyes, realizing that they submerged into the other's past memories.  The Watership Owsla just looked on in silent fear.

                Justin managed to say out, trembling with a misty voice and glistening eyes, "I...I am sorry for what happened to you.  And you're right.  It wasn't fair...to you or your family.  But I meant what I said: I _don't_ hate you, and I don't blame you for hating me.  But...but please listen, General Woundwort.  I do care about my friends, the Watership Down rabbits.  They've been family to me ever since I was put here, and I truly care for them because they care for me.  I don't despise them just because we're different...and neither should you.  Woundwort, can't you see?  You're letting your anger and bitterness cloud your judgment, but this is the real truth.  I want to help El-ahrairah, I want to save this world, not destroy it.  And...I know you want a friend, you want to just give up everything if you could have peace of mind.  Please...please Woundwort, I can help you.  I know you're not evil."

                General woundwort was now trembling, wide-eyed, and in such danger at losing control, he didn't notice the tears spilling out of both of his eyes.

                Justin whispered, "I can be your friend if you want.  We both need help...and we can both help each other."

                General Woundwort shook harder, his body nearly going into spasms.

                Justin then whispered, "I see you, I feel for you, and I care too."

                Woundwort's mouth twitched ever so slightly.

                "You're not alone."

It was then Woundwort acted in the only way that made sense to him.

                With a frenzied lunge, Woundwort's teeth then sunk into the boy's throat, drawing blood.  Justin, for a fleeting moment, had no idea what was going on until he felt the rabbit's warm flesh on his neck, the sharp, razor-like teeth painfully and excruciatingly boring and gorging into his voice box and windpipe.  His lungs instantly filled with blood and Justin weakly gurgled, his screams dying in his throat, his hands weakly beating against Woundwort's strong body.  Even as Bigwig, Hazel, Campion, and Holly dashed immediately, in a valiant move to stop Woundwort, it would be too late.  They would never reach the cross-bearer in time.  The innocent teenager would be dead in less than several seconds for Woundwort was intent in ripping Justin's entire throat out.  It would be an instant, immediate kill.

                "NO!!!" screamed Pipkin.

                "STOP!" Acorn shrieked.

                "Justin!!!" yelled Speedwell, his voice now an octave higher from the fright and shock.

                "Don't, **please**!!" Strawberry squealed.

                "Woundwort, NO!" yelled Dandelion.

                "It's hopeless!!" Hawkbit gasped, crying.

                Then, as Woundwort continued his gruesome act, despite the blood, the ephemeral rate of Justin's life passing out of the human's body, despite the enormous amount of evil and darkness safeguarding the Skies of Hellfire, the cross, the beautiful golden jewel of Frith and God, performed a single miracle in the sea of chaotic screams and strife.

                Despite the insurmountable darkness, despite the very heart of Elil-rah's powerful influence of evil for all animals, despite the cold, bleak force of death and destruction entangling the very web of the warren, the cross managed to respond to the beauties and sorrows of both Justin and Woundwort, their past, their pain, their unknowing similar fates and trials, all pleading for just that one moment of light and truth.  That moment came.  With a beautiful noise, the cross had flashed, covering the entire room, and indeed, flooding the entire warren, with beautiful, glorious, blessed sunlight.  Woundwort, staring directly at the cross, was blinded, and in pain, he released Justin's throat from his mouth, completely preoccupied with the streams of sharpness embedding in his eye sockets and into his brain.  That one moment was all that the four Watership rabbits would need.

                Woundwort bellowed in rage as he was sent flying from a combined tackle from Hazel, Holly, Bigwig, and Campion, and the other Watership rabbits rushed to help overpower the Efrafan general or to drag Justin's nearly unconscious body away from harm.  Woundwort would not be put off, however.  With a short back-flip, Woundwort managed to land onto his two hind paws nimbly and deftly, the rabbit's eye being redder and brighter than the splotches on the human's blood on his nose and mouth.  Woundwort gritted his teeth in insane fury and wrath, feeling Elil-rah's condemning eyes bearing down on his second-in-command accusingly, condemningly.  Woundwort would not fail now!  He would not surrender!  He would win this battle for Elil-rah, no matter what the costs!

                Speedwell and Silver managed to gather around Justin, and Speedwell, holding the weak, wounded child in his paws, kept trying to rejuvenate the cross-bearer.  The rest of the rabbits bravely faced down Woundwort, ready to fight and defend for Justin's life.

                Meanwhile, as he watched above in the darkness, hidden in the dimness of obscurity, Elil-rah was beginning to become more and more disconcerted.  The child and the Watership rabbits were in his rule, his domain, the center of his power and presence.  How could the cross even have been able to exhibit such brilliance?  It was then, to Elil-rah's sadistic delight, and slight fear, that Justin's cross had abilities that far surpassed everyone's expectations.  Such power!  Such splendor!  It MUST be his, no matter if he had to sacrifice...

                Elil-rah then chuckled evilly with betrayal.

                "Why won't you rabbits give up?!!" Woundwort screamed as he let out a psychometric blast, full force and much, much greater than the ones he subjected to the Watership warriors previously.  Enervated and injured, there was no way they could dodge it.  Yet, Justin's only flicker of light from the cross did far more than to just save Justin.

                "NO!!!" roared Hazel, and to everyone's amazement, including Elil-rah's incredulous vehemence, a sudden orb engulfed El-ahrairah's Owsla and the cross-bearer, golden, protective sunbeams.  With a deafening rumble and crash of destruction, the powerful strike ruptured the surrounding rock and marble, cracking the structures and crumbling them to shards…but Hazel and the rabbits of Watership Down were completely unharmed!  The others were at first confused, until they noticed that Hazel-rah now had the tiny, spectral cross glowing in front of his chest again, exactly like before when they fought It in the warren of the Black Rabbit of Inle.

                "No, it can not be!" squealed Woundwort, spit and blood bubbling at the corners of his twitching mouth.

                "Hazel, how in the name of the Black Rabbit?!" gasped Campion.

                "It must have been Justin's cross, when it flashed that surge of power and blinded Woundwort!  It must have given Hazel-rah back the blessings of ability he first received from Justin!" Blackberry reasoned joyfully.

                "Wait!  If _Hazel-rah received his gift…"  Acorn let the sentence hang, unfinished, but the same realization clicked in everyone else's minds…including to the unfortunate Woundwort and Elil-rah._

                "**WOUNDWORT, STOP THEM!!!  KILL THE CROSS-BEARER NOW!!!**" Elil-rah commanded frantically.

                General Woundwort growled a noise that not even the fiercest beats of hell could compete with in intensity as he released another swell of power, but this time, the rabbits were ready.  Frith had given them their powers back, and the battlefield was more than evenly matched.

                "Psychometric power!" shouted Hawkbit, stretching his forepaw towards the energy barreling towards them.  With a flicker of shimmering orange, the power was now summoned directly into a spherical ball of aura in Hawkbit's paws, ready to be utilized back as a weapon.  Precisely like Hawkbit had done before with Blood Whitetail's knife back in the battle of Fenlo.  The blackish Owsla soldier ingeniously summoned the actual, harsh energy of Woundwort's psychometry to throw directly back at him.  A wicked smile of mischief and delight spread behind Hawkbit's whiskers.  Woundwort was shocked at the sight…which allowed Bluebell to invoke his power.

                "Time stop!" he called, and with a flash and the click of judgment from the clocks of time and space, Woundwort was engulfed with sunlight, unable to move.  Bluebell had frozen time on the room, leaving the General immobile…and completely exposed.

                "I believe this rot belongs to you!" snarled Hawkbit as he flicked the energy in trade at Woundwort.  There was a sudden rumble as the power tore across the room before it struck Woundwort, breaking the spell of the time-freeze.  Woundwort flew back, squealing before colliding with the wall in a bloody mess.  Hawkbit's smirk grew even wider.  Woundwort struggled to get up, blood running down his legs and chest, revealing a broken rib and shoulder, the bones exposed and breaking out of Woundwort's flesh and fur.  He cursed, "You embleer -!!!"

                That was as far as he got before he was completely dog-piled, en masse, by over a hundred Acorn replicas, and with Acorn's powers of multiplicity, the army of rabbit clones flung themselves on General Woundwort.  The evil rabbit could barely breathe, being crushed under the weight of many, many furry bodies pressing against him, pinning him down, scratching, biting, and clawing under the suffocating darkness.

                "**RRRRRAAAARRRRRRRGGHHH!!**" roared Woundwort as his blasted the clones piled on top of him, causing them to go flying back or to dissolve in smoke.  Woundwort did not bother to feel the numerous, deep gouges and scratches left all over his body and face (though he did notice his leg was limping and twisted from the fact that several rough Acorns managed to sink their teeth into the cartilage while pulling it wildly in different directions).  The next wave of bold Acorns was already triumphantly snarling as a second wave of rabbits mobbed themselves at the General, claws ready and heads lowered.  There was no way Woundwort could fight so many in such close, constricting quarters so he did a tactical retreat.  The large, burly evil reincarnate levitated quickly off the ground, narrowly avoiding the clones as they vainly tried to tackle and drag him down back to the floor.  Woundwort responded in kind by blasting the clone army with his psychometry, completely obliterating them.  He was about to aim his power directly at Hazel and his comrades again, but Woundwort's previous preoccupation with Acorn's clones allowed Pipkin to deliver his attack.

                "SPIN!" the brown dwarf shouted to himself as a self-instruction of encouragement, and Woundwort managed to turn to see, to his surprise, Pipkin barreling towards him at full speed.  With his wings of flight, Pipkin managed to glide up the chamber, following Woundwort and sneaking behind the General.  Folding his wings around him, Pipkin, with many years of training under Bigwig and Holly's guidance, administered a twirling, spiral spike movement, head first, directly towards Woundwort at an accelerated weight.  Despite Pipkin's small size, the weight of his wings gathered around him and the speed he was hurtling made the rabbit as destructive as a launched torpedo.  Woundwort roared again as Pipkin head-butted Woundwort,  in the very center of his rib-cage, spearing the General back down to the ground hard.

                As Woundwort painfully moved out his sprawled position, Pipkin rubbed his head humorously, his skull still ringing from the delivered head-butt, wincing, "Ow, Frith and Inle, I am certainly going to feel _that_ the next day."

                "I will not give up!" seethed Woundwort, blood now dribbling steadily out of his mouth and now broken forepaw, "I will not rest until I kill the cross-bearer!"

                "Not bloody likely!" snarled Bigwig out of nowhere, in his now dog shape, before he managed to grab Woundwort in his massive jawed chops and shook the poor wretch back and forth several times, chewing as hard as he could, before flinging Woundwort as hard as he could into another wall.  Woundwort was ready this time, however, despite his injuries of having several, jagged, messy puncture wounds staked into his body.  Before the rabbit general could hit the wall, the blackness of the shadows absorbed him, covering him, fading him from the rabbits' views.  Now, Woundwort was hidden in the shadows and none of Bigwig's tracking abilities could locate the enemy.

                Bigwig cursed.  "Embleer Frith, we've lost him!"

                "No he won't!!" Campion called out, determined, as his body began to glow again with blazing, fiery light of his heart, and to the warriors' shock, the light of flaming truth now overcome the shadows lurking around every corner, every crack and crevice, melting them.

                "The shadows!" gasped Speedwell, "They're disappearing!"

                "Bloody brilliant, Campion!" cheered Blackberry, "Now Woundwort has no place to hide!"

                And so it was, for when the very last remnants of the shadows melted, Woundwort suddenly appeared, once again revealed not too far off from the rabbits.  Campion growled, "It is over, General!  Stop this now!!"

                Woundwort simply then threw another blast of psychometric power, but this time, towards the ceiling above them.  Fractured from the sudden impact, the roof above collapsed, forming sharp, jagged boulders and causing an avalanche of rubble to rain down and crush them.  Silver, however, was faster as he quickly glanced up towards the plummeting rubble.

                "Levitate!" the silver rabbit commanded, and within an instant, the falling dangers halted, suspended gently by golden rings of levitation, the blessing Silver received with his bond with the cross-bearer.  With a simple shrug of his paws, Silver gently pushed away the debris into a secluded portion of the Grand Hall before letting them drop without endangering anyone.  Silver then turned fiercely to Woundwort, "Care to try that again, you wretch?!"

                Woundwort narrowed his eye and was about to, when all of a sudden, he felt very cold, unable to even move.  It was as if his body betrayed him, ignoring all his frantic commands to move and invoke his power!  What in the name of the dark beast was happening to him?!

                "Whatever is the matter, Woundwort?" a sarcastic voice drawled inside the General's head, "Having a little trouble?"  Woundwort, to his horror, managed to glance his eyes downward to see the head of the translucent astral specter of Speedwell, projected from Speedwell's body, protruding out of Woundwort's chest and giving a very smug glare.  Woundwort managed to hiss with anger, "What...did...you do...to me...you wretch?!"

                "Ever heard of astral projection, Woundwort?  It's quite an odd, funny power, if I do say so myself!" mocked the white rabbit jester, "Short story, my spirit can come out of my body and merge with another creature's body and take over their mind and function!  As of now, Woundwort, you can't move nor use your troublesome psychometry because I'm controlling your body and suppressing it from even happening!"

                Woundwort sneered gratingly, "And...you...think...this will...hurt me...you fool?!"

                Speedwell then grinned as he made effort to make his voice sound nonchalant, "Actually, I am simply here to stall you in place.  The lightning Blackberry is calling forth will hurt you!"

                At this sentence, Woundwort's heart faulted as his eyes traveled back upwards to see Blackberry standing on his hind legs, his chest sticking out courageously as black storm clouds and fog surfaced above his head, flashing every second with white energy of nature as the rumbles of the crashing thunder cracked and groaned.  Woundwort then remembered that the black-eared buck was given the power to manipulate the very elements of the weather.  This was certainly going to hurt.

                Blackberry growled as the shafts of lightning struck down.  Speedwell, being a spirit, was not harmed, but Woundwort certainly was.

                "AAAAAAAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

                Speedwell, returning back to his body, cringed at the sight of the burnt, smoking body of Woundwort, his fur now completely burnt off, his skin blackened, his flesh charred and smoking a disgusting odor.  He sniggered, "Ooh, that appeared to have jolly well hurt."

                "Enough!!!" yowled General Woundwort with a screech, and with that, he summoned every last ounce of strength and fired a powerful force once again, but this time, Strawberry acted and intervened.  With a grunt of exertion, the orange, hefty rabbit motioned his forepaws upwards towards the sky, forcing a wave of marble and stone to form a wall in front of the Owsla of El-ahrairah, blocking the attack.  With a din, the psychometric force smashed the wall to smithereens, but leaving the Watership Owsla intact and unharmed.  With General Woundwort temporarily blinded by the obscure cloud of dust and dirt that emerged from the combustion of the rock barrier, Holly took his one chance.  Holly flicked his glowing paws, immersed with the faint outline of golden sun, directly at Woundwort.  Woundwort felt the stinging cold of fury swipes running across his face and chest, and with a cursed cry of wailing pain, Woundwort clutched his searing face with both forepaws.  The Watership soldiers could now see the deep, painful lacerations that littered Woundwort's entire body.  Holly's power of rending was unquestionably effective and painful.

                Woundwort managed to glare murderously at Holly, the blood running freely and steadily from the four gashes raked across his face, as Holly snarled, "Consider that an appropriate retaliation for what you did to us when we were taken prisoner by you and your Owsla at Efrafa, you wretch!"

                "Damn you!" cursed Woundwort.

                Meanwhile, while the battle was raging, Fiver was scrutinizing Woundwort, until his powers of perception made him remember the premonition he told Hazel before they met up with Scry-rah and his flock: _"A warren in the sky...temptations of the deepest desires...friend or foe, only Frith knows, but for tonight, eyes are made blind and a lost comrade shall be found and there will be much anger and joy."_

                Fiver recalled the part, "eyes are made blind"; that was it!

                "Buckthorn!" Fiver gasped to the quiet soldier standing next to him, "His eye!  General Woundwort's eye!  It is his source of power, his sign of his gifts of power given to him by Elil-rah!  His good eye is why he even has such strength!  If you blind him -!!"

                Buckthorn understood before Fiver even finished, and in a blink, Buckthorn tore off towards General Woundwort fearlessly, without the slightest hesitation, as, with a twinkle of the stars, the golden, cold metal sword appeared in Buckthorn's right paw.  Woundwort saw the rabbit coming, and tried to invoke another surge of psychometry, but the Watership rabbit was too quick, and attacking in such close quarters was Buckthorn's expertise.

                SPUCK!

                Woundwort screamed, a shrill, defeated, spontaneous scream that could not be placed into words; there were far too many emotions ranging in Woundwort's voice to even list them all.  Hazel and the others, to their relieved repulsion, saw that it was over.  Buckthorn was standing only a foot or so away from Woundwort's front, the Watership rabbit's face displaying no emotion, no disgust, and no remorse, just blank, stony, indifference.  With a steady paw and nerves of the hardest stone, Buckthorn had completely and thoroughly drove in the golden sword into Woundwort's head, up to the very hilt, and the others could see that the sword had gorged through the General's head for behind Woundwort's ears was the long point of the sword, now covered with blood and disgusting matter.  Woundwort had now lost his power; without his eye, he could no longer invoke his psychometry.

                With a brutal move, Buckthorn removed his sword from Woundwort's body and kicked the Efrafan general heavily, causing the hefty rabbit to fly back several feet.  Woundwort was now on his side, blind, weak, hurt, and completely powerless.

                Buckthorn rumbled coldly, "It is over, Woundwort.  You lost."

                "**IT IS NOT OVER, YOU FOOLS!!!**"  The entire warren started to rumble, and to the horrors of the Watership Owsla, at the sound of Elil-rah's voice, the entire warren was completely obliterated with darkness, erasing any speck of light that had once pooled over the Great Cavern from before.  Now, the entire party was encased with blackness.  It was as if they were all in a swirling void of nothing and emptiness.  Above them, red started to bathe the room again, the color of fierce, passionate bloodlust, as red slits opened again to form the red, glowing eyes of Elil-rah.

                "Embleer Frith!" gasped Holly.

                "Strawberry, I'm scared!" whimpered Pipkin as he nuzzled next to his taller comrade.  Strawberry did not say anything, but the look of fear and trepidation in his eyes mirrored the same as everyone else's.  Woundwort managed to crow, feeling that victory was not out of his grasp yet, unaware of what Elil-rah planned for the Efrafan rabbit.

                "HA!  You see, you fools?!  Did you honestly believe you could win against my dark Lord?!  Now, you will all be punished by his hand, and Justin's fate is sealed!!  BWAHAHAHAHA!!!"  The insane laughter of the wounded Woundwort was enough to send shivers down everyone's spines, but Woundwort was completely oblivious, his back facing his master, as Elil-rah brought down a single shaft of black, swirling aura and malicious essence directly onto Woundwort, with the poor Efrafan blissfully unaware of Elil-rah's plan until it was too late.

                "YYEEEEAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!" shrieked Woundwort as the column of power struck the rabbit.  The force was so great, the other rabbits were knocked off their feet by the intensity of the surrounding energy.

                "By the fur and tail of El-ahrairah!" gasped Strawberry, "It's far too powerful for us to even fight back!!  It even outstrips the power of the Black Rabbit of Inle!!!"

                Silver turned pale as he prayed, "O Frith and thunder, have mercy on Woundwort as of now!"

                The energy subsided, and General Woundwort managed to choke out, sniveling and vomiting blood, saliva, and gore as his body was now too weak to even move, much less stand on his own accord, "My...my Lord??  Wh-...why??  I served you."

"**YOU HAVE FAILED ME WOUNDWORT, YOU MUST PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE FOR YOUR INEPTITUDE AND INCOMPETENCE, YOU LOWLY, WEAK PATHETIC SPECIMEN.  FAREWELL.**"

                "No, please," Woundwort managed to plead weakly, but it was too late.  Another force of intense black energy came crashing down again, and this time, it was even doubtful to the rabbits of El-ahrairah that Woundwort would even come out of this alive, even if he was a spirit in the land beyond life.  Before it crashed, something dashed past Buckthorn and all the rabbits could hear Speedwell cry out, "Justin, NO!!"

                The wave of power struck, and then...all was silent.  Blood was now pooling all over Woundwort...and Justin.  Hazel's eyes widened in shock, and Campion choked back the sobs of grief and worry, while Acorn and Dandelion were literally blown away, so much in shock that they sank to all fours.  Everyone, wordlessly and tharn, watched as Justin, shielding Woundwort with his own body and positioning himself so that he and the Efrafan general were face to face.  Blood now formed roses of red on the back of Justin's tattered shirt, and Justin weakly sank to his knees, his vision clouding soon to merciful darkness.  woundwort, though spared by the main brunt of the attack, was still heavily injured.  Yet, he managed to gasp out, "Cross-bearer...you fool...why?"

                Justin whispered, blood pooling out of his mouth before he passed out, collapsing on the floor, "Because I wanted too.  Because...because you're not evil like everyone says."

                That was the last thing Woundwort heard before he too, fainted from the brutal onslaught of the attacks.

                "JUSTIN!!" the Owsla of Watership Down cried out before rushing to their friend's side.  Elil-rah's voice cheered as his eyes gleamed brighter with malicious achievement.

                "Is he...is he...?!" gasped Fiver, sobbing, unable to finish the sentence.  Elil-rah, however, finished it for him.

"**HE IS NOT AS OF YET, BUT HE SHALL PERISH SOON ENOUGH!!  SUCH A FARCE!!  THE FOOL HAD ACTED EXACTLY LIKE I HAD EXPECTED HIM TO!!**"

                "WHAT?!" bellowed Bigwig in shocked anger.

"**I KNEW HE WOULD RISK HIS OWN LIFE TO SPARE THAT WORTHLESS RABBIT, WOUNDWORT!!  JUSTIN'S NOBILITY WAS HIS OWN DOWNFALL!!**"

                "Embleer Frith!!" gasped Dandelion, putting a paw over his mouth in vile distress and scandal.

                "How could you?!" roared Campion loudly enough to be heard throughout the Skies of Hellfire, "How could you??!!  Woundwort was not a good rabbit, but you had no right!!!  Not even the General deserved such a fate!!!"

                "It can't be!!" Hazel cried, "Justin can't be dead!!  It can't be!"

"**IT IS NOW TRULY OVER, HAZEL!!!  PREPARE TO MEET THE OBLIVION OF THE FATE YOU SHARE WITH THE CROSS-BEARER AND WOUNDWORT!!  JUSTIN'S CROSS SHALL BE MINE!!!**"

                Hazel was at a loss, his blood now frozen and the fear tightening the proverbial noose around his heart.  They could not escape out of the Great Cavern for Elil-rah had blacked out every single opening in the mountain of doom, sealing their fates within.  Scry-rah had left, so even if they did, by some miracle, find their way out of the warren and into the open, they were all trapped with no way out.  They could not travel over the lave, outrun the soldiers that would obviously track them down, and none of them could find a way to use their powers to quickly take them back to El-ahrairah's warren in the blink of an eye...

                It then hit Hazel and Fiver and Blackberry at the same time as all three rabbits turned to Dandelion, realizing what _his_ power was when he was blessed by Justin's cross.  Now they realized why Scry-rah gave their storyteller the meaningful look.

                "Teleport, Dandelion!!  For Frith's sake, **TELEPORT US BACK TO EL-AHRAIRAH!!!**" screamed Hazel as he held onto Justin and Bigwig and Campion, to their extreme loathing, grabbed hold of Woundwort's unconscious body.  Dandelion then grasped what Hazel needed him to do.

                "**NO!!!**" screamed Elil-rah in rage as another black shaft of crackling, dark haze flew straight at the group, but without further hesitation, Dandelion shut his eyes and prayed with all of his valor and vigorous strength as the rabbits huddled together, their faces draining of blood as Elil-rah and his aura approached them closer and closer.  Yet, with a blaze of sun-filled glory, a veil of golden light swallowed up all the soldiers and with a flicker of the wind, they vanished, right before the dark energy struck the ground they were all standing on a moment before, causing a devastating crater to form on the floor.

                Elil-rah, knowing this was only a temporary set-back, did his best not to let the situation get to him, but his eyes were now so consumed with the hellfire of rage, even he could have felt the heat consuming every bit of his being with vengeance.

                "**YOU CURSED RABBITS HAVE NOT WON YET, YOU FOOLS!!!  NOW, NOW, I WILL GO TO YOUR HOME, YOUR WARREN, AND I WILL NOT REST UNTIL EVERY BIT OF LAND IS TORN APART AND EVERY ONE OF YOUR DAMNED CREATURES WATCH HELPLESSLY AS I KILL YOUR PRECIOUS JUSTIN AND EL-AHRAIRAH BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES BEFORE I ERADICATE EVERY LIVING BIT OF YOUR LAPINE LEGACY!!!  I WILL HAVE MY DESTINY FULLFILLED!!!**"  And at that point, there was no longer a turning back as the entire warren of Elil-rah, now no longer needed to the dark beast, started caving in and crumbling, disintegrating into the lava of the volcano below amidst the hazy, crimson sky of night, for Elil-rah will no longer need a place to call his kingdom when he was so adamant to conquer and destroy El-ahrairah's.

                                                                                ***

                Hyzenthlay, Groundsel, Rabscuttle, Lousewort, and Sneezewort were busy shouting orders and tending to the injured, for there were far too many to help and give aid at once.  Every able-bodied creature that could, even the kittens themselves, were doing their best to clean bleeding wounds, help comfort the remaining of the Owsla, and scavenging for food.  Luckily, there were certain sections of the warren underground that were not disturbed and still intact after the siege, and one of these compartments held the sick, dying body of El-ahrairah.  Already, in what remaining burrows were available, there were too many rabbits resting in them, far too drained of energy and strength to even move, and so the rest of the rabbits had to be moved out in the open where they laid on the torn fields, the grass now flat and hard from the attacks of Elil-rah's soldiers.  Throughout the fields, there were the sounds of moaning, crying, whimpering, and mutterings.  Apparently, bad thoughts were coming about very easily after seeing their peaceful home be demolished.  Sneezewort shook his head sadly as he looked at the carnage.  So many lives changed, so much hurt, so much destruction...and for what?  What did any creature of Frith ever do to deserve such torment and pain?

                Groundsel sighed, "Luckily, it is a warm night, so there would be no reason to not have the rest of the warren sleep outside.  However, it is certainly causing much blame and senseless gripes to emerge about, and the problem is, we cannot do anything about it."

                Lousewort nodded grimly, "Aye, mate, I can see it too, for many rabbits here are givin' me an' Sneezewort looks of death and anger, and even though we helped fight against Elil-rah, many of the rabbits of El-ahrairah don't trust us, nor do they trust Snitter and Rowf as well.  Not that I blame the poor lads an' lasses, though.  They are all simply afraid."

                "Hopefully, it will all calm down, though," murmured Hyzenthlay, "Violet and Blethlin are telling stories right now to the kittens to keep their mind occupied and Blackavar led the hlessi to search and bring back food for everyone.  Oh...but embleer Frith!  I just wish Hazel and the others were back!"

                Rabscuttle then said, "Hyzenthlay, they have all been gone for only a day, so there is no need to revive your fears and worries just yet.  Just have faith, just -"  Yet what the second-in-command to El-ahrairah was about to finish saying died as there was an unexpected flash of gold, orange, and white from a little bit of distance off behind them.  Upon the sudden blaze of fire, many of the startled rabbits squealed, kitten trembled from behind the bigger bodies of the adults, and many of the soldiers, including Sneezewort, Lousewort, Snitter and Rowf braced themselves for the worst.  Yet, as the light faded, the dusk now revealed the presence of sixteen, very familiar figures.  Hyzenthlay was the first to cry out with joy.

                "HAZEL!!!" and she, along with many others, ran over to them.  Yet, they all then stopped short upon closer inspection of the group.  The lump in Snitter's throat was able to lodge out as the terrier hoarsely croaked, "Hazel??"

                All the rabbits of Watership Down was looking down at the prone, limp figure of the teenager being gently cradled in Hazel's strong paws, now bloody, bruised, and unconscious with a still look of blankness on Justin's face.  And next to him, being held roughly by a grimacing Campion and Bigwig, was an unconscious Woundwort, also bleeding and broken, but to the shocked, white-faced audience, it was difficult to say which sight was more appalling.

/*

Next: EL-AHRAIRAH AT LAST!

Justin is finally taken to the entire point of the mission, and he meets, for the first time, the Prince of all Rabbits and the Prince of a Thousand.  But are Justin's troubles truly over?  It is the proverbial calm before the storm, you guys!  Expect this around three weeks! =)

Bigwig: If you wait for another two months, RogueFanKC...!

Speedwell: He wouldn't dare!

Holly: He would!

Acorn: GET HIM!  KILL HIM!  TEACH HIM A LESSON!!

Uh-oh! =/

(RogueFanKC runs while Justin and the WD rabbits chase him)

Let me clarify: I'll put this up in three weeks provided I'm not broken, bleeding, and begging for mercy or dead!  HELP!  What do I do when my own characters want to kill me?! ^_^

*/


	28. Elahrairah at Last!

/*

Author's note: Merry Christmas (or should I say Merry Frithmas! ^_^ )!  Happy Holidays and hark, the herald angels sing of the birth of Jesus!! =)  Anyway, here's **my** Christmas present to all who love this story and to all fans of Watership Down!  enjoy this chapter!

Oh, and on a side note: WHOOPIE!  I reached over the 100 review mark!!  It's an accomplishment!  I can't believe it!  CELEBRATE!  Bring out the flayrah and champagne!! =)

Hazel: (rolls eyes) He'll use any excuse to have a party.

Bigwig: We have a lunatic as an author! =/

Hawkbit: You _just_ realized this?!  I swear, the chap's sadistic!  He loves to torture me in every chapter!!

*/

CHAPTER 27 

                Silence.

                It was unbearable, hanging thick in the air of the tightly packed burrow, blanketing the area around them with such hush, it made the blood in their ears roar.  It was torturous, agonizing, horrendous, simply because it reminded them too much of death and worry.

                And that was the major theme running through the minds of the rabbits of Watership Down.

                That was all that could be made certain as the rabbits of Watership Down gathered around Justin in the warm, dry burrow, away from prying eyes.  Rabscuttle, Blackavar, and Groundsel all decided that it would be best if Justin was away from the presences of the other rabbits who lived at El-ahrairah's warren; the sight of a human could cause even more of a frenzy, if not increase the thick, tense fear that gloomed over everyone in what was now the ruined meadows of Fenlo.  There was no telling how the rabbits would react once they saw Justin and got a whiff of his scent.

                So, without much hesitation, the rabbits numbly placed Justin in one of the few runs of El-ahrairah's warren that was still intact, dry, and relatively untouched from the siege.  Speedwell, Acorn, Holly, and Strawberry managed to gather some dry moss as soft bedding for Justin, and throughout the day, the Watership rabbits watched over him, wordlessly and with fatigue and sorrow etched over every tuft of hair on their faces.  Justin was truly off in a bad way.  His broken arm was now mangled, obvious to anyone and apparently, the boy, if he ever recovered, would be crippled in that appendage for the rest of his life.  The teenager's clothes were ripped, caked with dust and blood, both his and Woundwort's, and provided little warmth for the ailing adolescent.  All throughout the boy's body were ghastly wounds, ripped, and bleeding through blackened crusts with watery blood and pus.  It was clear that Justin's wounds got infected from the long journey and the incident with Woundwort made it much, much worse.  The open hole in Justin's throat was very disturbing.  Though Justin could still breathe, it was ragged and his airway made faint whistling, whiny noises and the teenager tried to get enough air in his lungs while he was still comatose.  Though Justin was fortunate enough to not be seriously killed, the Watership Owsla couldn't say Justin present suffering was a better alternative.  Yet what was most alarming was that Justin was now severely ill.  During the long hours, Hazel and Fiver and Holly found, to their horrors, that Justin was shivering and losing body temperature drastically.  The loss of blood from the battle was too much, and Justin could not keep warm enough to survive.  Even unconscious, the cross-bearer was shuddering, almost in horrifying spasms.  Silver and Bigwig then decided to lie near Justin, their heavy bodies gently touching against their fallen friend, and slowly, their body heat did comfort the teenager, improving his situation.  Yet, Justin was still in critical condition.  Never before had the rabbits felt so helpless and useless.  Blackberry wearily then stated, to everyone's disappointment, that all they could do now...was wait.

                And so they waited.  Wordlessly, they gathered around Justin, not caring if they were tired and injured from the battle with General Woundwort and Elil-rah.  They all moped around the burrow, saying very little, and even Hawkbit and Bluebell did not have the energy or the hope to utter a remark.

                Though Rabscuttle and Blackavar and Stonecrop were not exactly enthusiastic about Woundwort being brought with the Watership Owsla (in fact, Blackavar and the other Efrafan does who escaped in order to join with Hazel and the others at Watership Down had to be restrained from pummeling Woundwort right then and there), after much argument and tears and rage and protests, Woundwort was placed in a separate burrow at the other end of the warren, as far from Justin as possible.  Blackavar himself requested, along with several of the Efrafan does that were liberated in the physical realm, Flyairth, Sneezewort, Lousewort, Snitter and Rowf guard over Woundwort's unconscious form, not even daring to take their eyes off him for a single moment.  The fact that he caused so much pain, frustration, torment, and was the right paw of evil of Elil-rah was enough to fuel their wraths for a long while.  However, Hazel, Holly, Campion and Bigwig all patiently explained to Rabscuttle, Groundsel, and the guards of what happened at the Skies of Hellfire and how Elil-rah was willing to sacrifice Woundwort to ensure killing the cross-bearer and how the human child took pity on him, even after the attempted murder.  Besides, it was plainly obvious that Woundwort was now abandoned by Elil-rah, cast aside as if he was some useless, lifeless pawn not even worth a second thought.  The General was no longer a threat to El-ahrairah.  However, that didn't appear to ease any of the homicidal tension that coursed through the fortification Owsla, and thus, Blackavar gave the order that the instant Woundwort tried anything false, they make him suffer...as slowly and painfully as possible.

                Bigwig and Holly did not object to that, and though Campion and Hazel still wished that could have been handled a bit more delicately, Justin's well being was still top priority.

                It had been over several hours now, and the rabbits still had not moved from their vigil over the human cross-bearer.  Sneezewort, Lousewort, and Snitter came by once or twice to visit and offer sincere condolences and emotion, but other than that, the Watership warriors were alone for most of the time.

                It was pretty unbearable, however.  Silver and Bigwig just snuggled against Justin's limp form, hoping that more heat would benefit the ailments, but their faces were pure misery that no amount of warmth could ever erase.  Blackberry and Buckthorn were stony, but both were extremely worried about the possibility of not being able to heal El-ahrairah if Justin died; with them failing after being so close to saving their Prince, that would certainly be horrendous.  Campion, Bluebell and Holly looked worn and fatigued, and despite the endless flowing vitality of the afterlife, their spirits were exhausted, cold, and hopeless, leaving them with the appearance of old war veterans whom have lost the will to live.  Pipkin, Fiver, Speedwell, Acorn, Hawkbit, Dandelion, and Strawberry just looked on with disconcerted worry and sorrowful eyes so deep, it could send pity and sadness into any rabbit that looked into their pained expressions.  Hazel, despite his apprehension and concern, managed to place his paw on Justin's head after so many hours of squatting and motionless waiting.  The adolescent's skin felt warm to the touch of Hazel's padded paw as Hazel, at a loss, brotherly ruffled Justin's hair affectionately.

                At the cool relief, Justin stirred, and instantly, the rabbits perked up, gasping and wide-eyed.  Weakly, Justin opened his eyes, groaning softly, "Where...where....huh?"

                Hazel brought his nose, touching Justin's and soothingly calming the confused teenager, "Hush, young one.  It is I, Hazel-rah, of Watership Down, cross-bearer."

                "Ha...zel?" Justin moaned hoarsely, "I...I can't see.  It's so dark."

                "We're in a burrow, back at El-ahrairah's warren, chap," Silver said softly, "How do you feel, young cross-bearer?"

                "I feel like I'm gonna vomit," confessed Justin, now feeling helplessly sick and in agony from every injury that was inflicted onto his body, and to top it all off, he was about as blind as a bat in the darkness of the run sheltering him.

                "Then he's all right!" cheered Bluebell, exuberant that Justin was, for now, still conscious and alive.

                "Bluebell, if I wasn't too weak to crawl someplace to die and if I could see you, I'd punch you for that remark," Justin quipped dryly, a bit irritated.

                "Not to worry Justin.  _We'll_ do it!" Speedwell and Hawkbit's voices rang simultaneously out in the darkness.

                A second later, Bluebell yelped in the obscurity, "Yeowch!  That one actually hurt!"

                Hazel and Silver and Bigwig sniffed and licked Justin's face attentively, ignoring the whispered jabbers of conversation around them.  Justin was clammy, weak, but he was conscious, and now was the time he must fulfill his part of the mission to heal the Prince of a Thousand.  Lord Frith only knew how long Justin would remain alive and aware enough to summon his powers to heal their Prince.  Hazel asked Justin, "Can you walk, young one?"

                "I...I think...AUGH!" Justin screamed in pain.  What the teenager did not realize until too late was that when he tried to raise himself off his back, he unknowingly tried to support himself up with his broken arm, sending new waterfalls of pain and fresh trickles of blood to pour down his wrist and hand.  Whimpering, Justin held the searing bone close to his body, gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes tightly.

                Holly came over and examined the injury.  After sniffing, he declared forlornly, "It is far too injured for any of us to try and mend, young one.  No amount of comfrey and horsetail can ever heal and soothe this injury.  I am truly sorry, Justin."

                Bigwig and Silver helped Justin onto Holly's back so that at least the boy would not have to exert so much strength traveling in closed, narrow, winding burrows.  Dizzy and his mind reeling, Justin still managed to keep his hold on Holly's back as the Watership fellowship filed out of the burrow and into the winding heart of the warren.  Justin could hear the whispered awe and suspicion echoing in the chambers as they passed by on looking rabbits that dared to remain close to observe the human key to El-ahrairah's survival.

                "Where...where are we going?" Justin asked hoarsely, his throat parched from hours of lacking water.

                "Justin, listen to me well for what I am about to say: we are going to the burrow of El-ahrairah himself.  With you awake and with Elil-rah hunting you down, it is of the utmost importance that you heal him with your powers immediately.  We cannot dawdle and linger any longer.  So that is where we are going: to bring you to meet with our Lord and Prince himself, El-ahrairah."

                Justin felt even more sick, and unconsciously, his good arm gently grasped the faintly glowing crystal cross around his neck.  This was it.  That was going to be his crowning moment to the rabbits.  So why did he feel so disgusted, unsure, and nervous?  Then he remembered the King of Tomorrow and how the stag gave him and Fiver an addendum to the prophecy, stating that the cross-bearer can bring peace or death to those who dare get close to him.  The stag's strong words of accusation echoed in Justin's mind:

                _"Justin, this may be hard for you to accept, but...I too know of the legends of the cross-bearer and the battle of destiny you and Elil-rah are to fight in the ultimate battle of good versus evil.  You may have heard the prophecy and the story from your rabbit protectors, but, there is another incantation, another excerpt of the story that has been lost due to the eons and eons of obscurity before time began.  It said specifically, and I quote, 'Though meant for good, there are two sides of the one who bears the cross, just like night and day, air and land, spring and winter, and thus, peace and chaos.  At the time of revelation, the one who was to heal shall also be the one to die, where there is life, there will be death, for the cross brings grave danger of unspeakable horrors to the Prince of a Thousand Enemies'."_

                Justin shivered in the darkness, relying only on his sense of the touch of Holly's coarse fur through his fingers tightly clutching the white and silver tunic of the elderly buck.  Oh God, what if it was true?  What if he was going to kill off El-ahrairah?  What if he really was meant to destroy this world and not save it?  Big surprise, the teen thought to himself wryly, I've always been an useless disappointment to others.  Being a dangerous threat isn't that far off the mark.

                His thoughts were interrupted as they suddenly came to the end of the tunnel, which was now flowing with golden sunlight.  Justin winced and shielded his eyes with his good hand as he and the Watership warriors stumbled past the breach and into the dazzling illumination.  Justin was confused at first, thinking that they were already out of the warren and back on the surface of the meadows of Fenlo.

                "Hey, I thought we were going to El-ahrairah!  Why are we back on the surface?" Justin gasped, still shutting his eyes against the vivid radiance.

                Strawberry lightly smiled to himself as he spoke gently, "Cross-bearer...we _are_ in El-ahrairah's chambers.  El-ahrairah is directly in front of you."  Justin felt his heart stop with anxiety as his eyes welcomed in the golden light, overwhelming his corneas to practically a whole new level of transcendence.  When it all cleared, the teenager could finally see clearly in the luminous cavern.  The grotto was enormous, tall, roomy, and proverbially, fit for a king.  The walls were dry with hard-packed, dark dirt with glittering quartz embedded into the soil, giving the whole room an appearance of being sprinkled with golden dust as the quartz gleamed under the fair light.  Throughout the walls snaked the roots of the mighty tree that once housed and sheltered the very warren of El-ahrairah; apparently, the roots still lingered even after Lord Brock's aftermath of the siege.  The roots were strong, pliable, and supple with olive-green and brown bark with contrasted against the dirt of the ceiling and walls it supported, making intricate patterns in the loam.  Yet, the roots made the warren warm and snug, and surprisingly, many white shoots were protruding from the roots and had blossomed into pink, violet, and white flowers, giving the warren a very reassuring fragrance.  The ground of the chamber was lush with green, sweet-smelling peat and moss, carpeting the entire area like a thick rug.  Not too far off was a spring of cold water, bubbling softly and filling a small, shallow pool, perfect for drinking.  This entire room must be the very heart of the warren.  Justin then realized there were two other rabbits in the room with them, strangers.

                One of them was Rabscuttle, the second-in-command to El-ahrairah, the Prince of all Rabbits himself.  He was a tall, burly rabbit, muscular and well proportioned, with green eyes like Hawkbit but a russet, almost beige, pelt and with black ears and a black spot on his back.  Despite him being a rabbit, Justin could see almost something human within the animal's soul.  Rabscuttle gave the troops and cavalry a tired smile; he was frazzled from so many continuous hours of care and watch, and the worry, the sadness, the exhaustion, the horrors of the siege and the illness of his Prince, was starting to take a toll on him.  The buck was drained and appeared ready to fall off his paws.  Then Justin noticed next to the rabbit was a larger rabbit, lying on his side on a bed of ivy and dock leaves, twitching and flinching under a swirl of faint, yet treacherous, lethal dark mist and fog, feeding off the buck's body.

                Justin then saw, for the first time, in both the history of rabbit and man alike, the Prince of all Rabbits, El-ahrairah.

                Justin, despite his injuries, could not feel any pain the instant he laid eyes on the rabbit before him.  El-ahrairah was truly the leading figure and patriarch of every single rabbit that was ever born, bred, and died in the physical world.  There was no other way to put it.  He was...beautiful.  He was large, about as large as King Darzin, the lion king, himself, and every bit of the creature was stunning, regal, and breathtaking.  The buck of all ages had the perfect physique, strong, taut muscles and flexible, erect joints warmed by a nice, adequate layer of fur and fat; he was neither portly nor malnourished, but rather, he was robust, and one could easily tell that, even with the dark mist inflicting pain, he had the aspect of true vitality and bountiful strength.  It would not be so hard to believe that El-ahrairah was a fierce fighter, and that the Prince could even have plenty of vigor left in him after battling Woundwort and every single rabbit spirit in the land beyond life.  However, the instant Justin gazed into El-ahrairah's pained, troubled face, he could see that the Prince of all Rabbits was _not_ "all brawn and no brain".  Wisdom, gentleness, shrewd cunning, and sincere empathy were just some of the many emotions ranging and drawn on the rabbit's face.  The fur of El-ahrairah was golden and with a quiet, yet splendid luster of soft sunlight, and there was not a gray tuft or a hair out of place on the pelt.  The cross-bearer then realized that it was the fur of El-ahrairah that was illuminating the entire chamber, like an endless sea of light bulbs.  The rabbit had a firm, square-like jaw, symbolizing just, fair, yet steady authority, and his ears were covered with sparkling, silver dust of the stars, exactly like it was described in the story "El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inle".  The silver blessing of light made a shimmering, subtle halo around El-ahrairah's head, giving him a tranquil, peaceful, holy manifestation.  The Prince of all Rabbits also had clear blue eyes, like pools of the crystal waters of the purest streams, more so than Buckthorn's eyes.  El-ahrairah's eyes, on the other hand, were like endless pools of water, so deep they could seep into you and read your mind like a book, making you, your thoughts, and your soul transparent.  Powerful, he was, but Justin could also see true courage, love, and compassion in those blue orbs, softening his demeanor and making his eyes twinkle with humor and jest.

                Hazel then spoke softly, breaking Justin's thoughts, "El-ahrairah, my Lord and Prince, we have returned at last."

                El-ahrairah gave a sad, pained smile, too much in agony from the black mist to even respond.  Justin felt his heart go out to the Prince of all rabbits, and then he felt paws gently push him forward.

                "Go on, young one," Holly ordered kindly, "Now is the moment we all have been waiting for."

                Justin felt his mouth and throat go dry but he managed to stutter, "But...but I'm scared..."

                Pipkin was incredulous as he asked, "You're _scared_?!  Justin...but why should you be?!"

                "Justin, this is no time to hesitate!  Will you stop being so damned indecisive and just heal our Prince?!  We have gone too far and endured so much to not have you do what you were destined to do so ever since you came to the land beyond life!  Now quit dawdling and use your powers!" barked Bigwig impatiently, angry at Justin's lack of bravado.

                Fiver was silent until he remembered why Justin had reason to be afraid.

                "You are afraid of what the King of Tomorrow has foretold; you're fearful that it shall come to pass if you attempt to heal El-ahrairah."  Justin nodded weakly, eyes downward as the rabbits stared at both Fiver and Justin, unsure.

                Buckthorn, however, understood what his human friend was feeling.  "Justin, do not be ashamed.  You, young cross-bearer, are the first human to ever lay sight on the benevolent Prince of a Thousand, the ruler of rabbits and master of tricks and cunning ever since time began at Frith's blessings, and to think that no creature would ever be scared of meeting such a revered figure would either be foolish or just incredibly ignorant."

                "Besides," quipped Speedwell, hoping humor would help Justin forget the anxiety of potential dooms, "that stuffy, old king was obviously all fur and no brains to ever make such a preposterous notion!"

                "It takes one to know one," muttered Hawkbit under his breath, rolling his eyes.  Speedwell ignored the loudmouth.

                Bluebell then put in gently and reasonably, "Justin, think about it: Frith had chosen you and El-ahrairah had sent for you, and those two know more about the prophecy about the cross and the battle with Elil-rah than any other creature in the land beyond life.  They are not the types to send for a human who would destroy them and the world of animals.  Think about it, bucko: would they send for you if they knew you were to destroy them?  Would they entrust so much power to a boy if he was to use it against us?"  Justin was silent; the jester had a good point.

                Blackberry then stated, his voice slightly edgy, "Cross-bearer, you must not dawdle!  Every moment that passes by is a moment that may bring El-ahrairah closer to oblivion!"

                Rabscuttle, with pained yet loving eyes, then said a lengthy, incomprehensible bit of Lapine, but Justin, unable to understand, just looked at El-ahrairah's Owsla captain blankly.

                "Huh?"

                Dandelion then translated for Rabscuttle, "Rabscuttle says, 'Cross-bearer, heal him.  Heal El-ahrairah..._please_.  No matter what the risks, the largest and most regretful choice would be if you just stood there, afraid, allowing the Prince of a Thousand to die, rather than trying everything within your reach to help him.  Please, Justin...for us, for El-ahrairah, and for all rabbits...heal our Prince and do not be afraid.  We are with you no matter what happens.' "  Dandelion then softly told Rabscuttle in Lapine that the human could only understand them, the Watership rabbits, and no other because the cross-bearer only knew a few choice words in their language.  Rabscuttle nodded.

                Justin, with the many eyes boring onto his person, swallowed nervously before, with a faint, pounding heart, turned and walked slowly, cautiously to El-ahrairah.  Each step felt like a death sentence, each heartbeat felt like it would rip out of his chest, and the nervousness caught hold of his airway, threatening to choke him.  Justin just walked until he was only a foot or so away from the black mist surrounding El-ahrairah.  El-ahrairah was in so much pain, so tortured, so in need of respite and relief, but Justin was still fearful.

                _Do not be scared, Justin_, a voice echoed in his head, warm, righteous, and heartening, like the purest, uplifting emotions of kindness and encouragement.  Justin yelped and nearly hit the roof in fright, startling the rabbits that were observing.  Justin looked around him wildly, but then he noticed El-ahrairah was smiling with a twinkle in his eyes.

                "You...you...El-ahrairah?!  You're...you're telepathic??!!"

                _No, I am **empathic**.  I can speak to a tortured soul, speak to the creature's heart, if they are in pain and suffering, and my empathy allows me to whisper reassurance and reach out to those who are in pain and doubt...as you are now, Justin.  Please, do not be afraid and do not doubt my word...or yours._

                El-ahrairah then winced as the mist invaded his nostrils, his senses, his lungs and bloodstream, sending new sensations of excruciating and agonizing flames to course through his very flesh.  The mist, now sensing Justin and his cross being near, was now howling like the fiercest storm as it, under Elil-rah's magic, launched a relentless, ruthless, unyielding assault on El-ahrairah.  The mist started to thicken, becoming darker, forcefully generating fierce winds to rage and blow like a miniature hurricane.  The light of the room was slowly, but surely fading, as now, El-ahrairah was being engulfed, almost consumed, by the shadows of the dark beast.  The intensity of the winds and darkness had brought Justin weakly to his knees, too fearful and mesmerized to move.

                "El-ahrairah!!!" bellowed the Watership rabbits in fear and shock.

                "What...what is happening?!" Strawberry squealed.

                "It must be Elil-rah!!" realized Campion, "The dark beast's magic senses that the cross-bearer is close, so it must be trying to finish off El-ahrairah before Justin has the chance to heal him!!"

                "Justin, please, do it now!!  HURRY!!" squealed Fiver.

                _Justin_, El-ahrairah's voice squealed inside his mind urgently, _I...I cannot last much longer!_

                Justin heard El-ahrairah and Fiver's words and knew it was now or never.  He had to act.  Casting what little sense and fear he had left in his soul, the cross-bearer reached out and touched the black mists with his hands, the shadows now engulfing him as well.  Instantly, Justin felt his skin reeling, blistering under the unseen, intense heat of evil, his fingertips felt like they were shedding, exposing up multiple cuts and bleeding, and the evil entity send pain of a thousand deaths coursing through his body, scorching his spinal cord and bones.  Justin whimpered, though he had to restrain every bit of his self-will from screaming.  Dear Lord, if this is what the mist felt for a minute, he hated to imagine what it had been like for El-ahrairah this past month.

                In the background, the teenager could hear the cries of the rabbits of Watership Down as they shouted at their cross-bearer over the dim of the roaring storm.

                "Justin, do not stop, chap!  For all that Frith has ever blessed, do not stop!!" Dandelion squealed.

                "Justin, don't be scared!!  Keep it up!!!  You're stronger than that embleer magic!!!" hollered Hawkbit.

                "Justin, we're with you!!  BE STRONG!!  We're with you no matter what!!!" Hazel roared.

                "Don't give up!!!" screamed Pipkin.

                "I...I...can't," whimpered Justin, now sobbing in pain, the agony and brutality of the ongoing torture and anguish was enough to make Justin give up, and the mists actually felt it.  Encouraged by the sense of the adolescent's fear and diminishing will, it continued the onslaught.  In the final moment of despair, Justin then heard El-ahrairah's voice echo in his head.

                _Justin, pray with me._

                "What?" the human child managed to snivel out.

                _Justin, pray with me.  Pray with your cross, with your heart, with your soul.  God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change..._

                Justin felt his memory invoke; the Prince of a Thousand was reciting, to his surprise, the Serenity Prayer.

                "The courage to change the things I can...and the wisdom to know the difference..." Justin whispered, flinching at the torment of the evil barrier.

                _Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time..._

                The mist was starting to howl even stronger, but so was the cross.  Slowly, but steadily and no fear, the cross around Justin's neck began to glow stronger and stronger, more and more life pouring into the jewel.

                "Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace, taking, as He did, this sinful world, as it is, not as I would have it..."

                To the rabbits' amazement and horror, the mist was actually disappearing into Justin.  On his knees, his eyes shut tight, his face wet with tears of woe, his gritted teeth hissing out the prayer, Justin still held his hands out to the black mist, and now, the teenager's hands were encased with golden light.  At the touch, wafts of smoke and steam sizzled into the chamber as the black mists, with no choice but surrender, were drawn in and sucked into the light covering Justin's hands.  Little by little, Rabscuttle and the Watership Owsla could see the figure of El-ahrairah again through the black haze.

                "Oh Frith and Inle, it's working!!  The chap is breaking Elil-rah's spell!!" gasped Hawkbit, his eyes shining with joy.

                Rabscuttle said in Lapine, sobbing with elated ecstasy, "Thank Frith and Inle!  Thank Frith and Inle!"

                "Justin..." murmured Buckthorn with thankful, appreciated devotion and caring.

                The mists were still struggling to leave their mark on the two victims as they struggled to escape their inevitable doom.  El-ahrairah and Justin, with one mind and heart, finished it...together.

                _Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will..._

"That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next..."

                Justin could practically see, in his mind's eye, Elil-rah's eyes bugling with horror, surprise, and angry dread at the loss of his hostage, El-ahrairah.  But, without further ado, Justin and El-ahrairah ended the prayer simultaneously.

                "Amen."

                With a final scream, the darkness faded, and now the cavern was devoid of any black, evil, magic and sorcery.  But it wasn't done yet, to the complete surprise of everyone in the room.

                El-ahrairah now screamed in his normal voice, talking directly to Justin with a panicked urgency, his noble voice now magnified, "Cross-bearer, do not stop!  Touch me!  Heal me now!!"

                Justin, confused, asked weakly, "Wha-?"

                "Cross-bearer, touch me with your hands!  Hurry!!  Do it now before the evil returns!!!"

                Justin, with the last of his brave stamina, lunged and grabbed El-ahrairah's head roughly with both of his sweaty palms, one gripping each side of his face, and held fast.  Almost instantly, the cross flashed, stronger than any blaze the Watership rabbits have ever witnessed before on their travels with the cross-bearer.  With a giant, raw, powerful inferno, the cross illuminated the entire warren, indeed, the entire meadows of Fenlo, permeating every run, every burrow, and every field, grass, flower, and rabbit with the colors of yellow, gold, and orange, all mixed beautifully in a harmonious angel song.  However, El-ahrairah and Justin were anywhere but sheer bliss.  Instead of the normal warmth and gentle contentment Justin normally felt when he healed someone, this time, it was completely different.  His flesh and mind were screaming, searing and on fire, and though both El-ahrairah and Justin were bathed in the holy light, it was completely and utterly unbearable.  El-ahrairah was whimpering, his face now with beads of sweat, while Justin's body was nearly convulsing, foam and spit starting to dribble out of his mouth as a small stream of blood began to run from one of his nostrils.

                "**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!**" they both screamed loudly enough for every rabbit and creature in the warren of Fenlo to hear, arching their backs and yelling till their voices nearly cracked.  The rabbits twittered in fear; something was clearly not right.

                "Frith and Inle, what is happening to them?!" demanded Acorn with wide-eyed fear, fighting the urge to stamp and run.

                "We have to help them!" Pipkin squealed, "They could be dying!!"

                "But how is that even possible?!" Blackberry yelled over the dim, "The cross should be healing them, not hurting them!"

                "It does not matter now!!  Silver, Buckthorn, Campion, help me pry the both of them apart!!" Bigwig bellowed as he moved forward.  The others followed suit.

                Fiver then said in an ethereal voice, forceful and commanding as the bravest, strictest captain of a militia, "NO!  DO NOT ATTEMPT IT THLAYLI!!  THEY ARE NOT DYING BUT COMING BACK TO LIFE!!!"

                Every rabbit then faced Fiver.  The small seer's eyes were glazed, glassy, and his fur was trembling.  It was Fiver's second sight again as the buck said even more softly his last premonition needed for the fellowship, "Every life needs death, every death brings life...to heal back to health will always bring pain, anything coming back to life shall hurt...but there will be harsh trials for the Prince of a Thousand...for one cannot accept what has not been given, one cannot live where one is not welcome...acceptance is a hard aspect of life...so be wary, rabbits of El-ahrairah...for this is a battle fought not by paw but by heart...for no rabbit nor man can kill Elil-rah...but the riddle....the riddle is the key...the riddle is the key."

                "Fiver?!" gasped Hazel, stunned and taken back, but the seer shuddered before shaking his head softly to clear his cobwebs in his brain, before turning back, puzzled, to realize that all the Watership Owsla, including Rabscuttle, were staring at him curiously.

                Meanwhile, Justin wasn't so sure he could hold on any longer to El-ahrairah without crumpling to the ground, but thankfully, the pain began to subside and the light of the cross began to fade to a simple glow.  The illumination decreased until the warren and the chamber was back to normal.  El-ahrairah was gasping, heaving actually, his voice rasping out as the buck's eyes started to flutter, losing strength and vigor.  El-ahrairah managed to shoot Justin a grateful smile full of benevolence as he whispered to the cross-bearer, "Thank...thank you...cross-bearer."

                Gasping, Justin was able to let go and fell to his knees once again, gripping his elbows so hard, his knuckles became white, as his ragged breathing came out in a mixture of sobs and gasps.

                "Oh God, it hurts," the adolescent managed to moan quietly.

                "Everything comes at a price, and I thank you for paying that price, young one," El-ahrairah managed to heave as the observers and audience in the background came galloping at full speed to meet them, "And...your...your heart..."

                Justin was confused.  "Yeah?  What're you saying?"

                "You...still...have...it...inside you..."  With that, El-ahrairah passed out and slumped to the floor, unconscious.

                "**EL-AHRAIRAH!!!**" all the rabbits bawled with concern as they gathered around him, their fallen Prince.  Justin, despite his pain, noticed, with some hurt, that not one of the Watership rabbits was focused on him as well.  Yet then again, it was pretty selfish of him to expect that the rabbits would care more about a human than their Prince of a Thousand.  A pair of paws then tenderly helped Justin back to his feet, and turning, Justin realized it was Rabscuttle, and though he couldn't understand him, the look of eternal gratefulness on the buck's face was explanatory enough.  Meanwhile, Holly, Fiver and Blackberry were sniffing and examining El-ahrairah before turning back to the breathless, waiting group.

                "He'll be all right," Blackberry stated, almost with a sigh, "The cross-bearer healed him.  I cannot sense Elil-rah's magic in the warren anymore.  The chap has done his work; he's healed El-ahrairah."

                "Thank the stars," murmured Speedwell.

                "But then why is our Prince still asleep?" queried Hawkbit.

                "It was Elil-rah's magic," Fiver explained wearily, "The black mists of infliction and pain have hindered El-ahrairah's body for so long, it made our Prince weak.  With Justin being able to abolish the evil entity, El-ahrairah can recover and rest before he can regain his full health.  Our Prince will awaken...but it will take some time.  Right now, all he needs is rest."

                "But time is not something we cannot afford to have, Fiver!" protested Silver, "Elil-rah will be approaching our warren in pursuit, and if I recall the prophecy clearly enough, _both_ El-ahrairah and Justin will be needed at the battle!"

                "Then I think the best thing we can do at this point in time is to let both El-ahrairah and Justin rest.  The whole thing has taken a lot out of him, the poor chap," Holly commented, throwing a concerned look at the adolescent's direction.

                Hazel came up to Justin and gently ruffled the boy's hair, saying compassionately, "Justin, young cross-bearer, before you go anywhere, know this: you have healed our Prince and Savior, and as such, we are forever grateful for your help and patience and aid in this quest.  This is a debt we cannot possibly repay back, but...we will never forget what you have done on this day.  Your part is not over yet, for you still need to defeat Elil-rah, and I know it's too much to take in right now, so just rest now young one, all right?  We can discuss this matter later."  Justin wearily nodded, his mind too blurry and fuzzy to take anything of what Hazel said seriously close to his heart.

                Hazel then turned to Blackberry, "Blackberry, can you watch over the cross-bearer and bring him up to the meadows?  The boy could use some fresh air and rest."  Blackberry's face fell in disappointment, but he agreed effortlessly enough.  Justin, however, shook his head.

                "No, Hazel, I need to do something else first."

                The rabbits just gaped at the boy in confused questioning.

                                                                                ***

                "I can't believe the chap is doing this!" muttered Holly in disbelief.

                Campion exhaled therapeutically through his nostrils, trying to erase the tension headache pounding in his head, "It was to be expected, Holly.  Justin risked his life and safety to save his, and even though he was an enemy, Elil-rah abandoned him so he has nowhere else to go."

                Blackavar growled, "He would have deserved it, the bloody, treacherous wretch!  If I did not have such a damned inclination to listen to you, Holly, I would have tossed the rotter out in the cold and away from Fenlo without even a second thought!"

                Sneezewort the weasel placed a metal paw on Blackavar's shoulder, saying calmly, "Easy, mate.  There's no sense in making things worse for yourself or for Woundwort.  You cannot change what travesties has happened to ya' in the past."

                "What do _you_ know?!" snapped Blackavar as he heartlessly turned his shoulder away from the weasel's paw.  Sneezewort looked hurt.

                Justin was now in the burrow with Buckthorn, Campion, Bigwig, Holly, Hazel and Fiver gathered around him.  Directly in front of them was a conscious, yet horrifically injured Woundwort, still bleeding with ghastly wounds and burns, showing patches of charred, blackened flesh and oozing blisters.  The Efrafan General was so beaten and damaged, he could not even stand, and with Buckthorn successfully blinding his at the Skies of Hellfire, the General could no longer see and was now trapped in the personal, small hell of everlasting darkness.  Justin was certainly apprehensive of seeing Woundwort again, especially since the rabbit had nearly succeeded in killing him, (and at this reminder, the adolescent kept fingering and feeling the horrible neck wound that Woundwort has drilled into his windpipe, nearly killing him) but he knew, though he wasn't sure of the reasons why, it would be far better is Woundwort did not suffer, even he deserved it.  Justin stepped closer, being only a few feet from the rabbit when Woundwort sneered at him, looking directly at his person.

                "Come back to gloat, embleer cross-bearer, or have you arrived to finish me off and watch me suffer, you despicable coward?!"

                Justin looked a little taken aback that the buck could guess it was him, but it wasn't that hard.  Justin's human scent was powerful enough for a rabbit to smell and detect a good distance off.  Woundwort rumbled as he angrily scuffed his claws into the dirt floor.

                "This isn't over, you stupid, pitiful excuse of a boy!!  I'm not helpless, you know!!  Come any closer and I will kill you, and my dark Lord will reward me for my efforts!!  You will never win against Elil-rah!!"

                "Just you try it!" growled Bigwig.

                Fiver then spoke softly, "Woundwort, if Elil-rah is to reward you, then why was he willing to destroy you?  Do you not remember, Woundwort?  Elil-rah attacked you for your failure, and as such, you are no longer in his services.  He has abandoned you, just like how he has abandoned the other minions of his dark Owsla, because he never gave a damn about them as long as he remains untouched and unscathed."

                Woundwort stopped, remembering.  The look of dismayed loneliness and self-willing punishment on his face was familiar to Justin.  He'd seen it on his own face, on the face of most of the Watership rabbits, whenever they remembered their pain, their unfair torments, the memories of fates taking advantage of them, robbing them of what little good graces they had.  Justin then realized that Woundwort had nothing, no family, no friends, nothing else left to live for.  He would never be welcomed back to Elil-rah or to El-ahrairah's warren; he was truly stuck with nowhere to go.

                Woundwort was now trembling, no longer looking like a rabbit demon to be feared and ruled over by, but a helpless, vulnerable kitten, alone and cold.  Blackavar scoffed, clearly enjoying the sight.

                "How pathetic," the mutilated rabbit drawled, "_This_ is the right paw of Elil-rah?  _This_ is the rabbit who had caused so much despair, misery, and death in both the physical world and in our world?"

                "That's enough, Blackavar," said Hazel gently, "Woundwort has gone through enough."

                "That is easy for you to say, Hazel!" snapped Blackavar, his eyes flashing red, "What gives you the right to defend him?!  After everything I have suffered?!  After everything the Efrafan does and Hyzenthlay have endured in Efrafa?!  We have endured enough pain and scars to make kitten scream and give them nightmares for hrair days!!  All because of him!!  He thinks we should take pity because he's going through what he has cold-bloodedly done to us?!  I will never forgive him for that!  I will _never_ forgive him for what he has done to us!!  He deserves every bit of it, and you're a fool, Hazel, if you think I should be expected to show _him_ mercy!!"  Blackavar was shaking in rage after the confession, and Thethuthinnang and Vilthuril placed paws on their friend to ease his troubled mind.  They too, could understand what he felt, but they were gracious enough to control their emotions from spewing out.  Woundwort was silent at Blackavar's remarks, as if, for once, he finally realized what he had done in his past, of how it was not as noble and protective as he once believed to be.

                Justin then said to Woundwort softly, "Woundwort...I know you don't trust me, and if you want, I will leave you alone.  But...I don't want to see you like this.  I don't want you to suffer."

                "Then kill me," Woundwort snarled.

                Justin shook his head.  "I can't do that.  I...I _won't_ do it."

                "Than I will make you!!!" roared Woundwort as he lunged for him, but Bigwig, Buckthorn, Silver and Campion were quicker.  In an instant, they had pinned him down, shifting all their weight to prevent Woundwort from rising, though it took great effort.  Woundwort was not an easy foe to subdue, and the act of pinning him down made his wounds ache even more, which led to him screaming curses and howling as he writhed and struggled furiously.

                "Get off of me!!  Damn you!!!  I'll kill you!!!  I'll kill all of you!!!  You robbed me of my life, my dignity, my chance of peace, and now I have nothing left!!!  This is all your fault, cross-bearer!!!  Kill me, or so help you, I will never rest until you die by my claws!!!  You owe me death!!!  It's the only thing I have left for a merciful end!!!  I cannot find respite anywhere...all because of your and your damned cross!!!  You embleer, damned, rotten human!!!"

                "Silence," whispered Justin, and with a gleam of orange, the cross bathed Woundwort, rendering his voice immobile.  Now, the Efrafan General was mute, his voice frozen by the child's command, and at the unexpected surprise, the General ceased to fight temporarily, but rather, the large buck went limp, as if he was giving up and surrendering, and Campion could notice the tears of hurt leaking out of Woundwort's bleeding eyes.

                Justin said sincerely but strongly, "Woundwort...I can't kill you because I can't kill anyone.  I don't want to.  You want to know why I wanted to save you?  Did you want to know why we brought you back here, to El-ahrairah's warren?  It's because I know how you feel.  I know what it's like to be alone, to think that no one cares for you.  I've felt that, Hazel has felt that, and so have every other rabbit that has come to the land beyond life.  But...I don't think that just because you've made some mistakes means that you can't be forgiven and given a second chance.  I'm sure that El-ahrairah would approve of that, even if you don't want it.  But...I can't heal you unless if you really want to be healed.  If you still don't trust me and refuse, I will understand, but I'm telling you one thing now that you need to listen.  You think that there's nothing left?  You think you can't start over, that you can't start a new life?  You think you can't stand the shame, the guilt, the thought of everyone scorning and scoffing at your because of your past?  Well then...get over it and move on."

                Woundwort, indeed everyone, was startled by the coldness of Justin's remark.  Justin continued.

                "If you think I'm ready to trust you, after the hell you've put me through, you're wrong.  I'm not naive and I'm not stupid, but I still want to do this because you're no different from the Watership rabbits, from the Efrafan refugees, from Sneezewort, Lousewort, Snitter, Rowf and Shardik.  Because you're exactly like us, whether you realize it or not.  You're not the only one who's been hurt and betrayed before, but feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to get you anywhere.  You think you don't deserve mercy?  Well, _that's_ why mercy was made: _for those who don't deserve it_.  You think you're evil and not perfect?  Well, so is everyone else; nobody's completely holy and perfect.  Even El-ahrairah was vain and conceited before Frith gave his blessings to the animals.  Regardless how small or how different they are, mistakes are mistakes, and every creature has been misguided and made them without a thought to how it could hurt others.  You're _not_ a special case."

                Woundwort was silent, brooding.

                Justin sighed.  That was tougher for him to speak out than he thought.

                "So...do you want me to heal you?"

                After a long silence...Woundwort ever so slightly...nodded his head.

                Justin clasped the cross with both hands, and with a small voice, he whispered, "Heal him, please.  If anyone needs it, he does."

                With a bright flash, it was all over.  Woundwort, to the spectators' amazements, was now whole again.  There were no traces of blood and gore left on his fur, but instead, now his flesh and body were renewed, nursed back to health.  As an additional surprise, Woundwort realized his dead eye, the one he lost as a young rabbit, was now fully functional, now no longer unresponsive but a healthy white with dark-brown pupil.  His right eye was still as red as Elil-rah's bloody vision, but it no longer had that foreboding sense and eminence of power radiating from it.  Now, though he still seemed foreboding and threatening, he appeared to be no more than a fierce rabbit and nothing less or more evil.  That was the thing about the cross: it could not change one's past or completely conjure a whole, new identity, but...it could offer solace and ease guilt and sorrow.  Woundwort, finding he now had his voice back again, snarled with building menace, "Get off of me, you cretins!!!"

                "Gladly!" snarled Bigwig as he and the others let go hurriedly, as if they were holding on a piece of filth they could stand handling no longer for another moment.  Woundwort shook them off and brushed his fur, muttering darkly as he gave every rabbit observing them the evil eye.  Then, Woundwort turned to Justin and rumbled, though Hazel and Fiver were quick to notice he had a sullen, unenthusiastic look when he spoke, "I still blame you for everything that has happened to me.  I do not regret wounding you and giving you and your friends grief and suffering during your journey.  I still hate humans and desire some aspects of power and authority in my old life under Elil-rah, you know."

                "I know," Justin replied.

                Woundwort then had a sneaky smile on his face as he leered, "And what is to stop me from taking over El-ahrairah's warren and claiming his power as my own?  What is to stop me from being the next Prince of all Rabbits?  What makes you think I'm no longer loyal to Elil-rah?"

                Fiver answered gravely, "Because you know, deep inside, what you didn't need was power and supremacy, but a family and a fellowship you could trust.  You had all the power you wished for under Elil-rah's rule, but it _never_ made you happy.  I can sense it even right now, in your heart, Woundwort.  You never felt satisfied, at peace, always restless with anxiety, worry, and self-doubting torture.  Even if you did become the next El-ahrairah, you would still be just as miserable as before, as you always were.  Now, you realize that you have an opportunity to fix things, to start anew, like a seed ready to burst into a baby plant, without a chance of your past and misgivings coming to haunt you.  And you would never risk that chance again...not after what you have seen of Justin and Elil-rah."

                Woundwort was quiet, staring with a troubled look before he broke his gaze and turned his back, facing the opposite wall.  Justin and the Watership rabbits left, leaving the rest of the rabbits to wonder what had just taken place.

                Flyairth leaned over and whispered to Hyzenthlay, "Did you understand any of that?"

                Hyzenthlay replied, shaking her head, "No, I daresay I did not.  But whatever they had discussed seemed to have finally gotten through to Woundwort.  I think Woundwort has found something he has never known he needed so desperately."

                "And what would that be?"

                "Redemption."

                                                                                ***

                Justin was now outside the warren and sitting dejectedly on the grass and clover that somehow remained intact after the siege.  After the healing of El-ahrairah and Woundwort, Hazel and the others decided it was best if Justin had some fresh air.  It was now almost ni-Frith and the sun was out high in the clouds, warming the fields slowly, though the cool spring air was enough to give Justin a nice needed spell of relief.  Blackberry, assigned to watch over him, was at silflay not too far off.  Justin gingerly squeezed his broken arm, wincing at the bullets of pain that shot through.  Even though he still had feeling in his appendage, it was starting to have a numb, tingling sensation, meaning that it was slowly dying, cell by cell, bit by bit.  He wasn't so sure if even he and the rest of the Watership rabbits could doctor it and nurse it back to full health.  He shuddered, remembering that many animals in the wilderness have simply dealt with similar problems by gnawing off their own legs or paws and living off the rest of their lives that way.  He wasn't so sure if amputation was what he wanted at this point.  He just hoped his injuries could be ignored long enough until after the battle with Elil-rah was finished...though such a thought did bring a shudder to the child.  As Justin sat on the knoll, staring off into space and contemplating, several of the other rabbits noticed him, and unluckily enough, it included the Threarah, Flyairth, and other rabbits that feared humans to the point of maddening, obsessive vengeance.  Trouble was now starting to rear its ugly, suspicious head.

                The Threarah just narrowed his eyes at Justin, full of mistrust and bitter scorn.  "Look at that human!  Squatting there like he was our new Prince and Lord of all!  It makes my blood boil to see him in our sanctuary, our hallowed warren!  He should be banished from this place!"

                Toadflax just kept glancing at the teenager, his voice cool, "The boy probably means no harm.  I have seen him interact with the Owsla of Watership Down and the fellowship sent to guard the boy.  He appears to be easy-going enough and stays out of trouble's way, respectful and polite as well.  I have even witnessed him giving some friendly smiles to any rabbit that passed by.  However, I see no need for him to stay here."

                "Why should we let him stay?!  Why not kick the embleer human out?!" growled the Threarah, "We do not need that cursed human any longer!  He has done his part!  I have heard from Rabscuttle that El-ahrairah is still weak, but he will soon make a full recovery!  The damned boy has already healed him!  Why should he stay?!  Drive the useless outskirter out!"

                "We should also not let our guards down with the matters that concern the child," Toadflax stated, "Think about it chaps.  With so much power and ability, what is to ever prevent the human from turning against us and becoming the next Elil-rah?  Then we would be truly done for!  After all, who can defeat the being that defeats Elil-rah?  And it is certainly a scary thought for men have always hated us and never cared about our well-being.  Do you remember our stories about Sandleford?  The men killed us simply because we were in their way, and they never shed the slightest sign of regret and remorse!"

                "That is true," accused the Threarah, "It would not surprise me if the cross-bearer became traitorous!  Look at the company he keeps!  The dogs of Prince Rainbow, two weasels that defected, and even Woundwort himself!  The boy is mad to bring elil and enemies to our home!  And that useless nephew and those friends of his are too blind to see it!"

                "I know what you mean," Flyairth sighed sadly, "Blackberry and Bigwig used to be such admirable Owsla rabbits before this whole nonsense.  Yet now, after the journey, they...they have changed, and not in beneficial ways either!  It was revolting to watch them fawn and worry over the cross-bearer's health like that!  Blackberry used to be such a level-headed rabbit, but after the cross-bearer used his powers on him, he is almost like a mindless servant!  The Blackberry I remember would never have such emotion over a human!  He would have agreed with my sentiments: if this cross-bearer dies, we could have always waited for another one to be sent by Frith.  It should have been of no interest to us!  We are not part of the child's affairs!"

                "The cross-bearer is more of a threat to us than he is of help," commented Scabious, another rabbit who perished in the destruction of the Sandleford warren.

                "I agree with you," Coltsfoot confessed angrily, the memories of what he endured in the field near Nutley Copse where he witnessed the horror of the rabbit ghosts now sparking the dead fires of fear and anger, "Why should we have to risk our own safety and home for such a creature?  Even if he is the cross-bearer, he is no longer any concern of ours as of now.  Elil-rah will surely come for the boy, make no mistake about that.  With the boy in our quarters, he will bring Elil-rah's wrath upon all of us!  Yet without the cross-bearer here, Elil-rah will surely ignore our home and our Prince!  Without the boy in our presences, there will obviously be no reason for the enemies to attack us!"

                "Perhaps if we surrender the human to Elil-rah, we will be shown mercy," suggested Peerton, a rabbit who once lived at Watership Down and was one of the prime antagonists against Stonecrop when he arrived at the warren.  He was flanked by his two friends, Woodruff and Butterbur.

                "Either way, it is clear the cross-bearer cannot stay here!" growled Sandwort, a natural troublemaker, "I have spoken to hrair rabbits here after the siege.  They all blame Justin for the downfalls and tragedies that have blighted our home and the fields of Fenlo!  If it were not for this damned cross-bearer nuisance, Elil-rah would have never attacked us in the first place!"

                "Then why are we still standing here?!" barked the Threarah, "Let us banish the cross-bearer right now!"

                Toadflax warned with preemptive common sense, "Hazel-rah and the other Watership rabbits will not stand for it, you know.  They will not tolerate any force we use on the child, and you realize how close they are with the human."

                Sandwort scoffed, "They are surely deluded with those embleer powers the cross-bearer and El-ahrairah have cursed them with.  Once we have done our job, El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle will surely thank us!  They place too much trust on the human anyway!  Besides, it is not as if we are going to kill him!"

                Scabious rumbled, his eyes flashing, "Do not be so hasty to say such things!  I can honestly tell you I am quite eager to exact retribution for the crimes committed against myself and my home!  I have never killed a human before, but to be quite honest, I would certainly not wish to pass this opportunity!"

                Toadflax was still troubled and unsure.  Complaining about the matters was one thing, but acting on them...it was beginning to alarm the buck.  He tried again, commenting, "It would hardly be a fair fight, Scabious!  Look at the child!  He is hurt, he will probably not use his powers on us, and he cannot understand our language so he will not be able to understand what or why we are trying to hassle him!"

                "I've had enough!" growled Coltsfoot, getting into Toadflax's face, "Listen, we are at war, Toadflax, and if the cross-bearer should be a casualty, then so be it!  It is of no concern with us!  Now, are you with us or against us?!"

                Closing his eyes and sighing, the cringing Toadflax nodded his approval.  He certainly did not wish to be left out and shunned.  With that, the mob moved in for the kill.

                Justin just idly watched Blackberry in the distance at silflay when he heard the commotion behind him.  He turned to see, to his bewilderment and confusion, the group of rabbits hopping towards him with serious looks on their faces.  Some were even angry and twitching with distaste and insult.  Justin stood as they advanced towards him.  Justin felt worried a bit; these rabbits were large, some taller than he was.

                "Uh...Blackberry?" Justin called, a little hesitant.

                Blackberry's head shot up, but Flyairth growled at him, "Blackberry, you knew this was coming.  Do not pretend you agree with Hazel-rah and those deluded Watership Owsla!  I know as well as you do that we both think that the boy cannot stay here!"

                "Drive him out!" squealed Woodruff.

                Blackberry looked torn, but then he said softly, "Flyairth, he won't be hurt, will he?"

                "No, but all the rabbits at the warren do not feel safe with the human child here!  Do not get in our way, my friend.  Please, Blackberry, you don't want to throw away everything you have ever worked for, for this human.  He is not worth it."

                Blackberry, his mouth dry and ears flushed, nodded.

                "Blackberry, what do they want?" Justin asked nervously.

                Blackberry remained silent.

                "Blackberry??"  Justin's voice got more urgent and impatient.

                Blackberry still did not answer.

                "Stop depending on other rabbits to fight your battles for you, you despicable, pathetic, sniveling human!" growled the Threarah in Justin's face, "Go fight your own battles and leave us decent rabbits in peace!!"  Unfortunately, the Threarah said it in Lapine, and this language was unintelligible gibberish to the teenage cross-bearer who heard it basically as a variegated jumble of squeaks, squeals, and growls.

                "Uh...I'm sorry but I can't understand you," Justin weakly said.

                "Are you daft or just tharn, you stupid little boy?!" yelled Scabious, "Get out of here!  We don't want you around, endangering our kittens and bringing danger to our warren and Prince!!"

                "We hate humans!" snarled Butterbur.

                "You're not wanted here!" snapped Coltsfoot.

                "Leave now!!" shouted Sandwort.

                Justin still had no idea what the rabbits were saying, and for all he knew, the rabbits probably were angry because he was sitting where they wanted to silflay or because he left his human scent in the warren.

                He pleaded, "Look, I don't want any trouble!  Please, I'll go if you want me too!  I'm not trying to fight you!"  With that, Justin sidestepped and started walking back...but towards the warren.  This act infuriated the others; they wanted the adolescent to leave the meadows of Fenlo.

                "You dumb, impudent -!!" snapped the Threarah, and before Toadflax could stop him, the Threarah cuffed Justin in the chest, causing the cross-bearer to stumble backwards.  Justin, though winded, luckily landed on his good arm and not his broken one.  He tried to back away, but then Coltsfoot stomped on his ankle, putting all of his weight onto it.  Justin screamed in pain, and he tired to pry it out, but Coltsfoot was too heavy.  With the burly buck on Justin's foot, he couldn't escape nor even rise up on his own feet.

                "Blackberry, please help me!  I don't know what I did to make them mad!!  I didn't mean to do anything!!  Blackberry, please!!" Justin whined.  Blackberry just stared at Justin, bothered and distressed...before he turned his back on the cross-bearer and continued to silflay.  The act of betrayal and the metaphorical cold-shoulder shattered Justin.  Peerton, wishing for a little fun, then leapt close to Justin's face, pinning him down with his front paws.  Justin could only quiver as Peerton smirked at him, "If you cannot understand us, cross-bearer, then I daresay a jolly good beating should give you the message!"

                "I'll help," rumbled Scabious.

                "And so shall I," joined in the Threarah and Sandwort.

                But before Justin could subject to their paws, a voice speaking English rang out.

                "**Leave him alone!!!**" roared a voice, and before Peerton realized it, he found himself forcefully shoved (more likely rammed back) and sent tumbling by a good yard or two.  He, Toadflax, the Threarah, and the rest of the crowd fell back, a stunned silence blanketing the field, as Silver, Bigwig, Campion, Buckthorn, Dandelion, Bluebell, Pipkin, and Strawberry gathered around Justin, silently announcing that they would be protecting the cross-bearer.  It was Silver who shoved Peerton off the adolescent.  Bluebell and Pipkin rushed over.

                "Justin, are you all right?" Pipkin asked.

                "Did he hurt you?" Bluebell asked darkly, his face contorted.

                "I'm all right," Justin said breathlessly, but the other Watership rabbits were not very convinced.

                "What in Frith's name were you doing?!" Bigwig roared at the crowd, who were still very defiant.

                "We're doing what you tharn idiots should have done as soon as our Prince was healed!!" snapped Woodruff violently, "The child is a threat to all of us, and we have had enough with all this foolishness with Elil-rah!!  If Elil-rah wants the boy so badly, he can have him!!  Sacrifice the boy to save ourselves!!"

                "We have a right!!  After all the cruelties the race of men have done to us, we have a right to seek retribution from Justin!!" roared Coltsfoot.

                Bluebell snarled sarcastically, "What a lovely way of showing gratitude!!  You should be ashamed!!  After what Justin has done to help protect the warren and heal El-ahrairah, you would be willing to turn your backs on him?!!  You're just as bad as a human!!"

                "I can hardly say any rabbit in the warren wishes the child to remain here!!  He's a threat, a menace!!  With so much power, the cross-bearer will destroy us all!!  He must either go or die by our paws!!" snarled Peerton, temporarily insane with outrage.

                "Ignore them!" growled Silver, and the large rabbit turned back, concerned, to the fallen teenager.  "Come Justin, I'll take you back to the burrow, away from them."

                "You dare side with the boy?!  Then you are more of a fool than I thought!  Just like you were when you left the Owsla back at Sandleford!" sneered the Threarah gratingly at Silver.  Silver just narrowed his eyes and Justin could feel Silver's paw clench tightly on Justin's injured soldier.  His uncle had hit a sore spot, and Silver knew the Threarah knew it.

                "You truly disgrace all of us decent rabbits if you prefer to defend the boy over your own flesh and blood!" the aged Chief rabbit of Sandleford continued.

                "From what I see," growled Strawberry, "you have never given your nephew a good reason to view you as his family, especially since how you have treated him like a bumbling disgrace in the past and never gave him the slightest bit of kindness!  You are bitter because he escaped death and became a hero while you were deemed as an old fool who doomed his entire warren because he believed his own naiveté over the truth!"

                "You keep out of this, you fat, ignorant furball!!  This is between me and my foolish nephew!!"

                 "If you have an argument with Silver or with Justin, then you have an argument with the rest of us!" snapped Dandelion, "Justin is one of us, whether you agree with us or not!!  After how he had shown us friendship and good will, he displayed that not all men are evil!!  We have seen that!  Justin is a good soul, a true friend, and none of us have found any reason to turn our backs on him or deem him dangerous!!"

                "Oh really?" sneered Flyairth, "Then try explaining why Blackberry failed to come to your precious Justin's defense?  He has traveled with the cross-bearer as well, but apparently he still agrees that everything from man is a threat to El-ahrairah and his legacy!  He let us come attack the cross-bearer! Ha!!   So much for your human's 'valuable' friendship and kindness!  Such lies cannot fool a reasonable, clever rabbit as Blackberry himself!"

                The Watership Owsla turned furiously to an ashamed Blackberry in the distance.

                "Is this true, Blackberry?" Campion asked grimly, glaring at the buck with black-tipped ears.  Blackberry just cast his eyes away from his comrades, speaking in volumes.  Silver turned his attention back to the Threarah, trembling with fury.

                "I will make this clear to you, _Uncle_," he spat, grimacing on the word "uncle" as if there was nothing more revolting to him, "Justin is not to leave, he is welcome in our home, and if you _ever_ lay a paw on him again, _I will hurt you_!"

                "I am not alone, you fool!" the Threarah hinted maliciously, "Do you wish to be banished from the warren as well?!  There are many here who share the sentiment that the boy is more trouble than he is worth!  You wish to throw away your well-being, your status, your esteem, all for that stupid boy?!!"

                "The last time I checked with Rabscuttle, that was not your decision to make, Threar!  And it never will be!" snapped Pipkin angrily.

                "His name is _Threarah_, you impudent little beetle!" snarled Scabious behind clenched teeth.

                "From the way he is acting towards Justin, he is of no Chief to me!" retorted Pipkin stoutly, "Hazel-rah and El-ahrairah are my Chief Rabbit and Lord, not _him_!  A true Chief rabbit would view matters fairly and with fair compassion, not with bitterness and silly beliefs just because Threar blames humans for the stupid mistakes he made back in the physical world!"

                "You troublesome, talkative -!" Sandwort roared, but before he could advance, there was a flash of light and the buck suddenly found Buckthorn's sword pricking against his head and Buckthorn showed no sign of hesitation or timidity as he held the weapon.  Buckthorn's face was cold stone.  Justin was shocked, and he turned to Buckthorn, pleading.

                "Buckthorn, what are doing?!  Don't hurt him!  Please!"  From the look of desperation on the adolescent's face and tone of voice, Sandwort could guess what the teenager was trying to communicate.

                "How pathetic," he sneered at Buckthorn, "Needing a human to tell you what to do?  Waiting for the cross-bearer to give you orders, like those mindless dog servants of Prince Rainbow?"

                Buckthorn said softly and with great control, ignoring Sandwort's remark, "_This_ is one of the gifts the cross-bearer had blessed us with during our journey.  I may be cautious and reluctant to resort to violence, but I will not hesitate to use this if you threaten the cross-bearer again."

                Bluebell said angrily, "Do not be so sure about the rest of us, Buckthorn!  I daresay it would be satisfying to show our blessings of power on these thick-headed, arrogant, snide idiots!"

                Now the rabbits were afraid.  This was more than they bargained for.

                Toadflax wheedled, "Come, chaps!  This has gotten far out of control!  Please, let us leave now!  Let us not fight!"

                "We have a right to be here as much as that sickening human does!" yelled Scabious, unwilling to let it go, "How could you side with the human, Thlayli?!  Men destroyed our home, hunted us down, destroyed our lives as if they were nothing!!  And yet you still chose to simper over a human child?!  You have truly become a revolting excuse of an Owsla captain!!"

                With a flash of light, Scabious suddenly found himself talking to a giant black Labrador dog with flaming brown eyes and a telltale puff of hair atop its head.  The dog barked in Bigwig's voice, "Leave now, Scabious!!  Unless you wish to feel the sharpness of my teeth!!"

                Scabious yelped and ran, faster than Bigwig had ever seen him run.  The other rabbits, starting to get nervous, backed away even further, but none so less angry.

                "This isn't over!" snarled the Threarah, irately pointing a paw at Justin, "We'll get more rabbits to support us!!  You can't watch that damned human forever!!"

                "Threarah, please, just let it go!" Toadflax begged, worried at what El-ahrairah would say if he found out about this.

                "This is not the end!!  You shall hear from us soon enough!!"  With that, the rabbits left.  Bigwig sighed as he transformed back to his rabbit form.  Campion, Buckthorn, Pipkin, and Strawberry watched the retreat with disgust and loathing.  Bluebell and Silver were glaring daggers at Blackberry who was trying very hard to ignore them.  Justin, grateful he got out, tried to stand up.

                "Ow!" winced Justin, as he realized that the weight of Coltsfoot standing on his foot sprained his ankle, possibly twisting it.  Justin shakily managed to sit on his rear, biting his lip painfully; apparently, it was another injury that would prevent Justin from walking normally.  Campion and Bigwig rushed over while everyone watched.  Campion sniffed his ankle before nudging Justin's ankle with his nose.

                "Does it hurt even more so when I touch it?"

                Justin shook his head.

                Campion sighed, relieved, but there was still angry annoyance in his eyes.  "Then it is not broken.  I can smell and feel the heat of your flesh, being inflamed with injury, but the bone is not splintered.  If Coltsfoot did fracture it, I would have sensed your foot growing cold from the lack of flowing blood that usually comes from such a serious ailment.  I daresay you will be able to walk again, Justin, after a little rest."  Despite himself, Justin was slightly impressed by the rabbit's knowledge and intuition.

                "Damn Coltsfoot," growled Dandelion as he glared hatefully at the retreating forms.

                "Fighting them won't heal Justin any faster, Dandelion," Strawberry warned, a bit menacingly, as if he knew Dandelion would attempt it.

                "But it would be more satisfactory than just squatting here and waiting for them to harass Justin next time!" snapped Dandelion as he roared into the red rabbit's face, still angry at the injustice of it all.

                "Enough," Buckthorn said intently as he held a paw between the two contorted faces, and that, with final clarity, settled it.  Bigwig then leaned down and scooped up the human in his paws, cradling him close to his chest, startling the teen.

                "Wha-?  Bigwig??" Justin croaked.

                Bigwig looked impatient at Justin's confusion as he gruffly retorted, "Well, what young one?!  Please tell me you cannot be that daft as to not realize you can't walk on that paw!"

                "Uh..." Justin blushed.

                "Then Frith and thunder, I'm carrying you back to the burrow where you can recover and I can keep a better eye on you!"

                Silver tried to interject, saying, "Bigwig, let me carry Jus-"

                "I said I would do it," Bigwig growled intently, punctuating each word.  Silver fell back.  As Bigwig carried Justin while the rest of the rabbits followed, the cross-bearer asked hesitantly, "Bigwig, what did they want?  I couldn't understand them.  I didn't know what I did to make them mad, but I didn't mean any harm!  I'm sorry if I offended them."

                "It was not by any fault of you, Justin," Strawberry stated, deciding it would be easier to tell Justin the truth, "They were angry because they did not wish you to stay here any longer.  They said you were a threat and wanted you to leave the warren and the meadows in Fenlo, even though you did heal El-ahrairah.  It was simple bigotry; their hatred of humans still lingered, and as a tragic result, you were caught in their wrath."

                Justin slowly understood the reasons why and became glum.  He said solemnly, "I guess no matter where I am, I always get people angry with me.  I shouldn't have thought this would be different.  I didn't mean to cause trouble."

                "We know you didn't, Justin," Silver said compassionately, "Just forget about it and rest now."  Unfortunately, Silver knew this was not the end of it; the Threarah was always good on his word.

                                                                                ***

                As he watched the group leave with Justin with brotherly love, Blackberry could honestly say he could not sum up the wave of emotions he was feeling right now, but self-disgust, shame, and regret were some of the multitude of feelings that soaked him.  He was not sure he could ever forget the sight of Justin's wide eyes as they stared back at him, pleading and full of shocked betrayal.  As he turned to go silflay where could be alone again, he suddenly came face to face with Speedwell, Hawkbit, and Acorn, all of them scowling at Blackberry with suppressed fury and with their paws crossed over their chests.  They had apparently overheard and witnessed Justin being harassed by the rabbits and Blackberry's hurtful failure to defend the cross-bearer.

                "Such a dutiful Owsla warrior, aren't you?" Acorn said coldly, "I can certainly see that Justin's life would do well in your paws."

                Blackberry, trying to save face, just glared back, mumbling, "Look, chaps, I just want to be left alone.  I hardly need the likes of you three to tell me what I should and should not do."

                "Maybe some rabbit should, Blackberry!" snapped Speedwell, forgetting about making a scene to the rabbits around the four, "How could you do such a thing?!  To Justin?!  After the battle we had with Nekas and Greenweed, I would have thought that you would have realized the truth by now!  Embleer Frith and Inle, you abandoned Justin!  After all we promised him, you still chose to ignore him without a second thought!"

                "Justin knows I did not mean any harm by it, and he would understand that I would seriously endanger my standing and good graces amongst Flyairth and my comrades if I embarrassed myself for standing up for a human!" Blackberry muttered heatedly, but he could not put complete confidence in that statement.

                "By the tail of the Black Rabbit of Inle, Blackberry, do you even regret what you have done?!" Acorn gasped in outrage, "You were willing to let Justin be subjected to those taunts, those insults, and he could have been harmed, which would have been even more serious due to the injuries!  All because you wanted to save face and appearance with other rabbits of the warren?!  Frith in a hole!  Is the public opinion of yourself THAT bloody important to you?!"

                "Yes!" hissed Blackberry furiously, and that aggravated the three Watership rabbits even further.

                Blackberry continued before they could shout at him, "Look, chaps, see this in a rational perspective, won't you?!  Stop being so bloody daft!  Justin has already healed El-ahrairah, so his mission is finished!  There is no need for us to protect him any further; he has already completed the task we needed him for!  Yes, he has done well and admirably, but there is no further need for him to stay at El-ahrairah's warren and for us to watch out for him!  The cross-bearer will fight Elil-rah and then he will go back home!  This will be _his_ battle, not ours!  There is no need for us to be around any longer!"

                Hawkbit than spat, his breath artic, "Whatever helps you live with yourself, you rotter."

                Blackberry lost his patience as he exploded, "Listen you three!  Who are _you_ to judge me?!  If you had any ounce of brains and reason in your tharn heads, you would realize that El-ahrairah had sent us to protect Justin for the journey back to El-ahrairah, and that was all he requested us to do!  El-ahrairah never said we had to give up our standings and good graces with our friends and families back in Fenlo for Justin!  If we side with the human, the rabbits in El-ahrairah's warren would look down on us until the end of time, and I am not willing to forsake that for Justin!  He may be the cross-bearer, yes, but if you remembered the laws of Nature, you should have realized by now that Justin is a human, and plain and simple, all humans cannot and should never associate with decent animals!!  Any level-headed rabbit should see that!"

                "'Level-headed' or 'stubbornly biased'?" growled Speedwell.

                "Caring and having a friendship with a human is not something to be ashamed about, Blackberry!  Especially since Justin has saved your ungrateful hide hrair times!" seethed Hawkbit.  
                Blackberry grew more stubborn.  "To you three dunces, I don't expect you to understand what it means to be a disgrace to rabbits."

                Acorn spoke softly with pity, "Blackberry, if you honestly cannot see past Justin's humanity and can easily ignore Justin's eagerness and friendship within this past Inle, I would rather be a happy dunce and disgrace that is devoted to the cross-bearer than a wise, rational fellow such as yourself."  With that, the three turned about-face and hopped away.

                Blackberry suddenly lost his appetite for the grass around him.

                                                                                ***

                Bigwig was squatting next to Justin, keeping him company, when Speedwell and Hawkbit came to the burrow.  Justin noticed their troubled fear painted on their faces.

                "Bigwig, could we speak with you for a moment?  Hazel-rah and the others need to talk with you," Speedwell tried to say with his normal, joking tone, but instead, it sounded forced, high-pitched, and strangled.  Justin knew something was wrong, and Bigwig noticed it as well.  Still, he did not wish to leave Justin's side, so he said brusquely, "You can tell me in front of Justin, buckos."  He saw the nervous hesitation between the two rabbits.  He barked sharply, "Well?!"

                Speedwell managed to whimper, "It's Elil-rah.  He's coming!  We saw him, in the distance of the horizon!  He's coming!"

                Bigwig went pale under his fur as he turned to Justin, swearing, "Oh embleer Frith!"

                Justin was scared as well.  This was certainly not good.  El-ahrairah, he had heard from Bigwig, was still unconscious and the prophecy said both Justin and El-ahrairah would be needed for battle.  Unfortunately, the Watership Owsla did not have enough time to strategize a battle plan.  Dandelion, Strawberry, Fiver and Hazel were trying their best to decipher the riddle from the prophecy and the premonition from Fiver when Justin healed El-ahrairah.  Unfortunately, they could make neither heads nor tails out of it.  And with Justin still weak from his injuries and no being at Fenlo with the ability to heal him, they were all truly done for and Justin's powers, though strong, may not be enough to stop a formidable dark creature created by Satan.  Justin started to shudder to himself.  Bigwig leaned over and picked Justin up, not willing to abandon him.

                "You'll come with me, all right, young one?" Bigwig demanded softly, though Justin could see Bigwig's eyes were wide with concern and determination, "Hazel-rah and the others will probably need to talk to you as well, but I want you to understand: we will not leave you, but you must not give in!  This fight must not be lost!  Realize that either Elil-rah will be defeated or you and El-ahrairah will be defeated, and if that happens, you shall surely die.  Justin, do not be afraid, but do not think that we will abandon you or run.  If you fight, then we shall fight as well.  El-ahrairah and you may be fated to war, but the prophecy did not say we could not come to help.  Do not be afraid, all right, young one.  I know what it is like to be scared in the face of an impossible mission, but you must not give up.  _We_ are counting on you, El-ahrairah is counting on you, and all animals in the land beyond life are counting on you.  Remember that, all right?"

                Justin nodded, but asked a question that had been on his mind since they left Elil-rah's warren.

                "Am I gonna die?" Bigwig ignored it; he could not answer that with certainty.  As Speedwell and Hawkbit followed them out of the burrow, Bigwig and Justin arrived to the very Great Hall of El-ahrairah's warren, a curved, mammoth cavern supported with roots and eternal with warmth and space.  Hazel and the rest of the rabbits were furiously debating and discussing matters with a panicked frenzy.

                "Dandelion, how did the riddle go again?" Acorn asked worriedly.

                Impatient and riddled with fatigue, Dandelion, with his teeth at the edge, recited what he could from memory:

"_When the hearts of many prayers become one_

_And the light of Inle releases Frith as the sun_

_Only then will evil's darkness become undone_

_For El-ahrairah and the cross-bearer have achieved a mixed oinun._"

"That does not offer much help," sighed Silver, "and we have gone over it for hrair times with no success of solutions nor hints on Elil-rah's weaknesses!"

                Pipkin chimed in, "And I talked with Sneezewort, Lousewort, Snitter and Rowf as well!  None of them could remember anything that Elil-rah had told them that could be of any use to us to winning!  Of fur and paw, what do we do?!  What do we do?!!"

                "How close is he, Hazel-rah?" Bigwig asked, bracing himself.  Hazel wordlessly pointed to the opening of the warren, a hole that offered a wide view of the fields of the Fenlo and the mountains beyond.  Justin glanced and felt icy terror grip his heart like the bony hands of death.  There, in the distance, black, ominous clouds of smoke and death were multiplying at an alarming rate in the horizon, blanketing the skies with a shroud of death.  The thick, dark haze was slowly smothering the sun, and soon, the skies gave off a reddish haze of the blood-moon in the blackest of night, the sign of death and destruction.  Winds started to pick up again, with incredible speed, howling like the bowels of the undead, eerie, wailing, and like the coldest graves of forgotten scorn.  The winds were so cold, it burned, and already, bits of grass, clover, and soil were starting to crumble under the brutal attack.  Suddenly, throughout the crimson miasma, Elil-rah's red eyes of the glowing embers of evil power and demonic will appeared into view.  All through the warren, the Watership Owsla could hear the screams and cries of rabbits viewing the monstrosity from their runs and burrows with fear, echoing and ringing with deafening volume.  Outside, Elil-rah's voice rang with evil malice and intent.

                "**GIVE ME THE BOY!  THE BOY, THE CROSS-BEARER SHALL BE MINE!  THE CROSS-BEARER SHALL DIE OR ALL OF YOU RABBITS SHALL DIE WITH HIM!!!**"

                "O Frith and Inle," whimpered Buckthorn.

                "May Frith above help us as of now," whispered Holly.

                "What do we do now?!" cried Dandelion.

                "Hazel-rah," a voice spoke behind the fellowship, and they all turned to see Rabscuttle in the Great Hall, staring at them expectantly, somberly, with dread and apprehension.  Behind him were many of El-ahrairah's court: Flyairth, the Threarah, Toadflax, Blethlin, Violet, Hyzenthlay, Thethuthinnang, Vilthuril, Blackavar, Scabious, Sandwort, Coltsfoot, the Promised friends of foxes Lane, Mara, Mark, Gina, Carol, the calf Whitehorn (a beautiful creature whiter than the purest lily) from the story "El-ahrairah and the Three Cows", Kehaar, and Woundwort under the watchful eyes of Snitter, Rowf, Lousewort and Sneezewort.  Some were still glaring poisonously at Justin while other were sad, morose, and grieving.

                Rabscuttle said gingerly, "Hazel-rah, Elil-rah wants the boy and El-ahrairah is still weak, not fully healed.  There can only be one thing to do: let the boy fight Elil-rah alone.  Even though he may die, it may give El-ahrairah the time he needs to recover before he can use his powers to fight the dark beast.  Please, Hazel-rah!  Think about this!  If the boy does not fight him, we will all perish!!"

                "Absolutely not!!" seethed Campion, "We will not send Justin to his death!!  He'll be killed out there, and he may not even get a chance to -"

                "I'll go!" Justin yelled loudly over Campion's voice.  He may not have been able to understand Lapine, but he could tell what Rabscuttle was trying to beg of Hazel.

                "I'll go," Justin whimpered, trembling, knowing not of what his fate held for him.  Dandelion translated what Justin said to the rest of the spectators.  Many, including the Threarah, were showing surprise.

                "Justin -" began Bigwig, protesting.

                "Bigwig, put me down...please."

                Bigwig obliged.  Justin turned to Hazel with a sad look.

                "I can't ask you guys to do this for me anymore, I can't ask you guys to ignore the others who live here!  If Elil-rah wants me, then...then I guess this is my fate and destiny.  I can't just stand by and let others fight this for me, endanger everyone else!  I'd be selfish and a real coward if I did!  And I...if I was meant to die today, then God would want me to.  If he wanted me to live and win, then that's God's will too.  I can't fight what I'm supposed to do!  I can't endanger all of you!!  You're...you're my friends...the only ones I ever had.  Hazel, please, can you do this for me?  Let me fight him.  Let me fight Elil-rah."

                "Then we'll go with you," Lousewort said, stepping forward, and immediately, Snitter, Rowf, and Sneezewort came forth as well, "We're not rabbits, and no one would gave a damn if we were ta' die alongside you, cross-bearer.  Plus, you're our mate, true n' good, and we will help you in any way if we can.  We still have a debt to repay for your kindness."

                Justin shook his head.

                Bigwig, Holly, Speedwell, Buckthorn, Silver, and Pipkin were outraged.  Bigwig roared, "Over my dead body will you be doing something so -!!"

                "Let him go," Hazel said with quiet authority.  The other rabbits were stunned.  Justin then felt Hazel lift his chin up with one paw and forced the teenager to stare in Hazel's light eyes.

                "You have Frith's blessings and God's love; never forget that Justin.  And also never forget that we will be with you.  If you go outside as of now, then we shall follow.  And there will be no argument about that, young one.  If you are destined to fight Elil-rah and his Owsla, then so are we."

                "That's more like it!" Bluebell shakily smiled, though it was not difficult to see the terrified fear beneath his demeanor.

                "I'm coming too, right?" Pipkin asked.

                Fiver placed a paw around his comrade's shoulders, smiling, "We _all_ will go; Frith will never approve if we stayed behind."  Pipkin shot a look of gratitude at Fiver.

                Bigwig then placed a strong paw on Justin's shoulder, saying, "Then we shall leave now."

                During the conversation, Dandelion was still translating what was said and declared to the audience, and several gasped, not expecting the human to make such a decision.  Mara, Carol, and Gina started sobbing, and Kehaar looked crestfallen.  Snitter had tears streaking down his face with his head bowed down, and Rowf, though still with extreme dislike, managed to convince himself, that for once, he could tolerate feeling concern for Justin.

                "Speedwell!" wailed Violet.

                "It'll be all right, Violet.  I will come back, I promise...and Speedwell never lies to his mate!"  The white jester grinned, and Violet just bowed her head down, nodding, though scuffling fretfully.  Speedwell went out in a flash.  As Hawkbit was about to climb out, he heard Blethlin's voice call out to him.

                "Hawkbit!"

                "What now, Blethlin?"

                "Just don't be a fool and get yourself killed like a crack-brained idiot."

                Hawkbit snorted, "Since when did _you_ care for me?!  As long as I've known you, you've always wished I was gone from El-ahrairah's warren!"

                "I...I care," Blethlin confessed, her voice softening and so did her face.  Hawkbit looked in her eyes and saw she was not lying nor joking.  Hawkbit blushed, but then confessed as well.

                "I...I cared about you as well."  Blethlin looked up in surprise.

                "I'll return again, I promise that as well," Hawkbit continued sincerely.

                "I'll be sure to give you that derisive argument and well-deserved cuffing you've been begging for since we've first met!" Blethlin crowed.

                Hawkbit shot back, "As if I could ever submit to a cranky, short-tempered, annoying fat doe as yourself!"  And with that, he left.

                As the Watership rabbits filed out one by one, Dandelion and Holly saw one Watership rabbit did not make any movement to leave for the battle.

                "Aren't you coming, Blackberry?" Dandelion growled coldly.

                Blackberry turned his back on his friend.  Holly exploded.

                "You ungrateful, pompous, self-righteous -!!" Holly screamed, ready to pummel Blackberry.

                "Holly, please, that's enough!  Leave him alone!!" Hazel said sharply, and disinclined, Holly withdrew and stormed out of the warren, muttering.

                Dandelion glared at Hazel, but Justin said softly, with understanding, "If he doesn't want to fight, he doesn't have to.  I can't force him to give up his safety and life for me.  That's too much to ask for anyone."  Dandelion gave Blackberry one last glower, sniping scathingly, "And to think he still forgives _you_ sickens me."

                With that, Dandelion was out in a flash.  Justin the stepped to the black-eared buck

                "Blackberry?"

                The black-eared buck did not respond, but Justin knew that he was listening anyway and the audience watched attentively.

                "I...I just wanted to say that...even though we haven't been on the best of terms, I still wanted to say I'm sorry...for being an embarrassment to you."

                The rabbit twitched.

                "I...Hawkbit, Acorn, and Speedwell explained it to me, though it was really on a skewed point of view," Justin gave a half-hearted chuckle before continuing softly.  "But...I understand, and I don't hold it against you either.  To tell you the truth, I probably would have done the same thing if I was really respected by my peers as well.  I should have realized it was really selfish of me to expect you to humiliate yourself for my sake and give it all up, and...even though I don't agree with it, it doesn't stop me from saying I'm still glad I got to know you...as a friend.  I...I just wanted to say that...in case I don't come back."

                With that, Justin quietly limped back out.  If there was a mirror placed in front of Blackberry's face, he would have seen Blackberry wincing with two furious rivers of shameful tears streaking down his fur.  But before Justin could walk out of the run, Woundwort's voice stopped him.  Woundwort, despite being surly and desolate and forsaken, managed to just look up at Justin and asked him hoarsely, full of confused cynicism, "Why?"

                Justin turned back at the former Efrafan general.  Woundwort asked again, elaborating.

                "Why...cross-bearer?  Why do you fight for rabbits, creatures that could not care less about you, excluding the Watership Owsla?  Why do you still wish to go to a battle you can never win?  Why are you fighting for them?  This is not your fight."

                Justin's face then grew serious, his eyes showing a surprising display of strength that Woundwort never noticed before.

                "It is my fight...because I fight for my friends."

                Woundwort, stunned, just stared at Justin, small, meek, gentle...yet to the General's eyes...no less of a warrior.

                "I'm doing this because I don't want to lose the only people who gave a damn about me, about the only people who cared about me and protected me.  I'm fighting...because I would rather die than see my friends suffer and die.  I'm fighting...because they're my family."

                With that, Justin left, still clutching his broken arm with his good hand, wobbling a bit under the harsh winds of darkness and unforgiving, cold night, but steadily made his way towards the dark beast that would be his ultimate showdown.

                Elil-rah saw the scene unfold before him and was pleased.  The sight of the human boy, with the ranks of the Watership rabbits flanked alongside him, his own personal army, advancing towards him with mixtures of fear, confusion, courage, valor, and might.  Justin, wincing from his broken arm, did his best to walk up the highest hill to face Elil-rah.  To his right were Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, Dandelion, Hawkbit, Speedwell, and Holly.  To his left were Strawberry, Acorn, Buckthorn, Silver, Bluebell, Campion and Pipkin.  There, they stood on their hind legs, defiant, strong, and like soldiers.  Unknowing that they would all lose and perish in this battle.

                "Wait!!" a familiar voice called out to them from behind.

                They turned, to their joy, to see a rabbit galloping at full speed until he came to a stop behind them.

                It was Blackberry.

                The buck was remorseful, apologetic, and despite it all...he still came.  Justin gave him a warm, welcoming smile of relief, and so did the rest of the Watership Owsla.  For an instant, they forgot about the seriousness of the battle and received their friend back with humor and jest, like a friendly game.

                "About time you showed up, chap," Holly chuckled.

                "I knew you were too smart to not pass up this opportunity," Dandelion leered.

                "I don't deserve this, buckos.  I'm sorry for being stupid and stubborn," Blackberry said shamefacedly as he took rank next to Hazel.  Hazel-rah, his leader and Chief rabbit, held Blackberry's paw in his own as they stood together.

                "Together...as friends," Hazel murmured encouragingly as they turned back to face Elil-rah, now whole again.  Justin, despite the quaking in his chest, called out bravely.

                "We're here!!!  We're here, Elil-rah!!!  And I'm not afraid to fight you!!!  Just leave them alone!!!  Leave El-ahrairah alone!!!  You won't touch him or hurt him anymore, not if I can help it!!!"

                "**OH?**"  Now Elil-rah sounded amused.

                "You won't win!!!  I didn't kill El-ahrairah at all!!!  Sorry to disappoint you, Elil-rah," Justin shouted gratingly, sarcastically, his heart threatening to stop with fright, "But the prophecy was wrong!!!  The cross didn't bring chaos after all, which I knew you would want!!!  The Prince of the Thousand is back, safe, and none of your dark magic can hurt him anymore!!!  I healed him, and once El-ahrairah revives, we'll defeat you together!!!  And you know I have the power to stop you along with El-ahrairah, just like the prophecy said!!!"

                At this, the evil entity laughed, coldly and with disdainful cruelty.

                "What...why is he laughing?!" gasped Acorn.

                "This cannot be a good sign!" gulped Strawberry.

                Elil-rah chuckled as he stated, "**YOU FOOL.  THAT PROPHECY WAS NOT REFERRING TO EL-AHRAIRAH, BUT TO YOU, CROSS-BEARER!!!  THOUGH YOU ARE A HUMAN, YOU WERE MY MAIN TARGET ALL THIS TIME, AND MY ONE KEY IN DESTROYING EL-AHRAIRAH'S LEGACY.  IT WILL BE YOU WHO SHALL CAUSE THE DEATH OF ALL RABBITS IN THE LAND BEYOND LIFE!!!**"

                Justin gasped, "What?!"

                Elil-rah then revealed loudly enough for all animals to hear, sending a surge of shock and tharn disbelief at the words.

                "**JUSTIN... _YOU_ ARE 'THE PRINCE-OF-THE-THOUSAND'.**"

/*

Next: DARK REVELATIONS

Author's note: What a cliffhanger, huh?  Next chapter will be up in three weeks!  Get ready you guys!  There are about 4 more chapters to go and then the story will end! WAH!  I can't believe it! ;_;

*/


	29. Dark Revelations

/*

Author's notes: Ugh, I'm sorry I'm late again, but I had so many school assignments!  But this should please you!  Oh, and as a side note, this story is now 400 pages long!  Wow, this is really going to be a novel, and I'm not even finished with it yet!  Enjoy this chapter you guys!  There's about 4 more chapters left (it's a definite estimate this time) and everything is done!  This story will be over!

Enjoy!

*/

CHAPTER 28 

                Over the roars of the wind, over the howling of the black magic and deathly dusk eclipsing the field, and over the loud, ragged breathing of the entity named Elil-rah, Justin and the other rabbits could not believe what they had just heard.  The shock was deathly silent, morbid.

                They were not alone; Woundwort, Snitter, Rowf, Sneezewort, and Lousewort also understood what he had confessed, and once translated for the others, it was enough for everyone in Fenlo to go tharn, like the coldest frost, as Elil-rah's words repeated throughout the field once again.

                "**WHY, WHATEVER IS WRONG, MY DEAR, YOUNG CROSS-BEARER?**" drawled Elil-rah, his tongue simpering in drooling, condescending, patronization, "**SURELY YOU MUST HAVE KNOWN, AFTER ALL THIS TIME YOU HAVE TRAVELLED WITH THE RABBITS OF WATERSHIP DOWN...OR HAVE YOUR TRUSTED, LOVING PROTECTORS NEGLECTED TO MENTION SUCH A TIDBIT OF INFORMATION?  OR PERHAPS, YOUR PRINCE OF RABBITS, EL-AHRAIRAH, IS NOT AS BENEVOLENT AND RIGHTEOUS AFTER ALL, IF HE WITHHELD THIS INFORMATION FROM YOU IN ORDER TO CONTROL YOU AS SOME MINDLESS PAWN?**"

                Justin them heard Strawberry wheedle him, pleadingly, "Justin, please do not listen to him!!  He's lying!!  You know El-ahrairah would never lie to you!!  He would never use you like Elil-rah had mistreated his minions!!"

                Justin just remained blank and unresponsive.  Acorn then whipped fiercely back to Elil-rah as he growled, "How dare you utter such blasphemy, you coward?!  El-ahrairah is the Prince of the Thousand, not Justin!  You will have to better than that if you wish to try to have us turn on one another with your lies and falsehood!!"

                Elil-rah simply chuckled as he gave Justin a meaningful look, as if he wanted Justin to succumb to the power of his suggestion, as if he enjoyed watching the inner turmoil the teenager was struggling with inside his heart, as if he enjoyed nothing more that seeing doubt and fear eat at the adolescent away, slowly and bit by bit.

                "**IT IS THE TRUTH, JUSTIN, AND DEEP DOWN, YOU KNOW IT ALWAYS WAS.  JUST THINK ABOUT IT, CROSS-BEARER, THINK ABOUT THE MEANING OF MY NAME, ITSELF.  IT WAS GIVEN TO ME SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME, SINCE THE AGE OF DARKNESS I INFLICTED ON ALL ANIMALS ON THE DAY OF FRITH'S BLESSINGS.  THINK WELL, YOU FOOL: MY NAME IS ELIL-RAH.**"

                "So what, you dark horrid beast?!" growled Campion, "It simply shows you are one of the Thousand, like every other creature made to kill us!  Only you're pure evil, something Frith never created!"

                "**THAT IS TRUE, CAMPION; I WAS NEVER CREATED BY FRITH, BUT BY THE KING AND TRUE LORD HIMSELF, THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS, KNOWN TO YOU JUSTIN AS 'SATAN'.  YET JUSTIN, THINK ABOUT IT, YOU PURE, DELUDED FOOLISH CHILD!  WHAT IS THE ONE ELI THAT CAN BE TRULY CROWNED AS THE RULER OF ALL ELIL?  WHAT IS THE ONE CREATURE THAT ALL ANIMALS FEAR THE MOST?**"

                Then it came to Justin.  The realization came the moment the enemy was done boasting, pure horror delivering a cold blow in his senses.

                "Elil" was the Lapine word for "enemy", specifically a creature that hunted and killed rabbits, and rah was the suffix meaning "lord" or "leader".  So, "Elil-rah" meant literally "The Lord of all Enemies".  And in Justin's knowledge, there was only one creature that was most feared, most hated, by all animals and rabbits alike, one that truly enjoyed the hunt of innocent flesh, the spillage of blood for sport, the slaughter of animals for lust and fun rather than for survival.  There was only one creature in the physical world that relished in violence and darkness, that killed others, even those of its own race, thoughtlessly and without remorse, and that could truly touch the deepest depths of depravity and immorality.

                "It's man," whispered Justin, his face pale.

                The other rabbits then understood as well.  The only eli that could even be considered the most evil would be man himself, so if Elil-rah claimed to bear the rightful name of "the king of elil"…

                "O Frith and Inle," murmured Buckthorn, his eyes glassy and his face white.

                "Embleer Frith," Holly cursed to himself.

                Bigwig then remembered aloud, "Then when Prince Rainbow tried to attack us with his Dogs of War earlier…when he told Justin that he and Elil-rah were closer and more alike than we previously thought…_this_ was what he meant!!"

                "Then...then _that_ would mean..." but the thought of it was so horrific, Fiver could not continue.  Yet the dark beast of ages past finished the thought.

                "**THAT MEANS, YOU FOOLS, THAT I TOO, AM HUMAN!!!  WE ARE BROTHERS, YOU AND I!!  DO YOU NOT SEE YET, JUSTIN?!  YOU TRULY ARE THE PRINCE-OF-THE-THOUSAND FOR YOU ARE A HUMAN BEING, A CREATURE THAT WAS CREATED TO SPECIFICALLY CAUSE DEATH, DESPAIR, AND HARM TO ALL ANIMALS HE COMES INTO CONTACT WITH!!  AS SUCH, YOU TRULY ARE THE ONE LIVING ANIMAL THAT HAS A THOUSAND ENEMIES, A BEING THAT IS UNIVERSALLY DESPISED AND HATED UNTIL THE END OF TIME!!  EVEN MORE SO THAN EL-AHRAIRAH, FOR AT LEAST EVEN THE TRICKSTER HAD ALLIES AMONG THE ANIMALS OF FRITH AS HE DID ENEMIES, YET _YOU_, YOU WEAK, LITTLE BOY, HAVE NO FRIENDS AND ALLIES AMONGST THE ANIMALS EXCEPT THOSE WHO HAVE TRULY DISGRACED THEMSELVES TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT SIDING WITH A HUMAN WOULD HARDLY DO ANY FURTHER DAMAGE TO THEIR HONOR AND PRIDE!!!  SUCH AS YOUR PRECIOUS RABBIT GUARDIANS AND THOSE FOOLS THAT LEFT MY OWSLA TO BEFRIEND YOU!!!**"

                Lousewort, Sneezewort, Snitter, Rowf, and all the rabbits of Watership Down growled at that underlying insult.  Woundwort remained stony and indifferent.  Justin, however, managed to surprise everyone by saying thickly, his voice hoarse yet loud, "You're wrong!!  Don't ever insult them like that!!  They're the most noble animals I've ever met, and I don't care that we're different because I know I'll always be there for them just as they will for me!!  And I'm nothing like you, Elil-rah!!  I won't ever be!!  Even if you are human!!"

                "**DO NOT BE DAFT, YOU DUNCE!!  CAN YOU NOT SEE THAT THIS IS FATE, THAT THIS IS DESTINY?!  YOU AND I WERE MEANT FOR SOMETHING MUCH, MUCH GREATER THAN TO BE HUMBLE SERVANTS, THAN TO BE A SIMPLE CARETAKER AND ALLY, WITHOUT ANY GLORY AND TRUE POWER!!  SUCH A THOUGH IS AN INSULT TO OUR HERITAGE, TO OUR NOBILITY, TO OUR RIGHTFUL CLAIM AS RULERS OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN!!!**"

                Justin became still at what Elil-rah had just said.  No, it could be…he must have heard wrong.

                "Wha-…WHAT did you say?!" gasped the teenager.  Elil-rah's damning eyes gleamed even brighter.  So the boy had no idea of the truth.

                He boasted, "**YOUR IGNORANCE NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME, YOUNG CROSS-BEARER!!  THIS IS NO ORDINARY REALM!!  THIS IS WHERE OUR RIGHTFUL HERITAGE AND DESTINY LIES!!!  _THIS_ IS THE GARDEN OF EDEN, THE LANDS OF FRUITFUL BOUNTY, THE WORLD OF ENDLESS, AGELESS PARADISE, THE KINGDOM OF ALL ANIMALS!!!  SURELY YOU REMEMBER THE GARDEN OF EDEN, JUSTIN?!  AFTER ALL, THIS IS WHERE YOUR ANCESTORS ONCE REIGNED, BEARING THE NAME OF THE POWERFUL RULERS OVER ALL THAT EVER LIVED IN THIS HALLOWED SOIL!!!  AND IT IS MINE, MINE TO RIGHTFULLY CLAIM AFTER BEING SO UNFAIRLY BANISHED FOR BEING A TRUE MAN, A MAN MORE POWERFUL THAN GOD AND EL-AHRAIRAH!!!**"

                "_His_ ancestors?!!" echoed Speedwell incredulously as he stared at Justin.

                "Justin, what did he mean?!" Hazel asked, wide-eyed.

                "I…they were Adam and Eve, the very first humans ever created in the Bible," Justin murmured in a hollow, empty voice, full of disbelief and overwhelming surprise, "If…if this is true, then…then you guys weren't the original creatures to live here.  Adam and Eve were assigned by God to care for the paradise of all of God's creations, including the animals, so…since all humans are descendants of Adam and Eve, then…then…"

                Blackberry then finished for him, "Then you are a son of Adam and Eve, and what Elil-rah said was true: that this isn't the land beyond life for us…but your ancestral home…this Garden of Eden!"

                The human cross-bearer was floored.  All this time, he was not in just any spiritual realm of the dead.  He was in the Garden of Eden, the one haven of God's creations that was closed to all humans ever since the betrayal of Adam and Eve.  Because they ate the forbidden apples from the Tree of Knowledge, after God expressively forbade them to, they were kicked out of the Garden as a price for gaining free will.  Then he realized it was starting to make sense.  Why else would no human have ever been allowed into the land beyond life?  It was because they were banished, condemned to never step foot into the garden and risk it to a fate of desecration, of chaos, of evil.  That was why most of the animals were so hostile to the boy's presence, because to allow a human to arrive into this world was a huge taboo, almost an unpardonable heresy.  If God intended this land to no longer be welcome to humans, it would be only natural that animals would have been welcome in the care of the Garden of Eden once they had perished in the physical world for unlike humans, animals had no free will and lived solely by instinct and necessity.  The minute a human would return after eons and eons of blissful freedom would probably be horrendous, even catastrophic.

                "I cannot believe it!" Silver gasped, "So there _were_ humans once before in the land beyond life!!"

                "**THAT IS CORRECT, SILVER!!  AND NOW…IT WILL BE HUMANS THAT SHALL TAKE CONTROL OVER ALL CREATURES IN THE LAND BEYOND LIFE, LIKE IT BLISSFULLY ONCE BEFORE!!  THIS LAND SHALL NOW CLAIM MYSELF AS IT'S RIGHTFUL KING!!!**"

                "Frith and Inle, you are mad!!" snapped Dandelion bitingly, "_YOU_…a human?!  HA!  Highly unlikely!!  You're as human as we are!!  Justin is only true man in the land beyond life!!  We know who you really are!!  You were the dark beast that was created by the fallen angel to wreck havoc on all beasts and innocents created by Frith!!  You slaughtered hrair creatures without hesitation or remorse!!  You would never be accepted as a king, less than a leader we would swear obedience to!!  I'd rather die than declare my subservience to you, you creature of the night!!!"

                Many of the Watership rabbits standing nearby heartily agreed, but back to the observing audience in the warren of El-ahrairah, the Threarah muttered bitterly, "I beg to differ."

                "That was not even remotely amusing!" snapped Vilthuril who overheard him.

                "Oh, stop being dense and see reason, Vilthuril!" growled Sandwort, "Do you honestly think being on good terms with a human boy is any better?!  It's bad enough that we are being forced to tolerate this elil scum to even reside here for the time being!!"  He griped this last statement while pointing a paw at Snitter, Lousewort, Rowf, Snitter, and the Promised Friends.  Needless to say, they were not happy at that remark.

                "My, you're a little, poisonous, ungrateful upstart, aren't you?" Sneezewort sniped with a venomous glare.

                "Keep in mind, Sandwort, you do not speak for El-ahrairah…or for all rabbits," growled Lane, the male fox.

                "But he speaks for _some_ of us," challenged Scabious stiffly as some others murmured their agreements, "After all, if Elil-rah sees Justin as a threat, how bad could he possibly be?"

                "That is enough!" hissed Rabscuttle, and temporarily, the argument ceased at that warning as the onlookers continued to watch the mounting danger to come.  Elil-rah's eyes then looked at Justin with a mixture of superior pleading and malicious pride.

                "**WE ARE BROTHERS, YOU AND I, JUSTIN!!  WE ARE BOTH HUMAN, BOTH BLESSED WITH THE POWER TO RULE OVER ALL ANIMALS, BOTH OF US MEANT FOR THINGS GREATER THAN LOWLY SERVANTS!!  AND WHAT YOU HAVE JUST SAID IS PARTIALLY TRUE, DANDELION!!  THOUGH I AM HUMAN, I HAVE NO PHYSICAL BODY, BUT THAT ALONE IS NOT A WEAKNESS, AN ACHILLESS HEEL!!!**"

                "But then how can you possibly claim yourself to be a human?!" Speedwell demanded roughly, "The legends said that you were in existence since time began, _before_ God created the race of men!"

                "**BECAUSE I WAS BORN OUT OF THE DARKNESS OF MEN'S HEARTS, YOU FOOLS!!  I AM THE EMBODIMENT OF EVERY DARK EMOTION, EVERY CURSE OF BITTER HATRED AGAINST GOD AND THE LIGHT, EVERY NOTION OF JEALOUSY, BLAME, AND UGLY STRIFE FROM THE HEARTS OF MEN!!!  THE INSTANT ADAM AND EVE WERE SENT TO SUFFER IN TURMOIL AND LABOR, THEY HARDENED THEIR HEARTS AND OUT OF THE DARKNESS, I WAS GIVEN BIRTH AND POWER!!!  FOR YOU SEE, YOU PATHETIC RABBITS, IN THE HUMAN HEART, DARKNESS AND EVIL IS THE _TRUE_ ESSENCE!!!  NO MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD HAD EVER LIVED LIFE WITHOUT HAVING THEIR HEARTS TOUCHED BY THE LUST AND TEMPTATIONS OF SIN, THE STAINS OF AVARICE, AND THE SURRENDER OF VICE AND GREED!!!  CAN YOU NOT SEE THE TRUTH, YET YOUNG JUSTIN?!!  I AM A PART OF YOU!!!  I AM THE DARKNESS THAT LURKS IN EVERY HEART OF MEN, AND _YOU_ ARE NOT AN EXCEPTION!!!  DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS OUR FATE, OUR ROLE, OUR DESTINY?!!  DARKNESS CONSUMES THE LIGHT, JUST AS HOW LIGHT COMBATS THE DARK!!  AS LONG AS YOU ARE THE CROSS-BEARER, YOUR LIGHT, YOUR POWER, YOUR INNOCENCE CONTINUES TO RADIATE FROM YOUR HEART, AND I, THE RULER OF DARKNESS, AM MEANT TO RECLAIM AND CONQUER IT!!!  WHERE THERE IS LIGHT, THERE IS DARKNESS, AND AS LONG AS YOU EXIST IN THIS WORLD, JUSTIN, I SHALL BE THERE, TO DESTROY YOU UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT!!!  FOR AS LONG AS DARKNESS IS THE TRUE NATURE OF THE HUMAN FLESH, THE POWER OF THE CROSS WILL NEVER WIN!!!  IT IS INEVITABLE!!!  AND THAT STORY OF HOW I CAME TO BE IS NOT ENTIRELY ACCURATE, SPEEDWELL!!!  THINK ABOUT IT!!!  IN ORDER FOR MYSELF TO HAVE EVEN BEEN BORN, I HAD TO HAVE BEEN CREATED BY THE POWERS OF EVIL IN MEN!!!  THOUGH THE FALLEN ANGEL DID GIVE ME LIFE, HE NEEDED A HOST TO EVEN NURTURE MY DEVELOPMENT!!  WHERE DO YOU SUPPOSE THAT HOST CAME FROM, YOU DAFT FOOLS?!**"

                Silver and Buckthorn then realized the conundrum.  It was similar to the riddle, "Which came first: the chicken or the egg?"  If what Elil-rah said was true, then he had to have been born when Adam and Eve already existed, so as a result, Elil-rah really was, in spirit, human.  There was no other way this beast was born from the hearts of animals for creatures of Frith were never given the capability to be _this_ lowly and abominable.  Not even Woundwort back in the physical world could even be half as ruthless as any human.

                "So that was why you attacked all those innocent creatures of Frith in ages past?!" cried out an outraged Silver, "Because you wanted to consume the light and good out of every creature blessed by the light of Frith on the day of his blessings?!!"

                "**SO YOU FINALLY UNDERSTAND MY PURPOSE, SILVER, FOR YOU SEE, IT IS THE DESTINY OF DARKNESS AND LIGHT, GOOD AND EVIL.  DARKNESS IS THE HEART'S TRUE ESSENCE, AND EVERY LIGHT MUST FADE, EVERY SOUL MUST BE CONSUMED BY THE DARKNESS, EVERY HEART RETURNED TO EVIL!**"

                "You're mad!" snarled Buckthorn, "Such purity and goodness and power can never belong to you!  Even if you tried, you could never succeed!!  It is the one, ultimate law of nature and Frith itself!  There must always be a balance between good and evil, life and death, darkness and light, all in one, universal cycle!  To even achieve it would upset the delicate rules of everything that ever existed!"

                To this, Elil-rah crowed, "**AH, BUT I AM HUMAN, AND AS SUCH, I DO NOT ANSWER TO THE SO-CALLED 'LAWS' OF YOUR PATHETIC RACES, YOU DAMNED OWSLA OF WATERSHIP DOWN!!  HUMANS WERE MEANT TO RULE OVER ALL ANIMALS, AND AS SUCH, I CARE NOT ABOUT HOW IT AFFECTS YOUR LOWLY, UNDERSERVING WORLDS, YOU FURRY SCUM!!  ONCE I HAVE CLAIMED MY RIGHTFUL PLACE AS KING OF THIS LAND, AS MY ANCESTORS ADAM AND EVE HAD ONCE BEFORE, I SHALL FORM AND MOLD THIS LAND TO MY LIKING, TO MY POWER, TO MY RULE FOR ALL OF ETERNITY!!!  GOD AND FRITH SHALL NO LONGER RESIDE HERE, BUT ONLY ME, ELIL-RAH, THE DESCENDANT OF SATAN AND THE LORD OF ALL ANIMALS!!!**"

                Justin could hear the bitterness, the brimming hatred in Elil-rah's voice, and he knew that the beast was insane, mad for power and control and vengeance.  There was no way he could argue that any human ever deserved to continually rule over the land beyond life, how Adam and Eve had forsaken their right to watch and supervise this haven, especially since they were willing to forsake it for "freedom".  Though it had blessed the humans of the future with knowledge, free will and thought, and choice, it also cursed them with hardships, misfortune, and depravity, and Justin knew, that no matter what Elil-rah said, that this was all just another elaborate scheme for the enemy to destroy all of God's treasured creations out of spite and anger.

                "But…but if Justin was your main target, then why did you attack El-ahrairah and us?!" demanded Bigwig angrily.

                Elil-rah chuckled as he sneered, "**EL-AHRAIRAH WAS ALWAYS THE ONE, MAIN THORN IN MY SIDE AND ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING OBSTACLES THAT STOOD IN MY WAY OF TAKING OVER THIS LAND!!!  IF IT WERE NOT FOR HIM, I WOULD HAVE HAD NO PROBLEM IN CONQUERING THIS WORLD AND RESHAPING IT TO MY OWN IMAGE!!!  BUT THAT DEVIOUS LITTLE WRETCH WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO FIGHT ME AND RESIST EVERYTHING TO PREVENT ME FROM TAKING OVER THE LAND BEYOND LIFE!!  HIM AND HIS TRICKS HINDERED ME FROM TAKING CONTROL OVER HIS KINGDOMS AND WARREN…ALL BECAUSE HE WAS TOO STUBBORN AND A FOOL TO FORESAKE HIS ROLE AS CARETAKER IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN!!!**"

                "O Frith and all his blessings!" squealed Pipkin upon hearing this.  The rest of the Watership fellowship felt the very same emotion of stupefaction.

                "Dandelion, is this true?!" Speedwell gasped, "Since when was El-ahrairah named one of the caretakers of the land beyond life?!!"

                The golden storyteller shook his head helplessly, still nearly tharn from Elil-rah's boasting, "I…I cannot say, old chap!  None of the stories have ever mentioned such a thing, and El-ahrairah never said such a fact to us!  He never told us!!"

                "But how important could this role of 'caretaker' possibly be, Dandelion?" demanded Hawkbit, "I mean, a little duty as watching over the land beyond life??  That could not possibly be of much value!!".

                "**YOU FOOL!**" bellowed Elil-rah, "**THE CARETAKERS ARE ANIMALS ASSIGNED BY FRITH TO WATCH OVER AND MAINTAIN THE PEACE AND TRANQUILITY OVER _ALL_ OF THE LAND BEYOND LIFE AS WELL AS THEIR RESPECTIVE KINGDOMS!!  FRITH GAVE THEM POWER BEYOND THEIR GREATEST DREAMS TO WATCH AND PROTECT THE LAND BEYOND LIFE, ENSURING THAT IT WOULD NEVER AGAIN BE TAINTED WITH THE EVIL AND BETRAYAL THAT ADAM AND EVE, THE VERY FIRST HUMANS, HAVE SURRENDERED TO!!  THEY MAINTAIN THIS VERY SANCTUARY!!!  THEY ARE THE PILLARS THAT SUPPORT THIS WORLD!!!  WITHOUT THEM, THEY, THEIR SUBJECTS, AND ALL WHO EXIST IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN WILL PERISH AND DIE TO GLORIOUS CHAOS!!!  THE ROLE OF THE CARETAKER BRINGS LIFE, ALLOWS THE REGAL CREATURE TO BE ONE OF THE LAND AND ALL ITS SPLENDOR AND ELEMENTS, AND EACH ANIMAL WAS BLESSED WITH AN ADDITIONAL POWER BY FRITH IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE GIFTS THEY HAD ALREADY RECEIVED FROM THE DAY OF HIS FIRST BLESSINGS!!  AND YET WHAT DID THAT FOOL DO?!  HE WASTED SUCH IMPORTANCE ON USELESS, LOWER ANIMALS THAT COULD NEVER FULLY APPRECIATE THE HONOR AND POTENTIAL SUCH TASKS AND WARDS COME WITH!!  AND MOST INSULTING OF ALL, EL-AHRAIRAH WAS THE LOWLIEST OF ALL CREATURES TO EVER PLAGUE MANKIND, AND YET FRITH STILL FOUND IT AMUSING TO GIVE THE PRINCE OF ALL RABBITS SUCH A ROLE, JUST TO SPITE THE REST OF US!!!**"

                "But…but why would Frith assign our Prince to be one of the pillars??" Silver asked incredulously.  Justin then gasped as it came to him.

                "Because there really isn't much of a better choice than El-ahrairah!" the teen exclaimed, "Think about it!  What is the best way to make sure that the next caretaker won't fall for deception and be tricked into losing his soul to evil?  Who could possibly be smart and cunning enough to keep the enemy and Elil-rah from taking control?!  Who do we know who is clever enough to strategize and keep enemies from succeeding?!  In order to trick a enemy, you need a trickster, and if you need someone who won't be tempted easily like Adam and Eve, use an animal instead of a human!!"

                "And El-ahrairah is the greatest trickster of all creatures in the land beyond life!" Acorn exclaimed, the realization dawning on him.

                "Then that explains why El-ahrairah and our warren was targeted the most recently!" Blackberry cried, "O Frith and Inle, since El-ahrairah never surrendered his power and authority to Elil-rah, the dark beast still saw him and us as his greatest threats!  Without El-ahrairah's power, he could never rule over the land beyond life!!"

                "So that was why you could not attack him openly, you foul wretch!" roared Hazel, his fur bristling, "El-ahrairah and his tricks were certainly a match for you and your dark powers, and with him weakened by your black curse, it would have been easier to weaken him so that you could finish him off and steal away his power as caretaker!!"

                "**SUCH IS THE FATE OF THE PRINCE OF ALL FOOLS, HAZEL.  HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO UNDERESTIMATE MY DETERMINATION FOR THIS WORLD TO BE SHAPED BY MY WILL.  IF HE FOLLOWED BY EXAMPLE WHAT THE REST OF THE PILLARS HAD DONE, HE WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ATTACKED AND HIS WARREN OF CHILDREN WOULD HAVE BEEN SPARED.**"

                "O Frith and Inle!" squealed Strawberry, "So El-ahrairah is the _only_ pillar that resisted you?!"

                "That is impossible!" gasped Hazel, "No creature of Frith will ever be willing to yield themselves to your power, Elil-rah!!  If Frith had trusted them to be the support of the land beyond life, then those animals of Frith are noble and strong, strong enough to reject your lies and tricks!!"

                Elil-rah scoffed as he sniped, "**YOU PUT TOO MUCH SIGHTLESS CONFIDENCE AND RELIANCE IN YOUR FELLOW CREATURES, HAZEL-RAH!  APARENTLY, IT DID NOT TAKE MUCH OF MY EFFORT TO LEAD THESE BEASTS TO FORSAKE THE CODE AND LAWS OF FRITH HIMSELF!  YET, IT IS FAR BETTER TO BE A RATIONAL TRAITOR THAN A COWARDLY IDIOT LIKE YOUR PRINCE OF THE THOUSAND!**"

                "As if El-ahrairah would ever take the simple and dastardly way out like you have done countless of times, you lout!" bellowed Bluebell.

                "You are the fool, Elil-rah!  If you were a true opponent, you would have been honorable enough to be willing to battle El-ahrairah face to face rather than attack him indirectly by sickness, you craven!!" Campion roared.

                Elil-rah rumbled, annoyed, "**IF ANY CREATURE SHOULD BE NAMED THE COWARD, IT SHOULD BE EL-AHRAIRAH!!  WHEN I REGAINED ENOUGH STRENGTH TO ENTER THIS LAND, I MADE MY OFFER OF POWER AND REWARDS TO ALL ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY THE CARETAKERS, PROMISING THEM UNTOLD GIFTS OF WISDOM AND MIGHT AND NOBILITY, SOMETHING FAR MORE THAN FRITH COULD EVER OFFER THEM!!  SOME READILY ACCEPTED, SUCH AS WOUNDWORT AND THE EFRAFANS, MAD FOR THEIR AMBITION, WHILE OTHERS, SUCH AS COWSLIP, JOINED SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WISHED FOR VENGANCE AND FREEDOM!!  YET EL-AHRAIRAH REFUSED MY ADVANCES, AND DESPITE THE GIFTS, THE THREATS, AND THE VIOLENCE, HE CHOSE TO REMAINS STEADFAST AND FIGHT ME!!  AS IF THAT FOOLISH, OLD FURBALL COULD EVER MATCH MY POWER!!!  AND BY DOING SO, HE SENTENCED THE REST OF HIS CLAN TO SUFFER WHILE HE REMAINED UNSCATHED AND LET HIS BLINDLY-LOYAL MINIONS, SUCH AS YOU WRETCHES, FIGHT HIS BATTLE, A BATTLE HE IS TOO FEARFUL TO FACE!!!**"

                "How dare you!!" shouted Bigwig, his jaw set and grim.

                However, something didn't add up.  Hoping to stall for time, though God only knew how it would do any good, Justin asked with bile, "Elil-rah, you…you said El-ahrairah was _one_ of the caretakers of the land beyond life.  Who are the others?"

                Elil-rah's eyes slightly widened as if amused.  "**HAVE YOU NOT GUESSED YET, YOU DAFT BOY?  YOU HAVE ALREADY MET THEM!  THE CARETAKERS OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN WERE ONCE SOME OF MY MOST POWERFUL AND LOYAL SOLDIERS OF MY OWSLA!!  KING DARZIN, WATCHER OF THE GRASSLANDS AND THE SEAS!  SCRY-RAH, THE WATCHER OF THE SKIES AND AIR!  SHARDIK, THE WATCHER OF THE MOUNTAINS AND EARTH!  PRINCE RAINBOW, THE WATCHER OF SOULS AND LIGHT!  THE KING OF YESTERDAY AND THE KING OF TOMORROW, THE WATCHERS OF THE FORESTS AND TIME!  AND OF COURSE, LASTLY, EL-AHRAIRAH, THE WATCHER OF PEACE AND HARMONY!**"

                "What?!" gasped Pipkin, "That's impossible!"

                "Shardik?!  Scry-rah?!  The bloody kings of Yesterday and Tomorrow?!  O Frith and thunder!" cried out Bluebell.

                "But Shardik never acknowledged that he had the role of the pillar in the land beyond life!!" protested Fiver.

                Blackberry then realized there was a hole in that reasoning.  "It's a lie, Elil-rah!  You find there is a fatal flaw!!  You don't have the powers of all the caretakers!!  Shardik never allied himself to you and neither have the Kings of Yesterday and Tomorrow!!  They never declared themselves to be on the sides of your rule!  They were all still loyal to Frith!!  Thus, you do not have as much rule and power over the land beyond life as you once said!!"

                "He's right, you dark, lying, beast!!" Holly roared in ire, "If you truly had the authority to be the king of all in the land beyond life by stealing the gifts of responsibility from them, then would have also lost it when Scry-rah and Prince Rainbow had turned against you!!  Since they are no longer a part of your army, you no longer have them under your mind-trickery and control!!  Henceforth, you _lost_ their consent to have you take over their powers blessed to them by Frith!!"

                Elil-rah laughed, his cold chortling rending the air like cold steel.  "**YOU MISERABLE WRETCHES OF WATERSHIP DOWN MISUNDERSTAND WHEN I HAVE SAID THAT THEY HAVE JOINED MY OWSLA!  ONCE I HADTHEM ENLIST INTO MY RANKS, I HAD THE VERY SOULS OF KING DARZIN, SCRY-RAH, AND PRINCE RAINBOW BE TWISTED AND REBORN INTO THE VERY DARKNESS THAT SPAWNED MY POWER, GIVING THEM NEW IDENTITES AS SOLDIERS TO MY CAUSE, BUT BY DOING SO, I ALSO HAD TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM THE VERY GIFTS OF FRITH THEMSELVES.  THEIR ESSENCES OF FRITH, THEIR SOULS OF LIGHT, WERE ABSORBED INTO MY BEING, AND AS SUCH, THEIR ROLES AND IDENTITES OF THE CARETAKERS OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN WERE ABSORBED INTO MY BEING AS WELL.  EVEN AS I SPEAK, THE VERY POWERS OF FRITH GIVEN TO THEM COURSE THROUGH MY VERY VEINS, INFUSE MY VITALITY, AND HAS, IN TURN, BLESSED ME WITH THER POWER OF PILLAR MYSELF!!  EVEN THOUGH YOUR PRECIOUS CROSS-BEARER MANAGED TO HEAL AND DISSUADE SCRY-RAH AND PRINCE RAINBOW, AN EVENT EVEN I HAD NO IDEA OF FORETELLING, THEIR ROLES STILL LIVE INSIDE ME!!  THEY CAN NEVER REGAIN WHAT THEY HAD LOST, FOR IT IS NOW A PART OF ME!!  I AM NOW A PILLAR OF THE LAND BEYOND LIFE, FOR AS LONG AS I STILL EXIST IN THIS WORLD, I STILL HAVE THE GIFTS OF FRITH GIVEN TO THEM LOCKED DEEPLY IN THE BOWELS OF MY VIGOR, AND NO AMOUNT OF POWER FROM YOUR PITIFUL CROSS CAN EVER CHANGE THAT, CROSS-BEARER!!!**"

                "But that does not explain how you came to receive the powers of Shardik, the King of Yesterday, and the King of Tomorrow!!" protested Hazel, bewildered.

                "**SHARDIK WAS CHOSEN BY FRITH TO WATCH OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND EARTH AND BE THE CARETAKER OF THOSE REALMS DUE TO HIS MASSIVE STRENGTH AND EMPATHY.  HOWEVER, HE WAS SO HEAVILY SCARRED AND LADEN WITH GUILT AND PAIN FROM HIS PAST LIFE WITH THE HUMANS OF ORTELGA, HE REQUESTED THAT THE GIVEN ROLE BE SHARED WITH ANOTHER CREATURE, FOR HE NEVER WISHED TO BE GIVEN THE TRIALS AND TROUBLES THAT CAME WITH LEADERSHIP.  FRITH, THOUGH UNSETTLED WITH THAT REQUEST, GAVE THE GIFT OF CARETAKER TO BE A JOINT RESPONSIBILITY SHARED WITH ANOTHER ANIMAL IN SHARDIK'S PLACE OF HIS CHOOSING, AND SHARDIK CONTENTED HIMSELF TO BE THE ADVISOR OF THE STAG AND BISON OF THE FORESTS OF TIME.**"

                "But...but who was the beast Frith had chosen over Shardik??" sputtered a stupefied Speedwell.

                Elil-rah gave a small chuckle as he sneered, "**IS IT NOT IRONIC?  THE ANIMAL CHOSEN TO BE THE PILLAR OF THE MOUNTAINS AND EARTH WAS THE LENDRI KING, THE BADGER YOU HAVE BATTLED SO MANY TIMES PREVIOUSLY...LORD BROCK!**"

                "Well THAT explains it," griped Hawkbit.

                Pipkin's face contorted in revulsion as he seethed, "Why is it I am not surprised to see that the cowardly duffer easily gave up his role as the pillar once you came!!"

                Dandelion, dreading the answer, pushed, "And...and the Kings of Yesterday and Tomorrow?"

                "**IT WAS NO DIFFERENT FROM THE STAG OF TOMORROW AND THE BISON OF YESTERDAY, YOU FOOLS.  IT WAS ALL SO EASY TO GAIN THEIR CONFIDENCE.  WHY DO YOU THINK I ORDERED MY OWSLA TO NOT ATTACK YOU AND ALLOW YOU THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE CROSS TO ENTER THEIR SACRED FORESTS?  I KNEW THEN THAT ONCE THE HUMAN CHILD CAME INTO THEIR KINGDOMS, HE WOULD BE KILLED, SAVING ME THE TROUBLE.  YET, SINCE HE MIRACULOUSLY ESCAPED, IT STILL DID NOT HINDER ME FROM CONVINCING THE ANIMALS OF THOSE KINGDOMS TO TURN AGAINST FRITH AND JOIN ME!!  AFTER THE DEBACLE, THE KINGS OF YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW AND ALL THEIR LOYAL SUBJECTS WILLINGLY PLACED THEIR SOULS AND TRUST INTO ME, GRANTING ME THEIR POWERS!!!**"

                "What?!" gasped Acorn, "That cannot be!"

                "Those traitors!!" snarled Silver.

                "But...but why??  Why would they do that?!" Justin asked, horrified.

                "**DO YOU NOT SEE IT, YOU FOOLISH CHILD?!  _YOU_ WERE THE ONE WHO SEALED THE FATE OF THE LAND BEYOND LIFE!!  I MUST THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME CONVERT THE KING OF YESTERDAY AND THE KING OF TOMORROW OVER TO MY SIDE!!!  EVER SINCE YOUR DEPARTURE AND ESCAPE FROM PUNISHMENT, THE SUBJECTS OF BOTH KINGDOMS WERE, TO SAY THE LEAST, MAD AND INSANE WITH THE STING OF UNFAIRNESS AND FUMING BETRAYAL, FROM BOTH FRITH AND SHARDIK!  SO…I MERELY SENT MY OWSLA OVER TO THEIR PRESENCES, SUGGESTING THAT I CAN HELP THEM REGAIN THEIR DIGNITY AND AVENGE THEIR INSULT IF THEY ALLY MYSELF TO MY DOMINIONS!  AFTER ALL, THEY WISHED SO MUCH TO SEE YOU SUFFER YOUR DESERVED PUNISHMENTS, SO THEY READILY AGREED!**" Elil-rah then chuckled as he continued in a pleased, sickeningly merry voice, "**SO, I MUST THANK YOU JUSTIN FOR YOUR ARRIVAL!!  HAD YOU AND THE REST OF THE OWSLA OF WATERSHIP DOWN NEVER ARRIVED TO THE LANDS OF YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW, I WOULD NEVER HAD BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE THEIR ALLIANCE AND LOYALTY!!  HAD YOU LEFT THEM ALONE, THEY WOULD HAVE REMAINED NEUTRAL AND WARY OF MY OFFERS OF POWER AND PROMISE!!  WITHOUT YOUR PRESENCE INVOKING SUCH MADNESS AND CHOAS AND HATRED, THE ANIMALS WOULD HAVE NEVER  TURNED AGAINST FRITH AND ALLOWED THE DARKNESS OF MY POWER TO ENTER THEIR HEARTS!!  DO YOU NOT SEE IT NOW, YOU FOOL?!!  _YOU_ CAUSED THIS!!  _YOU_ WERE THE CATALYST IN MY PLANS FOR DOMINATION OF WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE!!!  AND _YOU_ WERE TRULY THE ONE WHO WILL DOOM ALL CREATURES IN THE LAND BEYOND LIFE!!!**"

                "Oh my God," whimpered Justin as he numbly clamped his hands over his mouth, shocked and appalled at what he had done.  He then remembered Rowf and Snitter's message of how Elil-rah said that Justin and El-ahrairah had roles in the demon's plans that included just more than their ultimate demise.  Then he recalled what the King of Tomorrow told him, how the stag's words rang out the truth of the inevitable events of to come, due to the presence of the human teenager.

                "_Though meant for good, there are two sides of the one who bears the cross, just like night and day, air and land, spring and winter, and thus, peace and chaos. At the time of revelation, the one who was to heal shall also be the one to die, where there is life, there will be death, for the cross brings grave danger of unspeakable horrors to the Prince of a Thousand Enemies_."

                It was true then.  Everything that Elil-rah's minions have accused Justin of, everything the King of Yesterday and Tomorrow have feared most, everything that Justin tried so hard to believe was not true, was in fact, the very facts etched in the stone of condemnation.  Justin truly did bring chaos to all those around him.  He truly was the one creature with a thousand enemies.

                "Justin, do not listen!!  It could not be helped!!  You had no idea this was to happen!!  It is NOT your fault!!" Bigwig barked huskily.

                "But...I still helped cause it," whimpered the teenager, "If it wasn't for me, Elil-rah would have never gotten their powers of the caretakers!"

                Buckthorn turned angrily to Elil-rah as he snarled, "But you have not won yet, you louse!  Justin has already healed El-ahrairah from your dark powers that were weakening him, to the point of deathly sickness!  Without El-ahrairah's consent to surrender the gift of caretaker, you still do not have full control of the land beyond life!  And you _never_ will!!  There is no way by the Black Rabbit of Inle that you will ever replace our Prince as the pillar!"

                At this statement, Elil-rah had a malicious wicked gleam in his bloody eyes, a look of pure triumph, a look that none of the rabbits of Watership Down liked very much.  He said with murderous glee, "**AH, BUT IT IS NOT AS YOU SAY, BUCKTHORN!  FOR THIS WILL BE THE DAY EL-AHRAIRAH IS FATED TO DIE!**"

                "You are a fool!" scoffed Bluebell, "You have obviously forgotten that no creature can die once they enter the land beyond life!"

                "And El-ahrairah is no ordinary rabbit like us!  He is immortal!  Because of that blessing of life, you cannot kill him, no matter how hard you try!" challenged Acorn.

                "**AH, BUT YOU DO NOT REALIZE THAT JUSTIN _CAN_ DIE, ESPECIALLY SINCE HE IS LINKED TO THE PRINCE OF ALL RABBITS!**"

                Everyone went still, tharn with dread and shock, and even the allies at the warren of El-ahrairah were deathly silent.

                "What are you saying?" Campion asked slowly, his ears and whiskers twitching.

                "**SO EVEN NOW, AFTER ALL THIS TIME, YOU HAD NO IDEA, DID YOU, JUSTIN?  YOU SEE, THERE IS ANOTHER REASON WHY YOU ARE REGARDED AS 'THE PRINCE-OF-THE-THOUSAND' IN THE PROPHECY.  AS YOU AND EL-AHRAIRAH BOTH SHARE THAT NAME, IT IS ALSO BECAUSE YOU SHARE THE SAME SOULS!!!  JUSTIN, YOU AND EL-AHRAIRAH ARE ONE AND THE SAME!!!  THIS IS BECAUSE A PIECE OF EL-AHRAIRAH'S HEART RESTS INSIDE YOU!!!**"

                "**WHAT??!!!**" chorused everyone in the fields, unwilling to believe it.

                "It cannot be!" Strawberry cried.

                "You're lying!  You must be lying!  It isn't true!" accused Speedwell heatedly.

                Justin's head was reeling, making him lightheaded.

                "El-ahrairah…is _inside_…me??" he gasped weakly.  He then remembered that when he had healed the Prince of all Rabbits, the gentle patriarch gave him the cryptic comment before succumbing to unconsciousness.

                _"You...still...have...it...inside you..."_, _"You...still...have...it...inside you..."_, _"You...still...have...it...inside you..."_.  The voice of memory was relentless, pounding in every crevice of the teen's mind, damning him to the entire bleak truth.  Elil-rah, seeing the boy had finally cracked, continued to drawl in a superior, snide, and mocking timbre.

                "**IT SHOCKS YOU, DOES IT NOT, YOUNG ONE?  AFTER ALL THIS TIME, YOU NEVER REALIZED THAT IT WAS THE ONLY REASON YOU WERE CHOSEN FOR BEING THE CROSS-BEARER AND THE ONLY ONE TO HELP EL-AHRAIRAH.  IT WAS NOT BECAUSE YOU WERE SPECIAL, IT WAS NOT BECAUSE YOU WERE PURE AND KIND, BUT BECAUSE EL-AHRAIRAH HAD MARKED YOU AS A TARGET FOR HATRED AND SCORN.  IT EXPLAINS WHY EVEN BACK IN YOUR OWN WORLD, WHY YOUR OWN FATHER WAS DISGUSTED BY YOU, WHY YOUR VERY OWN MOTHER HAD ABANDONED YOU, AND WHY YOUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS TEASE YOU, MOCK YOU, AND TORTURE YOU TO THE POINT OF INSANITY.  IT WAS BECAUSE EL-AHRAIRAH AND PLACED A FRAGMENT OF HIS HEART, HIS SOUL, HIS POWER, INTO YOU FROM THE VERY DAY YOU BEGAN YOUR PATHETIC EXISTENCE.**"

                "Stop it!  Leave him alone!!" cried Hazel.  Justin was shivering now.

                "**WHY DID YOU THINK THAT YOU WERE CHOSEN OUT OF SO MANY OTHER HUMANS TO BE THE CROSS-BEARER?  AFTER ALL, SO MANY OTHERS ARE CERTAINLY MORE COMPETENT THAN YOU COULD EVER BE CAPABLE.  IT MAKES YOU ANGRY, DOESN'T IT, JUSTIN?  KNOWING THAT EL-AHRAIRAH HAD ULTIMATELY CURSED YOU, ENDANGERED YOU, THAT HE HAD PLACED YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE AND RISKING YOUR LIFE WITHOUT GIVING A DAMN ABOUT YOU OR YOUR WELFARE.  THAT IS WHY THE RABBITS OF WATERSHIP DOWN WERE SO WORRIED ABOUT YOUR SAFETY AND WELL-BEING.  IT WAS NOT BECAUSE THEY CARED ABOUT YOU; THEY ONLY CARED ABOUT YOUR POWER AND HOW YOU HELD EL-AHRAIRAH'S HEART, THE ONLY THING THAT COULD MAKE HIS SPIRIT WHOLE.  ONCE YOUR JOB WAS DONE, YOU WERE TO BE ABANDONED, CAST ASIDE AND FORGOTTEN, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS HAVE TREATED YOU BEFORE, ONCE AGAIN SUBJECTING YOU TO LONELINESS AND SADNESS.**"

                "Justin, for the sake of Frith and El-ahrairah, do not listen!  None of it is true!" Strawberry wheedled.

                "Justin, keep hold of your head!  We cared about you, regardless of your power or faults!  El-ahrairah chose you to be the cross-bearer because you are strong, not weak!  You never were weak, and Elil-rah is one who is the fool!  Do not give in to his lies!" growled Bigwig.

                Justin did not answer, hugging his arms close to his chest.  He felt betrayed, violated even.  He never asked for this, never asked to be the cross-bearer, never asked for the responsibilities and the dangers that came with the role of being the one messenger to fight Elil-rah and the land beyond life.  And without a care, without a damn, El-ahrairah, without Justin's knowledge or consent, endangered his life by placing a piece of his heart and soul into the boy, forever marking him as a target.  The boy, in shocked outrage, could only think to himself accusations.  How dare he?!  How could El-ahrairah do this to him?!  How could he just pick him out of the blue to fight something that could cost him his life?!

                Meanwhile, the other rabbits were furiously and frantically contemplating what Elil-rah had just told them.

                "So...if this is true, then...why??  Why did El-ahrairah put his heart in Justin?!" wheezed Pipkin, trembling with fear at the possibility.

                Elil-rah jeered, "**IT WAS A FINAL, PITIABLE STRATEGY OF YOUR BENEVOLENT PRINCE, YOU FOOLS!  EL-AHRAIRAH, THOUGH I COULD NOT TEMPT INTO SURRENDERING HIS GIFT OF PILLAR, WAS NOT INVINCIBLE!  MY PLAN WAS TO MAKE HIM ILL, DISEASED AND RIDDEN WITH THE PAIN OF A THOUSAND HELLFIRES THROUGH INFECTION OF THE DARKNESS, TO FOREFULLY BELEAGUER THE RABBIT LEADER UNTIL HE WOULD BE TOO WEAK TO EVEN FIGHT AND DEFEND HIS HOME AND LEGACY FROM MY OWSLA!  ONCE I CONQUERED HIS REALM AND LANDS, I WOULD BE ABLE TO CLAIM HIS ROLE OF CARETAKER IN THE TAKEOVER AND CLAIM MY RIGHT AS KING IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN!  YET...IT WAS NOT TO BE.  LIKE A TRUE PEST, YOUR PRINCE MANAGED TO KEEP HIDDEN FROM ME A FINAL TRICK, A STRATEGIC MOVE THAT NOT EVEN I COULD ANTICIPATE HIM HAVING THE NERVE AND COURAGE TO ACCOMPLISH, A SAFEGUARD TO PROTECT YOU USELESS RABBITS IN THE EVENT THAT I COULD DEFEAT HIM.  MY AURA, THOUGH IT CONTINUED TO DAMAGE AND ENFEEBLE EL-AHRAIRAH, COULD NOT COMPLETELY EXTINGUISH HIS FIRE, HIS PASSION, THE VIGOR AND MIGHT THAT STEMMED FROM HIS SOUL.  NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED, I COULD NOT UTTERLY CRUSH HIS SPIRIT.  IT WAS THEN THAT I SENSED THAT THE REASON I COULD NOT FULLY SMOTHER YOUR PRINCE WAS BECAUSE I COULD NOT KILL ALL OF HIS SOUL.  THERE WAS A LARGE FRAGMENT OF HIS HEART THAT WAS MISSING FROM HIS PRESENCE, HIS VERY SYMBOL AND ESSENCE OF POWER.  AS LONG AS THAT PART OF THE HEART REMAINED HIDDEN AND OUT OF MY GRASP, I COULD NOT FULLY INFLICT EL-AHRAIRAH TO THE POINT OF HIS DEMISE FOR THAT ONE, LONE, DAMNED SHARD, FREE OF THE AILMENTS I INFLICTED, CONTINUED TO GIVE HIM STRENGTH AND RESISTANCE.  IF IT WERE NOT FOR THAT PART OF HIS HEART THAT EXISTED, YOUR PRINCE OF ALL RABBITS WOULD HAVE DIED A THOUSAND FOLD!!  IT WAS THEN THAT I KNEW THAT THE MISSING SHARD OF EL-AHRAIRAH'S SOUL WAS SOMEWHERE, AWAY FROM MY INFLUENCE.  BUT UNFORTUNATELY, I DID NOT KNOW WHERE.  IN THAT MOMENT, I REALIZED THAT THIS MEANT THE LEGEND OF THE CROSS-BEARER, A HUMAN BOY SENT TO BATTLE AND PROTECT THIS LAND, MAY COME TO PASS AND THAT IF THERE EVER WAS A LIKELY CANDIDATE FOR A CREATURE TO BEAR EL-AHRAIRAH'S HEART, IT WOULD BE THE CROSS-BEARER HIMSELF.  AND SO I WAITED AND WAITED UNTIL THE CHILD WAS SUMMONED INTO THIS WORLD.  AND THEN...I KNEW!!  _I KNEW_!!!  I KNEW THAT THEN, ONCE JUSTIN WAS SUMMONED TO THE LAND BEYOND LIFE, I COULD FINALLY RID THIS WORLD OF THAT TROUBLESOME PARASITE, EL-AHRAIRAH!!!  BECAUSE ONCE JUSTIN DIED, EL-AHRAIRAH WOULD DIE WITH HIM!!!  SINCE THEY SHARE THE SAME SOUL, IF ONE LIVES, THEY BOTH SHALL LIVE!!  BUT IF ONE DIES...THEY BOTH WILL DIE!!!**"

                "O Frith and Inle!!" sobbed Dandelion.

                "So THAT was why you sent the Owsla to continuously attack Justin!" roared Holly, "Not only would you prevent the boy from fighting you, but you would also be able to destroy our Prince as well!!"

                Blackberry then realized with horror, "And...Justin is a human, a living being from the physical world.  So...unlike us spirits...he _can_ be injured and be killed..."

                Fiver turned white beneath his tan fur as he spoke with dawning comprehension, "And that means if Justin dies in this battle..."

                "...then we all will lose and the land beyond life will fall to Elil-rah!!" squealed Bluebell.

                Justin's breath turned nearly to sobbing as Elil-rah faced the cowering teenager in front of him.

                "**IT IS INEVITABLE, CROSS-BEARER.  YOU WERE NEVER FATED TO WIN...BUT TO DIE BY MY HANDS!!!**"

                "We won't let that happen, damn you!!" Hazel cursed with contempt.

                "May Frith blast you with all that is good and holy!!  You are not fit to even exist as the dirt of a lowly dung beetle, you wretch!!" Bigwig snapped.

                "We will kill you before you even lay a paw on Justin!!" challenged Campion bravely.

                Elil-rah then leered as the smoke billowing around his eyes thickened and coagulated, merging with his spirit and evil foulness to create his own image of deception and treacherous vile.  As once said, the power of all the authorities from the caretakers that Frith had assigned to safeguard the land beyond life was now seeping into his vein, giving him infinite power and vigor.

                Elil-rah laughed cruelly as he said, "**YOU FOOLS!!  HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THE PREMONITION OF DOOM YOUR SEER, FIVER, HAD TOLD YOU?!!  I _CANNOT_ BE KILLED!!  I _CANNOT_ LOSE THIS BATTLE!!  FOR IT HAS BEEN PROPHESIZED AND IT SHALL ALWAYS BE…_FOR NO RABBIT OR MAN CAN KILL ME_!!!**"

                "I am starting to get very sick of these embleer prophecies," muttered Hawkbit to himself in extreme annoyance.

                Then, with roars of the crashing thunder and fiercest storms, Elil-rah, emerging from the smoke, had shown, at last, his true form.

                Elil-rah was, simply put, a demon, but he was a demon no human mind could ever put in image or words.  The beast was truly a monstrosity only infamous for being one of Satan's strongest warriors.  Elil-rah was a gargantuan four-legged beast, with fur darker than the smoke swirling around him, glistening with blood and gore, which matted his fur with sickening, disgusting revulsion.  The legs were similar to a wolf, except that his forepaws were that of the sturdy lion, with huge claws, harder than diamond and so sharp, they could slice mountains to rubble in mere seconds, down to the very molecular entity.  The hind legs were those of a horse, and instead of a tail, Elil-rah has a writhing, hissing cobra snake, exposing its hood and spitting venom from its wicked fangs as it looked from its posterior position.  The dark creature had five heads altogether, clustered closely from a single, thick, furry, corded neck.  One was the head of an intimidating black wolf, with drooling, rabid, yellow teeth and a snout snarled in a bloodthirsty, savage howl.  Another head was a goat with ebony fur and a pale beard strung under its gaunt chin, dark horns curving behind its head, and it was staring silently, its face engulfed in shadows.  The next one was the actual, terrifying head of a gigantic spider, and this literally petrified the heart of the human teen the minute he stared into its multiple, yellow eyes.  It made strange sounds that were a combination of hisses and shrieks of scratched glass as its clawed mandibles clicked together with anticipation, offering brief glimpses into its small, circular mouth ringed with poisonous, little teeth.  Alongside was the head of a crow, cawing and screeching its death cry as a toll for all who would perish in this battle, a long sharp beak and sleek, preened raven feathers.  And in the very center, with the other four heads encircling it, was the fifth head, a flaming, black human skull, with a sharp jawbone, rotting teeth etched with black grime, glowing embers encircling it like a corona, and in those endless pools of darkness, the eye sockets showed a malicious, unholy small orb of red light to serve a pupil, a beacon, in that sea of pure, disgusting horror.  And on each of the five heads was a circle with an upside-down star embedded within, drawn in blood and glowing like lava.  The mark of the evil beast, as it was once prophesized in the Book of Revelations in the Bible.  And now, the beast was now exposed to show all of its foul, sinful abomination.

                Justin, to say the least, was morbidly terrified and what miniscule amount of hope and courage he had resolved himself with was fleeting like water through cupped hands.  The shadow cast by the huge beast shrouded all of them in a death cloak of foreboding doom.  The rabbits of the Owsla of El-ahrairah, on the other hand, were resolute in their stand.  It was now or never.  Not even Pipkin and Fiver trembled as they stood on their hind legs and braced themselves for the battle.  Elil-rah was hardly surprised to see that the rabbits of Watership Down still stood firm in their stance alongside Justin.

                "**HOW AMUSING, TO SEE YOU WHELPS THINKING THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO DESTROY ME.**"

                Hazel commanded to Justin, "Quickly, young one!!  Give us our powers!!  For the sake of El-ahrairah and all that is holy, help us fight this beast!!!"

                "**GIVE THEM STRENGTH!!!**" bellowed the teenager, the sudden, surprising feat of courage emerging from the tight, cocoon-like prison of fear and hopelessness, as Justin gripped the crystal, orange cross so tightly, the jewel cut against his skin of his palm.  Instantaneously, all fifteen rabbits were bathed with the light of the cross, blessing them with their powers.

                However, Elil-rah also had a surprise up his devious plan, and with a disembodied scream, the head of the human skull started to glow in a foul green flame, the fires now emerald green.  With a sudden lunge, the other four heads started to push their way out of the neck of the beast, grunting laboriously like a butterfly trying to fight its way out of a packed chrysalis.  With revulsion, the fellowship could only stare, mesmerized, as the heads of the raven, wolf, spider, and goat grew into humanoid bodies, writhing and freeing themselves from the bloody membranes and tissue and flesh of Elil-rah.  With growls of satisfied triumph, the four bodies separated themselves from the neck of the giant behemoth and landed heavily onto the ground.  Now, standing before the Watership Owsla and the cross-bearer, were four, tall, menacing figures, robust, relentless, and completely ominous.

                The goat was now a slim, malnourished stature with black fur and whose pelt clung tightly to its bony frame, giving the demon a look of a starved, emaciated victim of hunger.  The demon was now standing upright and instead of hooves, it had forearms ending with bony claws.  Draped futilely around its body was a brown, dusty, ragged, threadbare cloak and robe, which barely managed to stay attached to the monster's skeleton.

                The raven was an upright, anthropomorphic feathered gargoyle, dressed in black, iron armor, complete with a breastplate, tunic, cape, and a helmet positioned regally onto its crown.  Its forearms and clawed talons were emblazoned with ebony, iron bracelets and within its hands, it carried a glass, corked, bottle that contained a hurricane of swirling colors, insubstantial and glowing hotly.

                The spider was a monstrous abomination that could give nightmares to the calmest, composed men and leave their minds broken and muddled with tears and dread like children.  The spider, though it seemed natural enough, was a towering mammoth, with a black body and thick, amber, supple hairy legs.  Its posterior was colossal, twice as large as the rest of the spider's body, and not only did it bear the mark of the satanic beast underneath in red, glowing flesh, but it also was covered with sticky webbing, and strung on that webbing, to the disgust of the Watership Owsla, were the various multitude of animal skulls, long since stripped of flesh and drained of blood, now used as gruesome displays of trophies.  Already, with its front-most legs, the spider was threading foggy wisps of acidic threads and stretching it like yarn from its rear end.

                The wolf was now a muscular, humanoid horseman, riding a winged, black horse spewing fire from its mouth as its emerald, glowing eyes rolled wildly in every direction.  The wings of the horse were similar to those of a bat, thin, stretched tightly with pulsating membranes.  The wolf, though humanlike, was disgustingly naked, and without shame, the wolf bore his reprehensible pride as a banner as it carried a shield and a sword, both of them stainless steel, but the silvery metal was streaked with the blood of fallen soldiers in the heat of combat.  

                "**YOU ARE NOW FINISHED, CROSS-BEARER!!!  NO MAGIC TRICKS FROM YOU AND YOUR PATHETIC RABBITS CAN SAVE THIS LAND FROM ME…FOR BEHOLD, WITNESS THE BIRTH OF MY POWER, THE FOUR HELLIONS OF THE APOCALYPSE!!!  PLAGUE, WAR, DISCORD, AND FAMINE!!!  AND NOW, MY LOYAL BLACKGUARDS, MY CREATURES OF MY FOULEST BLOOD, STRIKE!!!** ** WITNESS AND DESPAIR THE SIGNS OF THE DOOM OF ALL BLESSED BY FRITH!!!**" bellowed the voice of Elil-rah from the lone, remaining head (the human skull) as the four forms of Elil-rah now advanced towards Justin and the fellowship of the cross.

                The battle had now begun.  The wolf, the Hellion of War, jerked on the reins of his steed, and with a neigh, the steed flew upwards, and with a battle howl, the wolf sent forth bolts of fire into the sky, having the clouds glow in the color of fiery blood against the smoke as comets and meteors began to rain down, tearing apart the meadows of Fenlo and causing devastating explosions, invoking fires and combustions to rip the very soil and shake the solid floor.  The goat spread his arms in front of him, as if making a pleading offering, as he whinnied a resounding "Baaahhhhh!"  True to his namesake, the Hellion of Famine opened his mouth, and to the horror of the Watership soldiers, the grass began to whither and die, and every berry, every fruit, every succulent flora, root, and nut crumbled to dust as the ethereal essences of the endless bounty of El-ahrairah's kingdom wafted into the thin air, only to be sucked into the endless goat's mouth, to vanish into the yawning black hole with no end to the demon's endless hunger.  The crow and the spider, the Hellion of Plague and the Hellion of Discord, remained solitary, making no move and just watching the rabbits intently, but the two other beasts would do enough destruction if they were not stopped.

                As one, the rabbit soldiers of the Owsla of El-ahrairah charged as one, with the cross-bearer riding on the back of the valiant Hazel-rah.

                Bigwig, now in his dog form, Dandelion, and an army of a thousand Acorn replicas charged towards the crow.  Yet that was exactly what the Hellion was waiting for and without further ado, the crow uncorked the bottle in his hands, and with a flurry of burning, sharp wind, a mighty force of haze and choking dust shot out of the mouth of the urn, and now free, the air around them began to grow thick, almost suffocating them, and as it spread, the dry mists enveloped Bigwig and the legion of Acorns.  Dandelion was able to teleport out of the way and magically appeared behind the Hellion.  Bigwig collapsed in unbearable pain, twitching and rolling around in the grass, trying to brashly rise back onto his paws, but his eyes were now covered with crusts of pus and bacterial infection, blinding him, and his breathing was raspy, laborious, as mucus and foam clogged his windpipe, making the soldier vomit bile.  All over his black fur were blisters and boils, so red and irritating, there was nothing else on Bigwig's mind as he rolled over and over, trying to scratch them.

                Bigwig managed to choke, coughing on his green vomit, "I...I...can't...can't breathe!!  I can't...see!  I...I'm...so...so..."  Yet the rabbit could not finish and nearly passed out from the diseases inflicting on his as the cross-bearer's magic was broken and Bigwig transformed back to his normal rabbit form, still ridden with the ailments.  Acorn and his horde of clones were not faring much better.

                "Make it stop!!  **Make it stop!!!**" sobbed Acorn as one by one, his army toppled over on the grass, lifeless, rotting corpses as flies and maggots feasted upon their flesh and organs.  Acorn, the original one, still managed to be the least sick out of all of them, but he was too weak to even stand on his own paws and he toppled over onto his side as the fleas of the White Blindness swarmed over his ears.  But the Watership warrior was too weak to do anything about it.  Dandelion, seeing the danger, managed to charge and teleport next the crow monster, making a grab for the bottle of plagues and diseases.

                "I've got it!" cheered the golden storyteller as he managed to wrench the vase from the hands of the startled Hellion, but the imp merely smiled as the glass began to glow in a white-hot light, and shrieking in pain, Dandelion dropped the bottle onto the ground.  His paws, touching the bottle, invoked its defense in that only the Hellion of Plague can hold and utilize the weapon, and any other animal unfortunate enough to try such a foolish stunt would have the very flesh of its body rot and dissolve away like melted wax.  And that was what happened as slowly, but surely, the tissue of Dandelion's paws fell away, chuck by chunk, exposing the bones and claws of his appendages, and crying Dandelion could only sink to his knees, hugging his paws close to his chest to lessen the pain.

                The spider, the Hellion of Discord, then threw its threads of deceit and hatred into the air where it evaporated in the air as Buckthorn, Campion, Fiver, and Speedwell rushed towards it.  Speedwell, in his astral projection, leaving his body safely behind over at the sidelines, managed to float towards the spider, hoping to possess it as he did before.  Yet, to his horror, he abruptly could not move, and with a faint gleam, the silver strands of the Hellion's webbing appeared, littering the very space above them, like a net and displaying the trapped spirit like a marionette.

                "I...I'm stuck!!  I can't move!!" yelled Speedwell.

                "O Frith in a barn!!  Buckthorn, help Speedwell!!  Please!!" Fiver gasped as he looked above with disconcerting worry.  Buckthorn was about to leap up and cut his comrade free from his prison with his golden sword, but then the silent, burly warrior twitched, his body now remaining unmoving and still as stone.  Buckthorn's blue eyes widened in aghast astonishment as he struggled.  No matter how hard he fought it, he could not control his body.  It would not obey the commands of his brain.  To his further terror, ignoring his mind, his body, on its own, forced Buckthorn to move and jump nimbly with a powerful leap towards Speedwell with the sword gripped in his paw.  There was a sudden blur and Speedwell screamed, and the astral spirit could only whimper as now there was a diagonal slash across his chest, bleeding and dripping ghostly, red blood.  Apparently, Buckthorn's sword _could_ do damage to ghosts and spirits.

                "Buckthorn, what are you doing?!" choked Speedwell, tears in his eyes, as he fought to not faint from the pain in his midsection.  Buckthorn, his fur cold with sweat and fear, managed to utter, his mouth still in his control, as his body betrayed him again by moving on its own accord.

                "I'm sorry Speedwell, old chap!!  I cannot control it!!  My body isn't moving of my own free will!!  I'm NOT doing this!!  Something is controlling me!!  I cannot stop it!!"  With that, Buckthorn made another leap, and with a loud holler of pain, the astral projection of Speedwell now sported an ugly laceration across his back, between his shoulder blades and nicking his backbone.  Buckthorn, realizing he could do nothing, had rivers of helpless tears streaming from his wide eyes as he moved for another attack again.

                "Speedwell, please, get back to your body!!  If you do not, I'll hurt you even further!!" begged the burly rabbit.  Speedwell struggled and writher but cried powerlessly, "I cannot, bucko!!  I'm trapped!!  The web won't even let me move!!  STOP THIS, **PLEASE!!**  Buckthorn, stop it!!  Fight it!!"

                "I can't!!!" sobbed Buckthorn as he struck Speedwell a third time, decapitating the rabbit's right ear.

                Fiver then took a closer look and realized that attached to Buckthorn's arms, legs, and body were dim strands of webbing, and they were stringing along the Watership Owsla like a puppet.  Immediately guessing the reason, Fiver turned to the spider to see, to his outrage, the very ends of the threads emanating from the front legs of the Hellion of Discord, and like a wicked puppet master, the spider cackled with sick glee as his legs guided the helpless Buckthorn into striking the astral projection of Speedwell.  Fiver was about to charge and tackle the spider monster, hoping to distract it, when all of a sudden, he was struck from behind, and to his shock, he turned to see it was Campion, seething and shaking with rage.

                "Campion??" gasped Fiver.

                Campion yelled at him, "It's all your fault!!  Everyone has died because of you!!  How could you betray us like that?!!  How could you turn traitor on El-ahrairah and all of your comrades?!!  You merciless, damned wretch!!  I'll kill you!!"

                Fiver was floored, stunned.  "Campion, stop!!  What are you doing?!  You are making no sense!!"

                Campion, now completely made with insane anger and bloodlust, tackled Fiver, scratching, clawing, and cuffing Fiver as he vainly tried to pin down the small seer, trying to burrow his teeth into his friend's throat as the heavy rabbit was nearly crushing the dwarf with his weight.  This was not the reserved, noble Campion the rabbits had always known; this was a rabbit bent on an immediate kill, full of hot-blooded war and mindless strife.  Fiver, as he defended himself as best as he could, saw, to his panic, that Campion's eyes were covered with the sticky substance of the spider's fibers, the cobwebs now forming a thick glob of material over Campion's face and blinding him.  True to his nature, the spider managed to cover Campion's sight and invoked the very wells of endless hurt and antagonism, causing the rabbit to turn on his own friends and allies.  As long as the spider kept the threads of lies and deceitfulness over the field, Campion's sense of reality would be distorted and he would have no idea what he would be doing.

                Fiver was crying as Campion continued to throttle him, "Campion, wake up!!  You're being tricked!!  Snap out of it, please!!  It's me, Fiver!!!  Don't you remember?!!"

                "Shut up!!" roared Campion, the words of Fiver having no effect, "No more lies, you scum!!"

                Meanwhile, the efforts of Strawberry, Holly, and Silver were not hindering the Hellion of Famine in the least bit.  No matter how hard Strawberry shook the earth and sent wave after wave of earth to bury the goat, it simply passed him like a ghost.  Holly's rending attacks had the very same result.  In short, no matter what, the powers blessed to them by the cross had no effect on the soldier of Elil-rah.  They continued to go through him.

                "Nothing is working!!" yelled Strawberry, his heart pounding furiously.

                "We cannot stop, chap!!  Everything in the meadows of Fenlo is dying and being swallowed by that greedy brute!" Holly sighed wearily.

                Silver however was not willing to give up, and shaking with offensive ire, the fat rabbit charged towards the goat, snarling, "I WILL KILL YOU!!!"

                "Silver, NO!!  Stop!!  We don't know what will happen!!" cried Holly, trying to prevent his friend from doing something rash, but it was too late.  The heavy Owsla veteran made a brutal leap, intent on tackling the goat, but the demon continued to inhale every rich nutrient from the meadows, not even showing the slightest sign that it was surprised at the determination of the Lapine soldier.  Within a second, Silver passed through the specter, but to Strawberry and Holly's collective horror, it did not leave Silver unaffected.  As the Owsla soldier passed through the wraithlike form, his body began to feel weak, drained, and his vision blurred as the burning numbness of fatigue and weakness overwhelmed his senses.  Silver crumpled onto the dead grass, and mad with concern, Strawberry and Holly rushed over to their comrade's aid.

                "Silver!  Silver, are you all right?!  Wake up!  Wake, please!!" begged Strawberry as he sniffed and licked Silver's face, but to their appalled astonishment, Silver's body started to implode, waste away, and the skin and fur began to limp and sag as Silver became thinner and thinner at an alarming rate.  If this kept up, Silver would be nothing more than an atrophied, malnourished skeleton, too weak to talk or move.

                Silver managed to whimper as his vigor left him, "I'm so cold...it's so cold....I can't...I can't move...I'm so hungry...I can't...I'm so hungry..."

                "Holly, what's wrong with him?!" gasped Strawberry as he tried to comfort his friend.

                Holly gave an aggravated sigh as he looked at the Hellion of Famine, "The bloody Hellion is a specter, a ghost, so any of our attacks would probably not do it much harm, like the ghosts of those rabbits that attacked Justin and Speedwell in the dream world.  But, damn it all, Silver!  Did you have to rush in like that?!  The embleer Hellion is probably also feeding off you as well!  Since you touched it, it must have given it the chance to swallow your strength and energy, just like it is doing with all the food in El-ahrairah's warren!  Oh, Silver, you idiot!"  Holly nearly sobbed that last sentence as he touched his nose to Silver's.  Hazel and Justin ran up to them.

                Hazel then took strategic control, surveying the predicament, "Justin, I need you to heal Silver right now, but still stay on my back!  I do not wish for you to put yourself into danger by separating yourself from my protection as more than necessary!  Holly, Strawberry, we cannot stop the Hellion goat as of now, but your gifts _can_ attack the Hellions of Plague and Discord!  Holly, help Fiver and the others by attacking the spider!  Strawberry, go after the crow, and for Frith's sake, both of you do not stop in your attacks!"

                Strawberry and Holly gave a fierce nod and they took off.  Justin was already bathing the trembling, enervated Silver with the golden light.

                Meanwhile, Pipkin, Hawkbit, Blackberry, and Bluebell were doing their best to contain the wolf horseman from doing any more damage while avoiding the narrow brushes with the meteors and fires and combustive attacks.  Blackberry then hit upon the inspiration to have the entire meadows littered with rainstorms, fierce, unrelenting clouds that let loose torrents and torrents of water en masse.  The fields, little by little, became drenched and the fires began to subside, as the subtle, controlled flooding managed to extinguish the flames.  The downpour even had a profound effect on the fiery winged steed of the Hellion, and with its fur soaked, coldness seeping to its very heart, the horse had trouble maintaining its strength, and with fury, the wolf glared at Blackberry as the buck then caused the rain to turn into hail and sleet, the winds now starting to pick up brutally.  Despite it all, the Hellion of War managed to summon forth more comets to assail and pummel the black-eared inventor to a ashy carcass, but Bluebell was quicker.

                "Time stop!!" the Watership jokester cried, and with a flash, the comets and meteors froze, harmless, frozen, and no amount of effort from the wolf could free them from the spell that Bluebell had cast with his gift.  Despite the snow and hail pounding against him, the wolf Hellion became even more enraged, and snarling, his sword began to glow in an emerald green light with blue and black flames swirling and churning around the searing, razor-sharp metal.  With a howl, the wolf swung with his weapon and a wave of black and sapphire inferno came rushing directly at Blackberry and Bluebell.

                "Blackberry, get out of the way!" cried Bluebell as he dragged his friend out of the path, and the conflagration narrowly missed them, but the force of the attack caused such an angry outburst of power, it temporarily knocked the two bucks senseless, and they struggled to rise as the Hellion aimed with his sword again.  However, Hawkbit was quicker.

                "Fireball!" the blackish rabbit summoned, and with a glimmer of golden sparks, the flames bathing the sword of the Hellion disappeared, only to emerge as a sphere of energy, burning and glowing, into Hawkbit's paws.  With a grunt, Hawkbit flung the fireball directly back to the Hellion in the skies above.  The wolf demon barely had time to use his shield to block the attack, but the flames still managed to swell around and lick at his fur and the wings of his steed, singing the both of them with soot and burns.  Enraged, the wolf was about to attack Hawkbit, but Pipkin managed to intervene.

                "Take this, you embleer bully!!" cried Pipkin as he swooped down with his wings at full, maximum velocity, and like a cannonball, the winged, diminutive rabbit rammed himself into the wolf, completely taking the Hellion of War off-guard.  With the tackle, the Hellion lost his balance and fell off his steed, plummeting down to the ground with a resounding crash.  Pipkin was overjoyed at his victory, but unfortunately, his back was turned to the winged steed, so he didn't see the horse spew a stream of hot, merciless flame directly at his back until it was too late.  But the buck certainly felt the results.

                Pipkin screamed as the fire engulfed him before he lost consciousness, and thought the ongoing rain managed to prevent the buck from turning into a smoldering pile of embers and ash, the buck was still comatose as he plummeted back down to the ground, his wings vanishing with a gleam of gold.

                "PIPKIN!" hollered Hawkbit, helpless that he could not do anything.  Then, to his joy, a familiar voice rang out amidst the storm.

                "Levitate!" and within moments, a golden ring appeared around the unconscious body of Pipkin, slowing down his descent, and like a true hero, a more or less healed Silver managed to run and position himself underneath Pipkin before catching him gently in his paws.  Relieved, Hawkbit joined Blackberry and Bluebell as they pounded ferociously on the Hellion of War.

                Holly managed to rent the thread of the webs surrounding the area, and to their great joy, Campion, Speedwell, and Buckthorn were free from the spider's deceitful magic.  Speedwell, once returning back to his body, allowed Justin to heal him while Holly and Campion used a combination of their powers untied to set the spider on fire with painful lacerations, and Buckthorn set work to hacking away at the spider's limbs.

                Strawberry managed to send another tidal wave of earth to crash upon the crow, and shrieking, the Hellion of Plague was buried under the rubble of rock and dirt.  Hazel used the time of distraction to cover Acorn, Dandelion and Bigwig from the disease inflicted by the crow, and now that Justin was finished with Speedwell, cast the light of healing upon all three of them, erasing their wounds.  With a caw, the Hellion managed to extract himself out of the dirt before flailing upon the rabbits with his claws and talons.  Undaunted, Bigwig, Dandelion, Acorn, and Strawberry fought back.

                Unluckily, Hazel was alone with the boy, and that was what Elil-rah was finally waiting for.  With hardly any effort, the remaining head managed to remove itself from the neck of the gigantic beast and jumped towards the teenage cross-bearer and the leader of the Watership Owsla.  The skull was now a ebony skeleton, immersed with green and black fires, and the figure wore a tattered, black cloak, torn and ripped, but what was most lethal was in its hands, the fiendish skeleton carried a wicked scythe.

                Hazel gasped as he saw the figure approach towards them, and with an upward flick of his paws, the buck managed to create a protective shield of sunlight to encompass both him and Justin, but undaunted, the skeleton slashed and hammered away at the shield, each blow actually sending pain in Hazel's body as he felt the ruthlessness of the attack.  Wincing, Hazel tried his best to maintain the sunlight of protection as the skeleton crowed in Elil-rah's voice.

                "**YOU CAN NEVER WIN, HAZEL-RAH!!!  YOU AND YOUR PATHETIC SOLDIERS OF EL-AHRAIRAH DO NOT HAVE A CHANCE AGAINST MY WILL AND POWER!!  FOR I AM HERE TO COLLECT THE CROSS-BEARER'S LIFE, AND NOT EVEN YOU RABBITS CAN STOP DEATH, THE ONE AILMENT THAT NO AMOUNT OF POWER AND MAGIC CAN EVER CEASE!!!  FOR I AM THE FIFTH HELLION OF THE APOCALYPSE!!!  REMEMBER IT, YOU FOOL!!!  _I AM THE HELLION OF DEATH!!!_**"

                With a final strike, the scythe cut through the shield, and the barrier shattered like brittle glass, and with a squeal, Hazel collapsed, drained and injured, his pelt bleeding and bruised.  Justin was also sent flying back from the explosion, but he shakily managed to get back on his feet.  Yet, as Hazel glanced towards the adolescent, he saw, to his horror, Elil-rah descending upon the cross-bearer from behind in the air, his weapon at ready.

                "**JUSTIN!!!**" yelled Hazel, but it was too late as the scythe descended.

                SPUCK!

                The sound was harsh, cruel...and final.

                Bluebell stopped trying to claw at the winged steed and gasped.

                Blackberry paused from sending another bolt of lightning to crash down upon the Hellion of War and went tharn.

                Pipkin, who finally regained consciousness in Silver's paws, saw the scene and started to sob.

                Silver clutched Pipkin tightly, fighting the choking wails that were fighting to emerge from his mouth.

                Hawkbit dropped the sword his orbed away from the wolf demon in shock.

                Fiver was whimpering.

                Speedwell fell to his knees and numbly stared at the scene, whispering a pleading prayer to anyone who would listen.

                Buckthorn used to sword he was carrying to prop himself from collapsing from shock and sorrow right there in the grass.

                Campion brought his paws to his eyes and wept bitter, angry tears, his jaw set and teeth gritted in pain.

                Holly bowed his head in sorrow.

                Strawberry pleaded to himself, "It cannot be!  It cannot be!  O Frith, please help us!  Please!"

                Bigwig, for once during the entire mission, looked broken, and his face showed an endless amount of mourning, as if he knew, this time, all was lost...forever.

                Acorn fell on all four of his paws and started to cry, his tears dropping onto the grass as he sobbed, "No...not the cross-bearer...no."

                Dandelion remained tharn, woozy, and for once, could not find a single thing to say.

                Hazel felt his entire world crumble around him as his vision actually lost its ability to sense the colors in the environment, and from his fallen position, he could only stare at the black and white and gray image of the skeleton embedding his scythe, the blade entering into Justin's back and gorging through the boy's chest, stabbing him a fatal blow through the heart.  Justin made a faint gurgle, his eyes wide with shock and surprise, and he remained still as a statue as the blade was still embedded into his body.  With a pitiless movement, the skeleton removed his weapon from the teenager's body, and convulsing, Justin collapsed to the floor.  The cross, sensing his death, began to glow before a final flash, and the crystal shattered, the fragments littering the ground and grass.  As Justin laid there, he was left with a silver necklace chain, devoid of his power, now useless and the one and only thing that could save them would disappear for all eternity under the darkness.

                With a cackle of triumphant merriment, the skeleton and his Four Hellions teleported back into the neck of the creature, once again forming the five-headed beast.

                Elil-rah laughed cruelly, his laughter sending the final message of damnation and a future of unrelenting darkness.

                Meanwhile, back at the warren, Groundsel and Stonecrop came back into the Great Cavern, gasping and sobbing.  Rabscuttle faced them, his whiskers graying with terror and dread.

                "Groundsel…what happened?"

                Stonecrop was crying and tearfully, forlornly, choked, "El-ahrairah…he…O Frith and Inle, he's dead!"

                Rabscuttle went tharn, his eyes glassy and his body getting colder by the instant, his breath artic and shuddering.  The rest of the rabbits in the Great Hall also exhibited similar expressions of grief, and in the background, Hyzenthlay and Mara, Carol, and Gina were all wailing.  Violet, trembling, asked hesitantly and softly, "What happened?"

                Groundsel, despite his blubbering, managed to wheeze out, "We do not know what had happened!  El-ahrairah was resting peacefully until he gave out a scream, and Stonecrop and I looked and saw that he had a bloody hole gouged through his heart!!  We tried to help him, but El-ahrairah gave us a...a sort of sad smile, and his...his body faded!!  It crumbled into ashes and dust and now he's gone!!  O Frith and Inle help us!!  He's dead!  El-ahrairah is dead and gone!!"

                "No, it cannot be!" whispered Snitter, but then Sneezewort then remembered what Elil-rah had just confessed.

                "If one lives, they both live...but if one dies...they both die," he murmured forlornly.

                "O embleer Frith!" sobbed Rabscuttle as he bent his head down and wept, "We lost!!  We lost!!  We did everything we could, we tried every plan we could muster, and we even had the damned cross-bearer help us fight!!  And we still lost!!  **DAMN IT ALL, IT CAN'T BE!!!  IT'S NOT FAIR!!!  EL-AHRAIRAH NEVER DESERVED THIS!!!**"  He howled this last statement from the depths of his anger and grief, and at a loss, no one could do or say anything but mourn and suffer.

                Lying in a pool of his own blood, Justin felt his entire heart and body cease, his life draining little by little, his vision blurring into the never-ending darkness, the pain in his chest numbing bit by bit.  Justin then knew he was finally and truly going to die.  He did not notice that the moon was gently, indiscreetly, bathing his body in an orb of white light.

                His hand quivering, the teenager managed to grab the remains of the cross necklace lying on the ground, tears coming to his eyes at the reminder of the loss.  After everything, after the journey, the trials, the pain, the sadness, the joys, the brief moments of bonding and happiness...they had lost.  It was over.  Justin managed to create a mixture between a croak and a sob softly, blood running down his chin, "El-ahrairah...I...I'm so...sor-...-ry."

                I just wish it didn't end like this, the adolescent thought with eternal sorrow of nothingness.

                A voice gently echoed in his head, a voice that was so comforting and final, Justin felt his eyes change from tears of despair to tears of relief.

                _It won't, Justin.  Nothing ever ends._

                El-ahrairah, the astral form, now fully devoid of any cadaver, shining with the splendor of multiple halos of pure gold and sun, was beside the fallen body of Justin in the beam of moon aura.  The Watership Owsla, the rabbits and allies back at the warren of Fenlo, and Elil-rah, were all shocked at the miracle.

                "**WHAT??!!!**" roared Elil-rah.

                "My Lord!" cried Hazel.

                "The prophecy!!" breathed Dandelion in awe.

                Back at the warren, everyone was amazed at the wondrous sight.

                Blackavar squealed, "Rabscuttle, LOOK!  It is El-ahrairah!!"

                Rabscuttle could have sworn on that very moment that he was never more overjoyed to see his friend and Prince back again.

                Without any answer to the audience, El-ahrairah's paw gently grasped Justin's cold hand, giving the dying boy support.  The halos now surrounded both the Prince of all Rabbits and the cross-bearer, and the boy was engulfed with warmth and endless light.

                "Am I...going...to die?" the boy asked for the second time of the day.

                El-ahrairah shook his head as he smiled and brought the body of the teenager closer to his body, enveloping him into a gentle hug.  The shattered, twisted metal of what was once the cross necklace that Justin wore for so long began to glow once again, and like magic, the shards and fragments swirled around the two of them as the ball of radiance around the two kindred spirits began to shine brighter and brighter.  It was as painful as staring into the sun.

                Fiver then realized what the force was at once.

                "O great seasons!" he squealed, "It's the power of Frith!!  It's his light, his power!!  Justin and El-ahrairah released it!!!"

                "**THIS CANNOT BE!!!  NOOO!!!**" Elil-rah roared in outraged fury and growing fear.

                And then...the impossible became reality.

/*

Next: THE FINAL BATTLE

You guessed right fans!  the moment you've all been waiting for!  The moment of destiny!  The final conflict between Elil-rah and El-ahrairah and Justin!  It's now or never, fans!

Hawkbit: Oh, quit being so melodramatic!

**Watch it Hawkbit or I'll have some more Hawkbit-torture at the end of this story!**

Hawkbit (meek): I'll be quiet!

*/


	30. The Final Battle

Author's notes: Here it is, guys! The ultimate showdown! I'm sorry it took more than 2 months, but I hope that all of you truly enjoy this! Oh, and a reviewer named Light Sneasel left a significant review:

"Masterfull as ever, and touching to. I loved how Pipkin's dream came true, plus that is one more power they have to reach their goals. I just realized, all of these trials just make Justin and the rabbits stronger... that can't be just an accdent can it?"

Nope, there WAS a reason El-ahrairah wanted the rabbits of Watership Down to guard and protect Justin. See if you can guess what it was! )

CHAPTER 29 

The light was radiant, immensely bright, and it bathed the entire lands of the battle-torn, diseased ridden, dead fields of the Fenlo meadows with warmth, heat, and the golden richness of the sun and all that was holy. Every rabbit, creature, and Elil-rah winced at the concentrated power and might of the sunbeams radiating from the place where El-ahrairah and Justin once stood, dying. Now, the orange, yellow and gold amalgamations obscured the Prince and the cross-bearer from the eyes of all observers, and indeed, even the clouds of darkness and smoke shrank from the potency of the power of the cross in fear and dread.

"**WHAT SORT OF DAMNED TRICKERY IS THIS, YOU FOOLS! I KILLED THE BOTH OF YOU! THIS CANNOT BE AS PROPHESIZED!**", Elil-rah bellowed, thoroughly surprised. This was completely unexpected.

With a sudden flash, the nova vanished, brief sparks and glittering dust still alight amongst the cold, howling winds that rushed and swarmed across the brown grass and dry weeds. The storms and gales of harsh, artic, ice were now powerful enough to match that of a hurricane, making it difficult to maintain balance. However, as the eyes of the Owsla of El-ahrairah and Watership Down slowly adjusted their eyes back to the dim murkiness of the stars and sky, a lone, soft globe of light still remained at the field. Within the luminosity was a lone figure.

The Watership warriors remained still, their ears flapping softly in the zephyrs and their eyes glassy and wide with troubled, yet promising disbelief.

Elil-rah dropped his jaw in snarling outrage and, for once, was at a complete and utter loss for words.

The allies and court of El-ahrairah in the Great Hall of the warren of the Prince of all Rabbits gasped and twittered with anxious, hushed, and frantic whispers as they shuffled and shifted nervously.

It was a complete surprise. Where Justin and El-ahrairah once have been was a new, tall figure standing on its hind legs and facing Elil-rah staunchly, the cold air and dark smoke having no effect on its bravado. It looked like El-ahrairah...but then again, one could argue that it wasn't. He was now more than twice as large as before, almost gargantuan. The rabbit's fleece was sleek, shining gold and white, made of pure silver moonbeams and yellow sunfire, all synthesized and combined into a beautiful tapestry of woven silk and fur. If El-ahrairah was beautiful before by Frith's blessings, it would pale into comparison with his new image. Now, he was flawlessly and perfectly stunning. El-ahrairah's face was also different, more composed and human-like with emotion and wisdom untold with a bearded jaw, sharp cheekbones, pale whiskers, and eyes that sparkled with fury and passion in a sea of unearthly aquamarine blue, green and brown. With a broad, wide chest, an erect backbone laced with lean muscle, and wide, rough shoulders, the Owsla could swear that El-ahrairah was almost human like they were...only a thousand times more striking and regal. Yet that was not all. Attached to El-ahrairah's back were seven pairs of large, expansive wings, white as pure snow and with feathers as soft as dandelion puffs. Now, the angelic wings spread until they stretched to their maximum wingspan, forming an intricate and well-designed pattern behind the rabbit, shielding it from the web of evil. El-ahrairah was adorned in pure, white silk that was as bright as the sunlight pouring from its pelt, forming a simple yet sufficient outfit consisting of a belted tunic, a hood pillowing his head with two, convenient holes for the rabbit ears to stick out, and a cloak and cape draping over El-ahrairah's shoulders and traveling a long distance, fluttering and flapping elegantly in the wind. The cape and cloak were neatly wrapped around the rabbit's torso and pinned with an exquisite gold and emerald brooch in the shape of a leaf. Atop the brow of the new El-ahrairah was a golden diadem with a figure of a rabbit in front of the brow, and entwined with the metal band was a crown of ivy leaves, forming a wreath of evergreen flora around El-ahrairah's head. Yet what was most noticeable was where the source of the light was emanating from. The cross, the golden crystal cross their friend, Justin, had worn for so long, was now whole and radiating and slightly hovering in one forepaw as El-ahrairah raised the trinket high above his head, sending halos of fire and blazes of sun, covering the fields of Fenlo with the sanctuary of holiness.

At first, the other rabbits were stunned and bewildered at how El-ahrairah had came to be after the Hellion of Death had fatally stabbed Justin. Then they saw, embodied inside the new form, the shining outlines of the astral projections of Justin and El-ahrairah, flashing together inside the heart of the challenger, before vanishing in the obscurity of the flesh and blood of the rabbit that stood before them.

"El-ahrairah!" exclaimed Bluebell in distress.

"Justin!" panted Campion, still bruised from his battle with the Hellion of Discord.

"O thank Frith and the stars above!" wheezed Speedwell, his whiskers twitching madly.

Regaining his composure from previously before, Elil-rah laughed scornfully, "**YOU PATHETIC TWITS, THINKING ONE LAST, SAD TRICK WILL WAVER ME INTO A LACK OF CONFIDENCE.**"

The figure, the new embodiment of El-ahrairah, said in a deep, calm, yet potent and compelling voice not quite earthly, "**IT IS OVER, ELIL-RAH. YOUR REIGN HAS ENDED, FOR YOU WILL NEVER CONTROL THE GARDEN OF EDEN. IT SHALL BE FINISHED, AND YOU SHALL NEVER RETURN...NOT IN THIS WORLD OR THE NEXT, FOR YOU WILL DIE...HERE AND NOW.**"

Elil-rah sneered as he turned to the Watership Owsla and mocked them with aloof contempt and zealous pride, "**YOU PATHETIC RABBITS SHALL HAVE TO BETTER THAN THAT TO TRICK ME WITH AN ILLUSION! EL-AHRAIRAH AND YOUR PRECIOUS JUSTIN ARE DEAD! THIS ILLUSION IS NO MORE OF A MIRACLE THAN YOUR WORTHLESS HIDES AND FLEAS!**"

"Fiver, is this your doing? Is this an artifice?" Buckthorn gaped at Fiver.

Fiver smiled, pure and unadulterated joy in his expression of sanguinity. "No...it is not an illusion! It truly is El-ahrairah and Justin!"

Elil-rah snarled, desperation and a hint of fear creeping into the beast's voice, "**SURELY YOU JEST, YOU IMBECILE! YOUR PRINCE AND CROSS-BEARER ARE DEAD! GONE! _EXTERMINATED_! I KILLED THEM MYSELF! AND THIS APPARITION CANNOT HARM ME! NEED I REMIND YOU DUNCES WHAT HAS BEEN PROPHESIZED: _NO RABBIT OR MAN CAN KILL ME!_ I AM IMMUNE TO ANYTHING YOUR INSIGNIFICANT RACE USES AGAINST ME!**"

El-ahrairah gave a soft chuckle, wise, knowledgeable merriment in his eyes and voice, making the corners of his mouth twitch into a miniscule smile.

Elil-rah was now livid. What could the suicidal Prince of all Rabbits be happy about? How dare he act in such a lofty, spacey manner of disrespect and lack of fear! But then El-ahrairah said the words that scandalized Elil-rah with much doubt and dread.

"**BUT THERE IS YOUR FATAL MISTAKE, ELIL-RAH. WHAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU IS NOT A MIRAGE, BUT INDEED, A NEW CREATURE BORN FROM THE CROSS. I AM NEITHER A RABBIT...NOR AM I A HUMAN. NO RABBIT OR MAN WAS BORN WITH SUCH FLESH AND BLOOD, WITH SUCH BLESSINGS OF BOTH THE WORLD OF ANIMALS AND THE WORLD OF MEN. I AM A NEW CREATURE, BORN FROM THE TWO SOULS OF THE CROSS-BEARER AND OF THE PRINCE OF ALL RABBITS FUSED AS ONE. AS JUSTIN AND EL-AHRAIRAH BOTH SHARED THE SAME NAME AND HEART, THEY NOW SHARE THE SAME BODY, UNITED...GIVING BIRTH TO THE NEW CHAMPION OF FENLO YOU WITNESS BEFORE YOU.**"

"Did...did you understand that?" Bigwig croaked hoarsely as he stared at the figure before them.

"So it is not El-ahrairah!" squealed Pipkin.

"O Frith and Inle, I daresay I'm starting to get mixed up!" groaned Blackberry, holding his head in his paws.

Dandelion then gasped with insight and realization as the words of the riddle branded into his mind rushed forward:

_When the hearts of many prayers become one_

_And the light of Inle releases Frith as the sun_

_Only then will evil's darkness become undone_

_For El-ahrairah and the cross-bearer have achieved a mixed oinun_

Mixed up...the word "oinun"...it was another anagram. Rearranged, "oinun" was simply the word "union". A union, the banding together of two souls, two worlds, two creatures, two descendants of two forces...yet stemming from one, universal heart of faith, love, and mercy.

"Union!" squealed Dandelion, getting the attention of everyone, including Elil-rah, around him, "Union! **UNION!** Great golden Frith! Don't you see, buckos! Do you not see yet, old chaps! The last two lines of the riddle! '_Only then will evil's darkness become undone, for El-ahrairah and the cross-bearer have achieved a mixed oinun_'! A mixed 'oinun' is basically the word 'union' all mixed up! Embleer fur and paw, this was to happen! El-ahrairah and Justin have united! They have become one to stop Elil-rah...TOGETHER!"

The other rabbits then realized what this meant.

"So El-ahrairah and Justin are not dead!" cheered Hawkbit, "They can still help us win this bloody war!"

"But...if they are one combined," contemplated Strawberry thoughtfully with dawning optimism, "Then...then what El-ahrairah said was true...they are neither a man or a rabbit...but they are both. A new creature that is both the qualities of human and rabbit combined, but is not necessarily solely one or the other!"

"Then...Elil-rah's prophecy of how no rabbit or man can kill him...!" Silver realized aloud.

"It bloody well does NOT apply to El-ahrairah and Justin! Thus, they _can_ defeat him!" Holly cheered, feeling youthful vigor enter his old bones again.

Elil-rah was furiously in denial as he roared loudly enough to echo his entire, booming voice to send shivers of fright and terror into every creature in the land beyond life, from the mountains to the Forests of Yesterday and Tomorrow to the warren of the Black Rabbit of Inle.

"**NO, THIS CANNOT BE! YOU LIE, YOU DECEITFUL, FOOLISH, DAMNED WRETCHES! _YOU LIE_! YOU DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO CREATE AND COMBINE NEW CREATURES!**" It was easy to notice that the demon, the beast of evil since the dawn of time, was now entirely in stubborn defiance and apprehension, as if his life depended on it. It was hard to believe...but the beast then grasped that it was a very probable ambiguity, a plausible loophole. Never in the beast's unfathomable calculations and cunning could it ever dream the divination could be interpreted in _that_ way.

El-ahrairah then looked at the beast towering in front of him with cold, superior brevity. "**THAT IS TRUE. I DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO CREATE NEW FORMS OF LIFE FROM AN EXISTENCE OF NOTHINGNESS...BUT GOD DOES.**"

"**BUT...BUT GOD DOES NOT CARE FOR THE LOWLY, WORTHLESS ANNOYANCES OF ANIMALS! WHY IN SATAN'S NAME WOULD HE EVER BLESS YOU! YOU ARE NOTHING TO HIM AND HIS POWER!**"

El-ahrairah closed his eyes serenely, almost meditating. Suddenly, the astral projection of a golden outline of Justin appeared within the rabbit's body.

"**YOU ARE FORGETTING...GOD REMEMBERS AND LOVES ALL HIS BRETHREN REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY ARE OR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE. AND AS YOU HAVE JUST MENTIONED, ALL DESCENDANTS OF ADAM AND EVE ARE GOD'S CHILDREN.**"

The rabbits of Watership Down now saw that Elil-rah had reached an innovative level of disbelief, indignation, scandalized gall...and fear. Every ounce of self-control and dignity had now burned away to leave raw, fervent, hysterical power and wrath. The very hairs of the pelt of the demon beast was rigid, upright, and bristled with riled embarrassment, and he scuffed his feet angrily and nervously against the dirt, clenching and unclenching his twitching claws. The heads of the spider, raven, wolf, and goat were all screaming and roaring loudly, their cries of the lost echoing through the bloodstained night. Yet the human skull just glared at the figure in front of him, the reincarnated body of El-ahrairah, while the emerald green fires cast an eerie halo all around the demon, making it appear more malicious and wild than ever before. The skull's eyes were now blazing with harsh vermilion, the red luminosity bright and as flawless as spilled, fresh blood.

El-ahrairah now opened his eyes, serious and determined, the multitude of colors glowing from his pupils now shining with no mercy for the abomination that hindered him and his kind for so long. His mouth was set in a thin line, so still that not even his whiskers were twitching, his ears perked upright with alertness, and his face calm and composed as ever. His eyebrows crinkled his look to a slight frown, not entirely angry and vengeful, but rather seeking justice, retribution, and righteousness for all in the land beyond life, not just his families of rabbit kin. He now cupped both of his paws together high over his cloaked head, the cross still held by invisible forces as it floated between his appendages. The globe of light covering the meadows of Fenlo now grew stronger, more opaque, as if solidifying, a sign that he was prepared to fight for his home.

This was now the standoff, the decisive duel, the ultimate showdown. No one dared to move, or even breathe. Every rabbit and creature both on and hiding from the battlefield was inadvertently holding his or her own breath, fearing to exhale and letting the pounding of their hearts in their ribcages beat louder and louder, like a tome to a countdown of doom. The air was now dangerously crackling and snapping with the fierce, overflowing surge of energy and hatred. The winds now became artic and it took a bit of effort for Hazel and the other rabbits to not cower and tumble from the force of the whirlwinds and typhoons.

"**DIE!**" Elil-rah hollered in volumes never measured by any human ear, deafening and unbearable, "**PERISH BY MY HANDS! DARKNESS INFERNO!**"

The rabbit Owsla of Watership Down then saw all five mouths of the five heads of Elil-rah open up before spewing an endless, torrential, building, insurmountable force of shining, black fire, roaring, gathering, and rushing in a tsunami of endless, immeasurable destruction, ready to swallow all the fields of Fenlo and the allies of El-ahrairah in an instant.

However, at the same instant, the rabbits heard Justin's spirit utter the words of hope in El-ahrairah's mouth before El-ahrairah angled both of his paws towards the beast demon with a soft grunt, invoking a firestorm of golden flames and white sunlight, rushing directly at Elil-rah and encasing the entire kingdom of the Prince of a Thousand.

"**HEAVENLY FATHER, PROTECT ALL OF US! IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!**"

**KAAAA-WHOOOOOMMM!**

With a resounding explosion of clashing wills that shook the earth and tore apart the sky, breaking even the very stars above, the black flames and the fair conflagration struck each other before both attacks were drawn into a tense stalemate, a deadlock with both attacks swelling and heaving, trying to continue to overpower the other as the obsidian vigor kept licking against the healing bubble of sunlight.

It had begun.

With growing dread, Blackberry, Strawberry, and Buckthorn all realized that El-ahrairah and Justin were doing their best to protect everyone in Fenlo from falling victim to Elil-rah's attack. It put their Prince and the cross-bearer at a disadvantage, keeping him distracted with that additional task along with trying to vanquish Elil-rah. There could not possibly be enough mystical power to shield all those in the meadows of Fenlo and match the hellfire spewing from Elil-rah's mouths at the same time. And indeed, it was true.

El-ahrairah winced in slight pain as the Prince did his best to hold off and reflect Elil-rah's attacks, but it soon became clearly evident that the demon beast of evil was winning. The fires of darkness and hatred were so hot, the rabbits could feel the air wavering with baking, scorching heat in the rabbits' kingdom, making the blood in their ears buzz painfully and their airways constrict into choking coughs. The sunlight flowing from the cross in El-ahrairah's hands soon grew to a dim speck of sparkling hope in a sea of chaos as the rays of gold and orange dimmed and shrank back, exhausted and unable to maintain their full strength against the onslaught.

Elil-rah's eyes and head bayed in triumph, proud and completely merciless, at the sight.

"**BWAH HA HA HA HA HA! YOU SEE, YOU STUPID, PATHETIC CLODS! YOU NEVER HAD A CHANCE! EVEN WITH THIS 'BLESSED' POWER, YOU MOCKED YOURSELF INTO A FOOL'S HOPE! AND NOW ALL SHALL LIVE AND DIE BY MY HANDS, BY MY RULE! SO MUCH FOR YOUR 'MIRACLE', YOU LOWLY, TROUBLESOME THORN!**"

El-ahrairah did not answer the taunt and instead opened his eyes to fling another surge of light towards Elil-rah, but the demon's attack kept it at bay.

As the rabbits observed helplessly, Pipkin and Fiver gasped out loud.

Fiver cried, wailing laced into his disbelief, "O embleer Frith! Look! Look above! The skies! They're disappearing!"

They all looked up above to find that what Fiver said was horrifically true. The skies, and indeed, the mountains, the clouds, and the very ground that they were all standing on was starting to fade, wavering as if the very existence of its substance was depleting. The skies, now unable to withstand the very brunt of the two wills, tore asunder with a resounding crack, the threads of time, space, and heavenly reality now rent and the pattern of life in the Garden of Eden now in chaotic disorder. Beyond the rip was nothing, an endless sea of blackness where there was not even the faintest glimmer of light. Everything in the land beyond life, every blade of grass, every morsel of soil, every drop of water, and every molecule of air was swallowed within the darkness, erasing every trace of all that ever lived and stood. The roaring was now deafening, and like a true day of reckoning, a surge of fire, water, and howling wind erupted from a nebula of eternal destruction as the rabbits of Watership Down could now see the darkness cause the very sacred grounds of the Garden of Eden break apart. The pandemonium of screams and bloody cries of pain echoed throughout the realm as not a single creature was spared from the endless purification of the relenting evil.

Now it was truly hell.

"What in the name of the Black Rabbit is happening!" Hazel swore, his face now cold and whiskers limp with paralyzing fear.

Hawkbit gasped, "Everything is vanishing! The darkness is taking control of it!"

"It must be because of the battle between the pillars!" Blackberry surmised, panic sending rushes of adrenaline into his brain, "Embleer tail and paw, don't you see! Both Elil-rah and El-ahrairah are the only pillars left in the land beyond life! This battle determines the fate of the land beyond life! Do you not remember what Elil-rah said! The pillars control the very lands we live in! This battle determines the fate of the land beyond life! If El-ahrairah and Justin lose, then we are all doomed to the eternal darkness of Elil-rah!"

"So the darkness is Elil-rah trying to reshape the land beyond life in his own image!" cried Speedwell.

"Then El-ahrairah isn't just fighting to save us!" gasped Silver, "El-ahrairah is fighting for every creature in the land beyond life! He's the only pillar left that will not give in to Elil-rah! So if he defeats Elil-rah, the land beyond life will be spared and all the pillars will regain their roles of Frith and protect this land again!"

"But what if he does not! What if we lose!" Pipkin whimpered.

It was a brooding thought.

"El-ahrairah, don't give in! Please, for the love of Frith, keep fighting!" begged Bluebell, whimpering and nearly sobbing to his Prince and friend.

"Be strong!" bellowed Bigwig, shielding his eyes against the blinding brightness with one arm.

"Justin, we're with you! We won't leave you alone!" Strawberry squealed, propping himself off the ground with his forepaws.

"There has to be another way we can help them!" gasped Buckthorn, "Our Prince and Justin cannot shoulder the burden by themselves!"

Holly sighed wearily as he shook his head and shouted over the din, "But what else can we do, old chap! Our powers hardly managed to injure and stall the Hellions of the Apocalypse! So it would not work against that brute as he is now! Even if we tried to fight outside the protection of El-ahrairah's light, we would be consumed by Elil-rah's fire! It would be too risky!"

"O Frith and Inle, if only we could fight alongside them!" wailed Speedwell.

"But how!" demanded Hawkbit shrilly, "None of us have THAT much bloody power! Embleer fur and paw, if you weren't so dimwitted, you would have realized that by now!"

"Will you quit griping! Honestly, of all the times you could have shot off that big mouth of yours, Hawkbit! Either help us plan a way to help El-ahrairah or shut up!" growled Campion, already irate.

Hawkbit then mockingly and sarcastically drawled, sneering, "Well pardon my bluntness, Campion! I beg for your forgiveness for not being such a saint like El-ahrairah! Why don't I just bow my head and pray for Elil-rah to disappear while I'm at it!"

"Why you -!" shouted Campion as he was about to pound the annoying loudmouth, but what Hawkbit had just said immediately gave a signal of inspirational revelation to Blackberry. The black-eared inventor gasped with surprise before cuffing Hawkbit with appreciative hilarity on the head.

"Great golden Frith and showers!" Blackberry cheered, "That's it! That's it! Frith in a warren, Hawkbit! That's it!"

"What are you babbling about, Blackberry?" Hawkbit snapped, but Strawberry also caught on.

"The first half of the prophecy!" gasped the reddish rabbit, "I remember now! '_When the hearts of many prayers become one_'! It means that El-ahrairah isn't the only rabbit meant to fight Elil-rah! Our Prince needs more animals to help him fight!"

"You...you mean..._us_!" Acorn asked with disbelief. Strawberry nodded.

"But it is not possible for us to be of any use!" Buckthorn emphasized worriedly, "I say with all my heart that I would gladly sacrifice my life for El-ahrairah and Justin's sakes, but Strawberry, old bucko, we cannot be of any use! Don't you remember! Elil-rah said no rabbit or man could kill him! And we are rabbits, not new creatures of God like Justin and our Prince as are right now!"

Fiver, being quiet for so long, then drew his face upwards with shining eyes as he asked boldly, "Are you sure, Buckthorn?"

Bigwig rolled his eyes in annoyance as he barked, "What sort of daft question is that, Fiver! Of course we are! We're only rabbits, and as such, we cannot kill Elil-rah nor help our Prince fight him!"

"Wait!" exclaimed Silver as he turned wildly, "Fiver is right! _Are we _'_rabbits_'?"

"Not you too!" groaned Acorn.

Silver then explained hurriedly, "No, no, listen to me, chaps! Fiver has a valid point! We are rabbits, but not truly in that sense! Rabbits do not wear garments of clothing! Rabbits cannot stand upright! Rabbits can never communicate with men and speak their language! No other rabbits here were able to achieve such a thing! And yet, WE were able to achieve all those things ever since we met up with Justin!"

The other rabbits then understood what Silver was hinting at.

"So...that would mean we are neither men nor rabbits as well...like El-ahrairah!" realized Bluebell.

"By the Black Rabbit! All this time...and we never had even realized it!" Campion said, his blood making his head spin with wild confusion.

"It would make sense, though," Hazel said thoughtfully, "All the other animal allies that have helped us, like Shardik, Sneezewort, Lousewort, and Snitter and Rowf, were never given blessings of power and gifts to help us fight Elil-rah's Owsla! Only WE were given the special abilities of light to help El-ahrairah win the war! And the only way were could have ever been able to receive those gifts of power from the cross would be if and only if we were not truly animals of Frith to being with!"

"But how can we fight that damned beast! WE still cannot help El-ahrairah by simply using our powers! none of our powers could ever match to Elil-rah's might, and as much as I loathe to admit it, we cannot attack him openly with our paws!" Bigwig barked desperately.

Pipkin then nudged Bigwig hesitantly as he spoke over the din of the battle, "But I don't think we are supposed to fight with our paws, Bigwig!"

"Hlao-roo, whatever are you talking about!" Dandelion asked, his face scrunched and faulty with befuddlement. Pipkin then tried again.

"Don't you remember what Fiver said with his second sight? How this is not going to be a battle by our paws, but fought with our hearts! I think it was a clue! We can't fight Elil-rah head on, but we could try fighting another way! Like...like the prayer we used to fight against the creature in the comical field when we met with the Black Rabbit!"

"Frith in a hole, good chap!" gasped Speedwell, "It makes sense! You're right! It makes sense! It could work!"

"Pipkin has a valid point. If it was enough to seal and subdue It from the holes of affliction in the warren of the Black Rabbit, and if it was enough to stop King Fur-Rocious and his armies, it just might be enough to do it again on Elil-rah himself!" Dandelion spoke with growing comprehension and faith.

"We have no point but to try! We have nothing to lose!" bellowed Holly as he got up on his hind legs and started to walk towards El-ahrairah.

"Come on, you louts! Get along with Holly! El-ahrairah would want us to fight with him! Help your Prince!" roared Bigwig.

Hazel said strongly, commanding authority and finality edged in, "Everyone, stand together! This is the moment we have all endured and fought for all these hrair days and nights!"

"We promised him!" Fiver reminded with encouragement, "We promised we would not leave Justin's side, that we would fight for his sake!"

Strawberry then stated with solemn dread, "If we do not act now, everything in the land beyond life will perish, and we will all be living the misery and torment under Elil-rah's rule! We cannot back down! I will not back down and let that wretch take away everything Frith blessed us with!"

"Then let us do this! Together, we can win!" cheered Bluebell.

Together, as one, all fifteen rabbit warrior, shakily and anxiously stumbled and walked towards the epicenter of the energy spewing forth so much mindless and desecrating destruction, bracing and toiling against the harsh wind, heat, and light.

El-ahrairah gave a small cry of pain as some of the fires from the dark flames of hell's wrath managed to break though and grazed against the skin of his arms and cheek. It stung like the most acidic venom mixed with the bile of excruciating ice-cold anger and bloodlust. Justin, inside El-ahrairah's body and soul, could feel the torment as well. And it was apparent to Elil-rah that the protective shield and flares of pure sunlight were weakening even further, dimming slightly by the second, the bubble around the fields of Fenlo threatening to shrink and shatter under the constant strain of the attack.

_El-ahrairah, I can't do this! I feel so tired! I'm not sure if I can hold on!_

_I know, young one, I know. But do not give in, Justin. Focus! Focus, cross-bearer!_

Elil-rah was so busy concentrating on gleefully increasing the fury and intensity of his power, he failed to notice the line of rabbits kneeling faithfully and strongly behind their Princes of the Thousand.

Bluebell, Campion, Bigwig, Acorn, Hawkbit, Silver, Pipkin, Blackberry, Speedwell, Buckthorn, Fiver, Dandelion, Strawberry, Holly, and Hazel-rah.

Bracing themselves as best as they could, the Owsla of El-ahrairah, the ever faithful rabbits of Watership Down, the fellowship of the cross-bearer, the revered, legendary warriors all knelt on one knee, linked paw in paw, behind their Lord and friend, as a united front, a last line of defense...and a final act of loyal devotion.

It would be a final testament for the trials and rewards, for the joys and sadness, of the cross-bearer and his fellowship of guardian friends.

Bluebell suddenly remembered the words of Woundwort ringing in his head:

_"All my work, all my worry, all my pain, all my efforts to rule over Efrafa and have it conform to my ideals of being a rabbit, of being happy and safe...all destroyed by the likes of your friends! And to have them turn traitor to all animals to protect you, without giving a tharn care about the well-being and consideration of all animals who were destroyed and wiped out by men is an insult too cruel to bear!"_

Bluebell then recalled his times with the human child:

_"I must say there, chap!" Bluebell teased Justin lightly, "you're the funniest and ugliest rabbit I've ever seen! If we want to make you an honorary member of the Owsla, we'll do what El-ahrairah did and get some dock leaves for ears and some clematis and ragwort for whiskers and a tail. How about it, young one? Want me to teach you how silflay and hop around like the rest of us jolly chaps?" Justin snickered at Bluebell's humor, lightly nudging the rabbit on the side with his elbow in mock retaliation._

_"Bluebell..." whispered Justin, nearly in tears from seeing Bluebell sacrifice his safety and shielding his body from Mallow's spear, but Bluebell just shook his head and tried to make his voice as jovial and joking as ever._

_"What are you crying for? C'mon, young one, keep a stiff upper lip! Had to do something to protect the cross-bearer, you know! Besides, this is just a flesh wound, I'll be up and ready before you know it! You know I can't die here in the land beyond life." Yet Justin still stood by him anyway, unwilling to abandon the rabbit he had only met hours earlier._

_Justin argued vehemently, "Not even an option, Bluebell! I said I wasn't leaving any of you behind, and I meant it! I'm also not leaving behind my friend who got injured because of me in the first place! Either we leave together or we stay together!"_

_Bluebell then remembered the sincere gratefulness in the teenager's voice as the cross-bearer hugged him like a brother, touched and full of concern, whispering softly in his ear, "Thank you."_

_Bluebell, angered by his helplessness and mockery of King Fur-Rocious, snarled in defense, "They're not as stupid and delusional as you are, you sniveling ruin of a grimy King! Dandelion and Justin are too smart to even consider coming...What am I saying! He's right! They would try to come back and rescue us!" Bluebell groaned, realizing that the cross-bearer was loyal to a fault, and like a book, he read and anticipated his next moves would naturally be to come and selflessly rescue the Watership Owsla, despite the overwhelming danger on his own life._

_Bluebell the recalled the serious arguments and discussion after Rowf attacked their human friend and seriously mauled his arm. Justin muttered lamely and crossly, "I'll be all right, Silver."_

_Bluebell, though immensely irritated, managed to see the stubbornness of the adolescent, the inner strength and determination. The boy did not want the others to be worried sick, to be wrathful and give Rowf grief when the Dog of War was already in enough torment. Despite it all, he still wished to not complain and bear with his wound, knowing that his role in the mission meant more than his well-being._

_However, Bluebell's voice was slightly sour as he glared at the cross-bearer unceremoniously, griping like a true, overprotective parent, " 'All right'! 'All right'! Frith in a barn and Frith on your tharn head, bucko! Young chap, I've heard better and more convincing fibs from kittens caught playing hooky from Owsla training at Watership Down!"_

_Campion gave a soft laugh as he stated to Bluebell, carrying a sleeping teenager as a passenger, like a pony. "I see you've grown fond of Justin."_

_"Somewhat." Bluebell confessed, "I don't know why in Frith's name did I even dive in front of him when Mallow threw that spear. I just acted, I guess. I mean, Justin's the only one I've ever met, besides Holly, who actually appreciates my humor and jokes, as if he's never heard anyone act like that with him before. Hazel-rah's and everyone else who has ears are always telling me to shut up and be serious, and Bigwig's always cuffing me whenever my jokes rub him the wrong way. Yet, with the cross-bearer, it's different. And when he saw I was hurt, he didn't want to leave me, even though it was probably the best thing at the time. He was even willing to resist Bigwig's orders, just to stay with me and make sure I would stay with all of you, just to make sure no one would be left behind. I mean, you should know how I now feel about him. You've probably felt the same way whenever you've trained kittens and young rabbits for the Wide Patrols back at Watership Down, and even now, in the land beyond life, you sometimes return to the physical world to influence a leader's heart to take his patrol back home."_

_Bluebell remembered when Bigwig and Justin were solemnly talking about the battle with King Darzin and his cats, and both looked like they needed some cheering up, so he jumped in, unannounced._

_"Oh, please," Bluebell joked, "try telling that to me and every single kitten you've trained for the Owsla! I can attest, Justin, that Bigwig has given us more bumps, bruises, and scars than all the injuries we've gotten from raiding expeditions put together. It's such a pity, Justin, that you couldn't have Bigwig remain for a dog a little longer. I mean, we were all so much better off! Not only did he smell better and was a lot nicer, but he was only half as ugly, and the only thing that we could dislike was his slobbering -!"_

_Even though Bluebell paid dearly for that remark, he felt a surge of pleasure and gratified pride when Justin couldn't help but snicker and try to prevent Bigwig from pounding the jester into a bloody mess._

_"We have a right! After all the cruelties the race of men have done to us, we have a right to seek retribution from Justin!" roared Coltsfoot, showing no remorse for mobbing the human child._

_Bluebell snarled sarcastically, "What a lovely way of showing gratitude! You should be ashamed! After what Justin has done to help protect the warren and heal El-ahrairah, you would be willing to turn your backs on him! You're just as bad as a human!"_

_Bluebell then begged wearily as Prince Rainbow and his Dogs of War advanced towards the adolescent, "Justin, please, will you just go! El-ahrairah needs you! We, on the other hand, do not." Yet Justin sorrowfully did not run._

Bluebell felt his eyes flood with tears as he whispered lovingly, "Justin..."

As always, General Woundwort's words managed to deliver harsh stings in the crevices of Campion's memories:

_"You don't know how much I had to suffer, all because of men! You don't know what it's like to have your past haunt you, torment you, give you grief and terror, because all the blame heaps on your own soul until you give in to despair and guilt because you realize that there's nothing you can do but let it tear you apart and drive you mad!"_

Campion instinctively scrunched his face when he felt the familiar sensation of his eyes filling with tears of relief:

_"I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, Campion. I...I just woke up and saw that you were gone, so..." Justin, despite having done a foolish act, managed to give off an appearance of sheepish devotion, something Campion could feel eating away the stern reprimand he would have normally given to a younger protégée. Despite it all, even after spending less than a day with them, the child was already showing concern and worry, an act foreign to Campion for some human that knew little about the rabbit except in stories told._

_"So you went to look for me?" finished Campion, and his face softened considerably at the teenager's compassion. "That was a foolish thing to do, you know, you young duffer. You could have been attacked or killed by being out in the open like this, and I can take care of myself."_

_Justin still steeled himself to remain, showing to Campion a remarkable display of compassion. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I didn't think you couldn't handle yourself. I was just worried about you, that's all. I mean, besides, no one should be alone, regardless how strong they are."_

_Campion said quietly, "Sometimes, being alone is the only option you have."_

_Justin still did not turn away from the Watership soldier._

_"I don't see why you're worried about me, though. If there is any trouble that comes our way, I'll have you to protect me," Justin said persistently. Campion felt his defensive wariness spring up immediately; it felt so good to hear such faith...yet so scary and frightening as well. Campion could almost hear the curses and blame thrown at him again, feel the shame and humiliation every time he personally accused himself for his role in Efrafa and the loss of rabbits in Wide Patrols, and how every so often he was described as "the next Woundwort". It was not worth getting the boy's hopes up and then later disappointing him, failing him. "It's not always good to put your faith in people, or rabbits for that matter, who may not be strong enough or worthy enough to even deserve it in the first place."_

_Later, when Veil Guplea attacked them in the forests of illusions, Campion was overwhelmed with consuming guilt, despair, and hopelessness. He just wanted to give in, to give up, to not go through with the mission anymore. He wasn't worthy, he was as evil as Woundwort, he was shunned, an outcast, unloved. Then he heard the teenager's words pierce his heart and soul._

_"You're not alone, Campion. I believe in you, I have faith in you, and I care about you, just like all your friends do back at the other end of this copse. Your friends, the ones who have been with you since you lived at Watership Down, the friends who have forgotten and forgiven you for your role in Efrafa's siege, and the friends who I know you will always fight and defend for to the very end. Hazel, Bigwig, Fiver, and all the others, you know they feel exactly the same way, maybe even more than I do. And what you said earlier, about how it's not good to put your faith and hope in people who don't deserve it or who aren't strong enough? You're wrong about that too; no matter how little faith you have, even a little bit of faith, as small as a mustard seed, can help you move mountains. And it doesn't matter whether or not a person deserves it or whether they're strong enough because as long as they care about others as much as others care about them, they'll never be weak."_

_"I believe in you, I have faith in you, and I care about you..."_

_Back at the Forests of Yesterday and Tomorrow, Campion felt his protective anger and battle-wrath surge the minute the otter shoved Justin to the ground. Campion, despite his ire, could only stare in shock at Justin's next actions...and wonder at his blind inanity._

_"Why you -!" began Campion, turning red from seeing Justin being mistreated, but Justin stopped him, pleading, "Don't! Campion, please! It's all right, I'm not hurt!"_

_"No, it's not all right, young one!" Campion snapped back, completely livid and irate, "Why do allow them to continue on like this! Don't you get mad at such stupidity and rude behavior!"_

_"No, I don't," Justin replied, softly yet strongly, emphasizing each word, and Campion was floored. Justin continued, "It's OK, I'm not that hungry anyway. Let's just go and get back to the clearing."_

_"I believe in you, I have faith in you, and I care about you..."_

_Campion then remembered how much he nearly killed himself with worry and insane anxiety when they had to leave and abandon Justin for the new cross-bearer, Damien. How quick he was to come to outrage and offense when he heard Blackberry indirectly insult the adolescent..._

_"I know how you feel, Buckthorn, but Damien is the cross-bearer now," Blackberry sighed, "He's the only one who can help us with El-ahrairah's plight, and Justin...simply cannot do that for us anymore. That is all there is to the matter, chap. Simple as that, and nothing more. After all, it is perhaps for the better. If Justin was too weak to be the cross-bearer, it would be better for a stronger man to take his place."_

_Campion lost all control as he yelled furiously, spit flying into the inventor's whiskered face, "'Weak'! 'WEAK'! How dare you, you ignorant, shortsighted scamp! Is that all that Justin is to you! A tool, a pawn, an implement that we can toss aside like moldy flayrah or hraka when it is no longer of any use to us!"_

_"It is the truth, Campion!" the Watership warrior retorted in a condescending tone._

_The Wide Patrol veteran then grimly recalled how Strawberry had to arrest Campion's paw before he could cuff that annoying, know-it-all smirk off Blackberry's face, desperate to do something to remind Campion that he still was loyal and troubled for the boy._

_"I believe in you, I have faith in you, and I care about you..."_

_Campion then pleaded as Justin faced the Dogs of War as a willing sacrifice, "Young one, please, this is not the time to be noble! You must go on! I...I cannot bear losing you! Please, young one!"_

_"I believe in you, I have faith in you, and I care about you..."_

Campion felt the tears fall from his face as he whispered, "I care about you too, Justin."

Bigwig narrowed his eyes in irritation as the General's snide voice broke in:

_"Do you even know what it is like to lose your trust in others! Do you even know what it was like to be alone, because you could never open your heart to anyone, because no one could ever trust you! Do you even know what it's like to always put up a facade of strength when in reality you are just as scared and vulnerable as the newest newborn! I never could be at peace because of men! I could never find respite, never find trust...all because of YOU!"_

Yet the look of painful offense and mistrust faded as Thlayli could almost hear Justin's sadness in his voice, scared, helpless...yet completely innocent, honest and courageous:

_It was when they met up with the hlessi, Zadnir, and after a fierce argument and some harsh words, Justin stomped off by himself. Bigwig had to chase after him and duel for the boy's trust._

_"That's enough! Justin, don't listen to Zadnir! Come on, we have to get back to Hazel and the others before any other of Elil-rah's Owsla come by to attack us!"_

_"Justin, Bigwig isn't a real friend! Don't go with him! He'll just hurt you, treat you like a child, never listening to you or giving a care about how you think or feel! Come with me and we'll go help El-ahrairah at his warren by ourselves, just the two of us! Don't you even remember what Bigwig said! He doesn't even want you as the cross-bearer! A real friend wouldn't ever say that!"_

_"Justin, please don't listen!"_

_"Justin, who do you believe? Me or Bigwig?" After a few tense moments, Bigwig could honestly say he had never been more surprised...and touched._

_"I believe in Bigwig," Justin declared stoutly, kindly, and with full support, as if he knew he would never regret siding with Bigwig, even after the unfair treatment he endured from the fur-cropped buck._

_In the battle with King Darzin, once the adolescent gave the Watership rabbit the power of shape-shifting into a dog, a cat's mortal nemesis, Bigwig was about to cripple the lion beyond recognition, but then the cross-bearer's voice, full of panic and pleading mercy, cried out._

_"Bigwig, stop it! That's enough! STOP, PLEASE! Bigwig, please, King Darzin won't be able to hurt me now, especially not in this condition. You've made your point, but please, stop before you hurt him any further!"_

_"Justin, this eli wouldn't show you even the smallest bit of the same mercy you're giving him if you were the one being injured!" Bigwig roared in outrage, "He wouldn't give the slightest notion that he cared, and after killing you, this crack-brained slave-driver would have forgotten you as easily as Ni-Frith by the following day! Why are you showing mercy now, to him at a time like this!"_

_Justin still stood firm in his stance. "Because I don't want to see anyone get hurt because of me, and whether it would be one of the rabbits of Watership Down or an enemy, I don't ever want to kill a living creature or see it suffer! I could have used my power to harm the Ilips or Veil Guplea, but I didn't because they're just scared and corrupted, like Strawberry said, and I don't care how much they want to hurt me because it doesn't give me the right to show them the same bloodlust and ruthlessness! Please, Bigwig, stop this! What's important now is that we save Hazel and the others from Darzin's cats! Don't hurt him any further! Please!"_

_For a second, Bigwig and Justin just concretely fixed their eyes on each other. Bigwig, though he fervently protested against it, though he wanted to ignore the boy's pleas and just simply do what he wanted to the eli...he saw into Justin's soul and knew that such an act would shatter the boy's trust in him again. And to further assault the king of cats would put Justin through grief and guilt...and that was something Bigwig would never wish upon any creature. Defeated, Bigwig leaned over to the wounded Darzin and whispered ferociously in his ear, "If you ever come within a smell's distance of Justin or any of my comrades, I will make you regret it! And tell your dark master Elil-rah that he will never be able to lay a paw on the cross-bearer, not while I'm still alive!"_

_It was later that night, Bigwig remembered, that the cross-bearer finally became, in the rabbit's eyes, no longer a weapon, no longer a valued piece of treasure...but a human boy who had feelings and needed companionship, just like Bigwig himself always needed._

_"I also want to say that I'm sorry, that I was wrong." Justin just stared at him with disbelief. Damn it, did the child have to make it harder than it already was!_

_"But don't get use to me apologizing on a whim, you young duffer! And if word gets out that I admitted this, I'm going wrestle you to the ground and head-butt you into this stream, you hear? I guess, I was afraid something would happen to you, and with so many elil hunting after you, I didn't want to risk the chance that you would get killed. But, now I realize that I should have listened to you and to Hazel and the others. You're a good lad, and only a true Owsla rabbit, er man, would have been able to help win against King Darzin. I...I admit it, I was wrong in thinking that you couldn't defend yourself, or protect yourself. And...and I also wanted to let you know that I didn't mean what I said earlier about how I wished you weren't the cross-bearer because you always made stupid decisions. After that scuff with King Darzin while he was still disguised as Zadnir, after I said all those things and treated you worse than any kitten I've ever trained, you still chose to side with me rather than Zadnir. That...that meant a lot to me, young Justin. After all, you must admit, if I was in your place, I would have done the exact opposite."_

_Justin replied, "I guess I did it because I didn't know Zadnir that well, while you however, I've known from the stories since my childhood. I know that despite your rough demeanor, you're a good friend and a loyal companion, so I didn't let my bad judgment get the better of me. And besides, you're not the only one who gets angry and mean sometimes. I'm sorry too. I should have realized that you cared about me and only wanted to protect me from danger. You could have abandoned me after I punched you in the nose, but you didn't. You chose to follow us and check to make sure everything was all right, and if you didn't do that, I wouldn't even be here right now. So, I owe you my life."_

_"The favor has been easily returned. You helped save me from danger when you transformed me into that dog to save you and Hazel-rah. So that makes us even. Except..." At this last part, Bigwig had a playful gleam in his eye as he finished, "I still owe you for cuffing me in the nose. I don't mind telling you, you young duffer, that my nose was jolly well sore afterwards."_

_Scared, but conceding he deserved some sort of retaliation, the teenager agreed, "All right, then...then cuff me on the head, and we'll call it even."_

_"Sounds fair."_

_Justin shut his eyes as Bigwig raised his forepaw, ready to hit the teenager in retribution. Justin winced, but Bigwig, in rare jest, decided he could never strike the boy and instead, fatherly nuzzled him, Justin's laughter echoing pleasantly in his ears_

_"Oh, come now young one!" he chortled, "You know I won't hurt you!"_

_When Prince Rainbow was about to kill Justin, Bigwig remembered how vulnerable he felt, how much he was hurt at the boy's foolishness to forfeit his life for theirs, how frustrated he was with fury and self-blame as he yelled, "You coward! You sentimental idiot! Fight him! Run! Do something, damn it, do anything! Please!"_

_Before the confrontation with Elil-rah, Bigwig whispered heatedly, as if he wanted to convince himself more rather than Justin, "You'll come with me, all right, young one? Hazel-rah and the others will probably need to talk to you as well, but I want you to understand: we will not leave you, but you must not give in! This fight must not be lost! Realize that either Elil-rah will be defeated or you and El-ahrairah will be defeated, and if that happens, you shall surely die. Justin, do not be afraid, but do not think that we will abandon you or run. If you fight, then we shall fight as well. El-ahrairah and you may be fated to war, but the prophecy did not say we could not come to help. Do not be afraid, all right, young one. I know what it is like to be scared in the face of an impossible mission, but you must not give up. We are counting on you, El-ahrairah is counting on you, and all animals in the land beyond life are counting on you. Remember that, all right?"_

_"Am I gonna die?" Justin asked, hushed. Bigwig wanted, with all of his heart, to say no, but he couldn't bear to make a promise to the teenager he couldn't keep. He cared for the boy too much to let that happen._

Bigwig then gave a small smile as he tearfully whispered with hope, "You will not die, Justin...I will always fight for you."

Acorn tensed his body instinctively when Woundwort's accusations of Justin tore through his mind:

_"You are a plague, a danger, to every creature in this land! Everything you do is for your own self, to fulfill your own needs, to satisfy your own wants, without giving a damn about the other creatures around you, without even sparing those less fortunate than your fat, worthless hide!"_

Acorn then flashed back to the cross-bearer, and the buck knew that wasn't the real truth at all:

_"I can't tell you how sad I was to leave Watership Down. It was something I risked everything for, my life, my well-being, my freedom, and as soon as we got settled there, after a few seasons, I had to pass away because there wasn't enough food to keep us alive during that winter. And what made me ashamed was that I blamed Frith and El-ahrairah for doing this to me. I fought and pleaded to let me go back to Watership Down because I didn't want to leave and be separated from all my friends, not to mention give up the very life I worked so hard to live, after so much torture I had to endure back at Sandleford. It just wasn't fair! I got mad at them, saying that if they truly cared for a rabbit like me, then they wouldn't have ever put me through all this and take it away so quickly." He paused before continuing in a softer voice, "But I think what also bothered me was the fact that not a lot of rabbits cared a lot about me, so when I died, I probably never amounted much to them so it was probably better for the warren. It was like I was just some sort of...of...a filler rabbit. You know, like a rabbit who's just there to make the number of the rabbit warren large but doesn't really amount much to anything."_

_"Acorn, that isn't true," Justin whispered as he placed his hand gently on the rabbit's head and comfortingly stroked the spot between his ears, "Your friends missed you greatly when you died. I remembered reading that in the stories of Watership Down after Efrafa's siege, Hazel and Bigwig especially felt your loss. Everyone was very sad that you passed away because you've been through the thick and thin: the mission to retrieve does from Efrafa, the siege afterwards, not to mention the journey to Watership Down in the first place. No one would ever forget what you've done. And I'll admit, you didn't have as big of a role to play, not like Hazel's authority, Bigwig and Silver's strength, Fiver's visions, but you still had a role nonetheless. No matter how small a role you have, none of the missions that took place in your life wouldn't have been the same, maybe never have been even fulfilled, if everyone didn't play their part. And despite what you think, you were helpful too. You and Pipkin were the best insect-catchers to help feed Kehaar, helping the rabbits convince him to go find does for the warren's survival. You were also there to help defend the does if the Efrafans ever broke through the blocked tunnels during Woundwort's attack. And you're forgetting that El-ahrairah asked you to be one of the few rabbits to come get me in the land beyond life and to protect me from danger. That's far more important than any expedition any rabbit's ever been on."_

_Strange, mused Acorn, seeing as how that lifted up his spirits significantly._

_"Justin, what in Frith's name are you doing?" asked Silver incredulously as he and Acorn spotted Justin wandering away from the mass of sleeping bodies. "Is something wrong? You should be resting, not be on guard duty with us. You need all the strength you can get when we journey again in case we need your powers."_

_"Nothing's wrong, it's just that I couldn't sleep and besides, I was worried about you guys, especially since you can't get any sleep and have to spend the entire night protecting us. If you guys want, I thought one of you could go take my place and get some rest since I'm not sleepy at all. Plus, I could just keep watch too cause there's nothing else to do here." Acorn didn't know whether to be impressed or exasperated by the foolish empathy._

_Justin, despite his shaking, asked smugly, once he invoked the powers of multiplicity to create a sufficient army to overpower Volgnamass and his horde of armored weasels, "Still think you're a useless filler rabbit?"_

_Acorn laughed with warmed openness, "Think up of some flayrah for me to eat, and I'll consider changing my mind."_

_Of course, Justin readily agreed without a moment of hesitation or convenient lapse of memory._

_Back at the Forests of Yesterday and Tomorrow, once the King of Yesterday took away the Sense of Smell from the rabbits, the Owsla of El-ahrairah were shocked at what Justin did to help them._

_"Wait!" broke in Justin, respectfully but frantically, distressed at seeing his friends suffer, "Please, don't do this to them! Please! What if...what if I give you my cross as collateral! As a token of assurance that we won't do anything! I'll give you my cross for safekeeping if you return the sense of smell back to my friends! Please, I give you my word!"_

_Of course, this led to a worse predicament._

_Bigwig angrily reprimanded the teenager for his lack of insight, "By the fur and paw of El-ahrairah, why in Frith's name did you even do it! Now you're completely defenseless, you can't invoke your powers if there's trouble, and to make matters worse, you had to give it to one of the kings no less! As if one of those stuck-up, tharn, stubborn, old scalawags even needed more power to begin with! Couldn't you have frozen time and stopped all of them!"_

_"Bigwig, I...I'm sorry," Justin apologized sorrowfully, almost close to a sob as he replayed the events in his head again while burying his face as he hugged his knees. "I just didn't want you guys to suffer, and if I didn't do it, he would have never returned your Sense of Smell back. Besides, what choice did I have? Everyone here isn't an enemy sent from Elil-rah; they're just creatures who don't like the fact that I'm even here, so if we fought them, we'd be attacking animals who aren't on the side of the bad guys."_

_"Justin," Acorn said softly, gently, as he placed a comforting paw on the teenager's head, "our Sense of Smell we can do without for the time being, but you, without your cross, we cannot afford. Now, there's no telling what will happen to us now that the King of Yesterday has our gift of smell and the King of Tomorrow has your jewel of light and potential."_

_Despite it all though, Acorn was grateful for Justin's willingness to suffer alongside his protectors. It made it easier to endure, knowing that their human friend wanted to keep them company altruistically. However, it also nearly cost him his own life, especially when Prince Rainbow was offered another compensation._

_"You win, Prince Rainbow. You win, but please, please, let my friends go. You can kill me and take away my cross, but let Hazel and the others go on their way back to El-ahrairah's warren in Fenlo. You...you have my word: if you let Hazel and the other rabbits from Watership Down free, I'll surrender the cross and...and I'll let you kill me. I'll let you take my life for theirs. But, please, please, don't hurt them!" the cross-bearer begged, not willing to let the Dogs of War send them to limbo._

_"Justin! No, you mustn't! It is not worth the risk!" yelled Acorn with a terrified expression of dread on his face._

Acorn sobbed, "Cross-bearer..."

Hawkbit had to bite his lip from hissing in response to Woundwort's wrathful tirade against the Watership Owsla and the cross-bearer in his remembrance:

_"Do you honestly think that I turned my back on Frith and El-ahrairah, you presumptuous wretch! THEY turned their backs on ME! They abandoned me! They knew what I was going to endure, what I was going to feel, how I was to suffer, and yet they didn't give a damn!"_

For once, Hawkbit was rendered speechless and could not find a single negative or sarcastic comment to utter when Justin appeared in his mind:

_It was when they first met when Hazel asked Holly, Speedwell, Dandelion, and Hawkbit to escape with the boy, the human they met mere seconds ago. Hawkbit, while running for his life and the fate of the mission of El-ahrairah, was starting to get highly annoyed with the teenager's persistent questioning._

_"Elil-rah?" asked Justin, bewildered, "Who is the heck is Elil-"_

_"Oh for Frith's sake!" snapped Hawkbit impatiently, "Danger in one end and questions out the other! Even when we're nearly tharn, we still have to endure your annoying questions!" He expected a snide retort, an insult, heck, even a mean glare of immediate revulsion and dislike, something he was already used to from countless times in the past. To his shock, the boy just looked at him in a bemused way with no hint of offense or hurt._

_"Let me guess, you're Hawkbit?" Justin asked warmly. Hawkbit, unprepared for that kind of rejoinder, just ducked his head back down, muttering and embarrassed. He was certainly not expecting a child to laugh at him, and strangely enough, though Hawkbit put up his superficial, scathing front...he really didn't mind._

_It was several weeks later, after Hawkbit had the argument with Bigwig and Hazel and Holly had told him off, and brusquely passed him and his feelings aside (in his opinion), and he ran off to be alone and to brood. The cross-bearer quietly came by and sat next to him, without a word and without a reprimand. Hawkbit, however, wasn't in the mood to talk._

_"By Frith, you meddlesome pest, don't you know when to leave a rabbit alone for a while! I'm busy!" Justin still remained where he was. Hawkbit angrily tried again._

_"Look, young one, I don't appreciate the concern, I don't want to speak to anyone right now, and I don't want to lose time talking with you instead of eating some meager mouthfuls of grass before Bigwig bites my tail again for not joining Buckthorn and Pipkin for guard duty. So, unless if you have a hard time hearing things, I'll make this loud and clear so that even you can understand. Go away." The cross-bearer still did not move._

_"You know what, young one!" the rabbit snapped, "I don't have time for this! If you want to try to talk yourself hoarse, trying to cheer me up, you might as well be chattering to the trees because I don't want to chat to anyone right now! So goodbye!" As he got up to leave, Justin's voice stopped him in his tracks._

_"I talked with Acorn and Campion," Justin said softly as he looked down on the grass, "Acorn's going to take over your job of being a lookout for today, just so that you could get some rest, and Campion is going to calm down Bigwig and Hazel so that they don't stay angry at you. So, there's no need for you to leave, and you can rest now if you want. You don't have to do guard duty today."_

_Hawkbit immediately felt ashamed. Despite it all, the boy had patience and sympathy with him, something that he thought he exhausted out of everyone, including the sage Hazel-rah. However, Hawkbit suspected that even the mighty cross-bearer wanted to scold him for such childish behavior, to correct his faults in an annoying, pretentious demeanor. Yet the human child managed to surprise him again._

_"But...that doesn't mean I would have you any other way. Hawkbit, it's not always bad to be sincere and honest. It's what sets you apart from everyone else, makes you original. A real friend would always want to tell a person the truth, even if it does hurt, and not just what the person wants to hear. Even though, yeah, it may make some people angry and unhappy, but if you do it because you want them to be safe and not to spite or torture them, then you're helping them from getting into trouble in the future. Plus, despite it all, I remember all the times you defended me from elil and protected me to the best you could, so I know that deep down, you care about me and everyone else very much. I mean, I can truthfully say that I find your outlook on things refreshing. It makes me laugh, and it also makes you so much like Bluebell."_

_Hawkbit, warming up, scoffed mockingly, "Please, I rather be called a dung beetle or an embleer hraka. By the Great Marsh, young Justin, you are more annoying and persistent than any other rabbit that I know of, and that's saying something!"_

_"Well, I did learn it all from you," shot back Justin humorously._

_"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!" growled Hawkbit as he gave in to his playful urges and wrestled with the human like a wild, rough, yet teasing playmate._

_Even afterwards, Hawkbit had to say he never knew what it was like to have someone mind his feelings and watch out for him...until he met with Justin._

_"It's okay, Bigwig, I don't mind walking. Really, I don't. Plus, since all the rabbits are going to travel slowly when we cross the desert, I might as well lighten the load and travel on foot with you guys. I'm not helpless, and I could use the chance to stretch out my legs again."_

_"Could you two please keep Bigwig occupied somehow so that he doesn't notice that I'm not riding on Hawkbit anymore? Please? I promise this will only be until when it gets cooler and easier for Hawkbit to get back his strength to carry me again. If there's any danger, I'll ride on Campion, and he, Blackberry, and Hawkbit will take me away as far from danger as they can. Will you? Please? I know it's asking for a lot, but it's to help out Hawkbit. I don't want Bigwig to yell at him again."_

_"After all this is over, I expect several carrots for saving your dependent, useless tail." Hawkbit griped as the rest of the rabbits took over in his struggle with Blood Whitetail and the Wolfen Gale._

_"Really, Hawkbit!" scolded Dandelion and Strawberry, both already ready to reprimand him for his ability to make thoughtless remarks, but Justin just gratefully and joyously embraced the blackish complainer with a tight hug around the Watership rabbit's neck._

_"I will, I promise, but I'm just really glad that you're OK!"_

_"Ow! By Frith, be careful of my neck, you duffer! I've got plenty of wounds from battling the Wolfen Gale for you, so watch it!" Hawkbit groaned good-naturedly._

_"Hawkbit! He's trying to say 'thank you', you unfeeling, bellyaching, selfish cocklebur!" yelled Speedwell as he cuffed Hawkbit lightly on the head, "So be nice!"_

_"It's all right, Speedwell," Justin smiled as he defended his friend, "I know Hawkbit's trying to say 'you're welcome'...in his own way of course."_

_Justin laughed gently, though his eyes were starting to water with relief, as he hugged the rabbit close to his body. "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, what I said before was true. You and your big mouth saved the day this time."_

_"Thanks...I think," the rabbit grumbled sarcastically as the rest of the rabbits chuckled affectionately for their friend. But, Hawkbit never felt more welcomed and proud to be himself in his entire life._

_"If you surrender the cross, I swear I'll never have any respect for you as long as I live!" screamed Hawkbit as he was trapped in the stone pillar with the others of the Watership Owsla, but Justin, damn him, did not run nor take it to heart because he knew Hawkbit better than that. as the adolescent stared back sorrowfully to Hawkbit, the rabbit knew Justin didn't believe him._

Hawkbit felt the wind rip the waterfall of tears streaking down his face as he sighed, "I didn't mean that, Justin...I _do_ have respect for you."

Silver shivered from the coldness and maliciousness of Woundwort's reverberating barbs:

_"All they cared about was focusing their attention on blessing pure potential such as yourself and your damned protectors, and yet all the meanwhile, they ignored me because I could not meet their expectations, their ideals! They abandoned me! They were the ones who wronged me! And yet you think because I lived differently and joined with Elil-rah I must truly be the despicable one! HOW DARE YOU!"_

Yet warmth from his heart flooded the rabbit instantly as Woundwort's terms also caused him to remember Justin's antithesis:

_"Hey, Silver. You okay?" Justin asked softly, after Silver heard the hateful words of Buckthorn unintentionally calling him fat and useless._

_"I'm fine," choked out Silver stonily, but Justin kept trying to probe, and aggravatingly enough, Silver was close to breaking under the painful reminders and shame._

_"Silver, I just wanted -" Justin began again, but Silver then snapped._

_"I said 'I'm fine', young one, so embleer Frith, stop pestering me!" The anger then soon passed, but Silver was horrified at what he said to the child; it reminded him of his greatest fear, that he would grow to be just as cruel and callous and heartless as those rabbits who mistreated Silver, that he was no better than any other of those bullies. It was almost enough to make Silver curdle and die of loathing._

_Even when Scry-rah and the hawk horde attacked, Silver and Buckthorn kept arguing. Silver remembered the tinge of regret he felt when Justin tried to get them to reconcile, bringing the boy into their argument._

_"Silver, don't go! Please! Buckthorn's just trying to make sure you don't get hurt, and I'll stop the hawks from attacking! I'll time-freeze them now, so that we can escape and they can't carry us away or separate us!"_

_The battle was short, fierce, and too close for comfort. Silver did everything he could to protect Justin from the hawk chieftain. But it was the Watership rabbit, in the child's eyes, who deserved the protection. Silver was horrified to see the boulder rush down to splatter both himself and Scry-rah...but the rabbit was even more horrified to see the teenager endanger and exhaust his strength and life-force to summon every bit of power to stop the rock from crushing them. When Silver and the boy were buried in the avalanche, the obese rabbit could recall what he thought were Justin's last words._

_"Silver?" the boy whispered weakly, nearly suffocating._

_"I'm here, young one. Don't talk, just lie still." Silver jabbered frantically._

_"Don't...leave...me...please," Justin murmured faintly before losing consciousness again._

_"I won't, Justin," sobbed Silver as he brought his nose to the human's._

_Silver also remembered when he and the teenager were rescued, how relieved and free he felt from burden and self-abhorrence._

_"Where's Silver?" Justin feebly asked, "Is he all right?"_

_"I'll live," smirked a teasing, filthy, dusty Silver as he came up beside Fiver and smiled upon his friend. Justin looked at him with a tired yet merry glance._

_"You...you were there while I lost consciousness, weren't you?" Silver glanced to the side, averting his eyes and embarrassed, but the theme of humility was draped on his face. Silver then felt the teenager's dry, cracked hand gently touch the left side of his face and whiskers, compelling the fat, light-furred rabbit to turn back his gaze to see Justin's face grinning with tears of gratitude._

_"Thank you," Justin whispered hoarsely, "I'd...be lost if you weren't there with me during God knows what happened. Thank you." It was the first time he ever felt appreciated, and for once, Silver had no shame in breaking down at that moment with bliss._

_Silver muttered bitterly, "You'd actually be surprised how we are not that much different, you and I, Justin, with your father and my uncle, the Threarah."_

_The teenager, in sympathetic understanding, gave the fat protector a reassuring hug around his neck, firm, positive, and Silver had to chuckle at the feeling of the child's smooth skin nuzzling against his ear._

_Once they arrived at the warren of El-ahrairah, however, things were not exactly a bed of roses, sweet and pleasant._

_"You dare side with the boy! Then you are more of a fool than I thought! Just like you were when you left the Owsla back at Sandleford!" sneered the Threarah gratingly at Silver as his nephew tended to the wounded cross-bearer._

_"I will make this clear to you, Uncle," Silver snarled, eyes blazing as he put himself in front of the cross-bearer, shielding his friend, "Justin is not to leave, he is welcome in our home, and if you ever lay a paw on him again, I will hurt you!" Justin, however, to Silver's surprise, found no hard feelings to the rabbits who turned on him so quickly, even after he healed El-ahrairah._

_Justin slowly understood the reasons why and became glum. He said solemnly, "I guess no matter where I am, I always get people angry with me. I shouldn't have thought this would be different. I didn't mean to cause trouble."_

_"We know you didn't, Justin," Silver said compassionately, realizing the child was blaming himself again, as a defensive mechanism of acceptance of fate, "Just forget about it and rest now."_

_Funny how ironic **that** was, coming from him, the rabbit of self-pity. When the Dogs of War were about to tear the adolescent to pieces, Silver managed to wheeze out feebly, "Justin, can you not see you will be working directly into Elil-rah's paws? This is not a path even El-ahrairah would wish for you to take. Justin, my friend, do not let him use us against you. Please, leave."_

_But Justin still chose to fight and challenge Prince Rainbow for his safety, to protect Silver._

_Justin then whispered encouragingly to the Watership soldier, "But, at least, even though we can't repair the hurt and pain we got from others, I do know that we can always depend on each other and our friends, the ones who we love and care about, the ones who feel our pain and understand us, the ones who know us best. And as long as we have that, I know that we'll be able to heal little by little. Certainly, the hurt and sadness will still be there, but with a little light, even the blackest darkness in our hearts can be lifted so it won't hurt as much, especially since God loves me...and Frith loves you."_

Silver blubbered, his face damp with salty rivers as he choked, "And I love you as well, Justin."

Pipkin cowered slightly under the shivering wind, but the words of the Efrafan General were colder:

_"If you and your cursed protectors only knew how much I have gone through, you would be able to understand how much I hate you...ALL of you! What gives you and those Watership rabbits the right to be held in such high esteem, to have a life of ease and love and carefree while I had to suffer in loneliness, hatred, bitterness, and scorn! It was not fair! What did I do to deserve all that! Damn it all, I was just a kitten! A bloody kitten! And yet I had to see pain that no creature should have gone through!"_

Yet no amount of icy fear could stop the small rabbit from summoning up the truth:

_It was when Hazel and Blackberry asked Justin to try to invoke his powers as the cross-bearer, on the very night he was rescued from Mallow and Vervain. Of course, the boy could not do so at once, and that led to some doubt on whether or not Justin was the one figure that could fight Elil-rah. Pipkin, of course, could see something about the human, something that made him want to trust the boy, to feel safe with him._

_"I don't care; I still think he's a good one. He's different from all other men we've seen before," he chimed in support. Of course, it was much later when the adolescent was able to prove himself that the others of the Owsla of El-ahrairah agreed with him._

_Pipkin, a bit mortified about sharing his deepest desire with the cross-bearer, of all creatures, managed to shamefacedly mutter, "Well, you'll think it's silly like Bluebell or Hawkbit, but...but I just thought that if I had wings and could fly, then I could be a real guardian angel, just like you've always wanted. If I had wings, I could finally be more useful, do a better job of defending you, and finally have my dreams come true and getting the chance to fly, just like Kehaar." Pipkin remembered he thought Justin would laugh or call him silly, like the others, but the teenager's response surprised him greatly._

_"Not really. I think it's a good wish. Heck, a lot of men in my world wish to fly and such, and we have airplanes and other gadgets and stuff to help us fly and soar in the air like birds, so it's not at all unusual to have that sort of dream or ambition, even if it does seem stupid or nutty to others. But...why do you want wings so much?"_

_"Well, I always felt that when you're flying, having the wind and air rush by as you rise above and watch the land below, it's the best feeling ever. Kehaar was telling me about his travels and his 'Big Water' when he was injured and when we had to care for him back at Watership Down. I was really enchanted from all the tales, all the stories, all the chronicles he told about how it felt so free, so liberating, to glide and play in the air without a care in the world, to feel like all your worries disappear in the clouds, like fog under the sun, to see things above and beyond in a magical, new view. He told me everything seems so small when you're flying in the air, but it also appears more exquisite and thrilling when you get a bird's eye view of the land and terrain. Ever since then, I've always wanted to fly, and when the Black Rabbit brought my spirit up here in the land beyond life, it...it was so breathtaking, I could not even describe it, and I could only watch in awe as I saw myself leave my body and my home, only to head into the light of Frith and welcomed into the warren of El-ahrairah. I just...I just wish I could do it again, but El-ahrairah said that Frith only gave birds the benefit of wings, and that I should always be thankful that the rabbit's powers of digger, listener, runner, and swift warning that Frith gave me. And don't get me wrong, I do appreciate those gifts, but...I wish could just fly, even if it's just for one more time."_

_Justin just said encouragingly. "Pipkin, I don't care if you don't have wings, strength, or a burly, Owsla size like Holly or Bigwig. You're a great guardian angel the way you are, and to tell you the truth, I'm honored to even be protected by a famous, faithful, and affectionate rabbit such as yourself. Now, c'mon, cheer up, Pipkin! Hazel-rah and the other Watership rabbits wouldn't want you to be so gloomy and downcast. That's Hawkbit's job!"_

_Pipkin recalled asking the adolescent, "Justin, what do you dream about? What do you wish for with all your heart?"_

_"I guess I wish I could have a loving family and friends, people who care about me, cherish me being with them, and who would always help me, guide me through trouble, and prepare me for challenges and trials in my life with encouragement, not anger and harshness. And I would feel the same way about them."_

_"Well, you will always have us, Justin." However, the Watership rabbit felt it wasn't too much of a consolation._

_"I know," Justin said quietly._

_"I wish you could be with us forever." It was the first thing that came to Pipkin's mind, and by the wisdom of Frith, he had no idea why he even said it. But it felt good to share it with the human._

_Justin stroked Pipkin's head gently, smiling. "You know what? I wish so too."_

_The Ilips snarled alongside the Efrafans on that fateful night, "Saving El-ahrairah! With a human boy! You rabbits are a disgrace to all animals created by Frith! You cannot possibly expect to trust a man to help you! They're all evil, enemies to Frith himself, and we will not let you or any other creature stop us from killing him! He is a threat to us all, and Elil-rah was right to send his army out to destroy him! Now step aside!"_

_"You're wrong!" shouted Pipkin angrily as he bravely tried to get into the Ilips path. "Justin isn't evil! Elil-rah is the one who's evil! He's lying to you about the cross-bearer! Justin actually cares about animals and his friends, and he would never -"_

_"Leave him alone, ya big bully!" snarled Justin in Pipkin's defense when Lord Brock, the badger, insulted his honor mercilessly._

_"I will, when I have that cross! Give it to me!"_

_"Over my dead body!" yelled Justin in contempt._

_"That wasn't a request, you little brat! Now, if you do not give me that cross, I will grab that rabbit from your hands and toss him off this mountain, and you'll have the perfect view of seeing him hurtle downwards into a very painful landing to the ground below right before I kill you regardless and take the cross myself! Being familiar with how much you treasure you precious rabbit friends, I know this is one of your weaknesses. I've had enough: cross-bearer, you either hand me that cross immediately or I will personally take that sniveling, whiny buck from your hands and crush him with my paws before flinging him off this mountain! CHOOSE!"_

_Pipkin was horrified to see the human was about to comply, and with guilt, Pipkin wished the human wasn't so damn attached to him, wished Justin didn't find it worth to sacrifice his own safety for Pipkin's in return. It was exactly like the situation with Prince Rainbow:_

_"Justin! Please! I do not wish to see you get killed!" begged Pipkin, wailing piteously as he saw Justin expose himself in a dangerous and vulnerable position to the Dogs of War._

_When Pipkin was finally blessed with the golden wings of angels from Justin's cross, he felt like he could fly the entire land beyond life on his small shoulders._

_"See, Justin! This is absolutely wonderful! There's nothing like this in the world like flying!"_

_"I guess you're right, ol' buddy," admitted Justin, laughing, "Looks like you finally got your wings, Pipkin! You're now a qualified guardian angel!"_

_"Frith-rah!" cheered Pipkin ecstatically, but then Justin added compassionately, "But, with or without wings, you'll always be my friend...and my guardian angel."_

_Pipkin smiled, his eyes twinkling with tears of joy and love, and said, "And you'll always be my friend...and the cross-bearer who I'll always protect and always be by his side with all my mind and heart."_

Pipkin lamented to himself softly as his tears dispersed into the winds, "Always, Justin."

Accusation and blameful understanding surged through the black-eared Blackberry as he played back the words of the universal hatred of humans told by Woundwort:

_"You think you know sadness and suffering! You think you can fully comprehend what all creatures of Frith have to endure because of you, because of men, because of the fact that they must face a bleak future due to the fact that no matter what we do, our efforts would be in vain because men gave himself the right and the authority to treat animals as food and slaves! That no matter how hard we try to survive, men just simply wipe us out without even a thought of remorse!"_

Blackberry would have normally agreed...but not as of now:

_"But, Hazel-rah, can we trust him?" Blackberry asked Hazel on the very night of Justin's arrival, suspicion and fear already taking root into his mind without any justification, "He seems nice enough, but remember when we encountered Cowslip at the warren of the Shining Wire? They seemed nice and kind too until Bigwig nearly died in a snare! We just can't base our judgments on what little we know about him."_

_Of course, Blackberry soon felt pity towards the boy when he heard about his abusive and unloved life. Yet the buck was ashamed to admit that pity did not mean the same as trust and compassion, and frankly, the child would never earn it from him. Justin still tried to make peace and friends with the Watership inventor, much to the rabbit's annoyance and ire._

_"Justin, don't mistake me for a heartless Efrafan, and I'm happy for you in seeing that you've found some happiness in the land beyond life, especially since you think of the rabbits such as Bigwig, Silver, and Pipkin as you're close friends, if not your brothers. But, you do realize, that you're rather more of an exception rather than a rule. Frith always told us that men were one of the Thousand, so...to be practical, I'm not so sure I even approve that you should even be here because a part of me is fearful that you would ruin this world for us like men before you have ruined the physical world."_

_"Blackberry, you know that's not true." Justin tried to dismiss the statement, which made Blackberry all the more offended and aggrieved._

_Blackberry's voice turned cold at Justin's ignorance. "Isn't it? I've seen everything a rabbit has ever feared from the world of men. You've 'conveniently' forgotten, young one, on how I've had to leave my home because men decided to destroy Sandleford just to suit themselves. So tell me, am I right? You, a boy, should at least be able to acknowledge what I say is true."_

_"But I don't WANT to hurt anyone here!" Justin fervently protested._

_Blackberry didn't put much stock of faith and sincerity into Justin's response._

_"Blackberry, do you...do you even like me?"_

_"Of course, you're the cross-bearer, the only one who can save this land and heal El-ahrairah from the powers of darkness inflicting him."_

_"I meant...do you like me, personally? If I wasn't the cross-bearer, if I wasn't the chosen one..."_

_"Would we still have protected you, even though you might have died out there on your own? No, we wouldn't have." Blackberry felt the child might as well know the truth. No sense in deluding the fool. Once this was all done, there would be no further use for him._

_"So, basically, even if I am close to some of you, like Pipkin or Silver, you...the only reason you're tolerating me is because of my cross? Of my powers! Blackberry, please, you can't think like that! I'm not someone who wants to hurt you, and I really do care about you guys! You're my friends now, the only friends I've ever had! Blackberry, if you got to know me like Bluebell or Acorn, then you'd realize that everything you think you know about the ways of humans doesn't exactly apply to me! Please, Blackberry, don't think like that!"_

_"Justin, I can't do that. It goes against everything Frith taught to us rabbits, and you should have known by now that this wasn't going to be a peaceful mission where you would have every creature you'd ever come across to welcome you with warmth and praise. I'll always be your protector if needed, but other than that, to tell you the truth, I like myself the way I am, and I don't want to associate myself with men any more than I have too." It actually felt satisfactory to say that to his face...but not much._

_"You 'can't', or you 'won't'? After all, Bigwig, Pipkin and the others don't seem to have a problem with accepting me and getting close, despite me being a human."_

_"With no offense to my comrades and closest friends, they don't know any better." The buck was surprised at the condescending, pompous tone in that sentence._

_"And you do? Blackberry, just because you have incredible wits doesn't mean you're always right! You don't know everything!"_

_After that, Blackberry didn't have much trouble of thinking that Justin was a troublesome, delusional, stubborn bastard. And the conflict from his heart was strained even further when Justin kept butting heads with him._

_"That may be true, Justin, but if I were Bigwig, Bluebell, or Campion, and I had learned that you left El-ahrairah to suffer in agony just to save me as a noble bravado to further impress your friends, I would despise you."_

_Justin replied with much pity to the Watership warrior, "Unlike those three, however, you already despise me because I'm a human." Despite his quick sharpness, Blackberry was silent at this accusation, partly because he knew it was true._

_However..._

_"As I've said before, oh how I've come to loathe your bright ideas, young cross-bearer," Blackberry managed to laugh with wry humor as they managed to escape Nekas' clutches._

_"Oh shut up," Justin said humorously, any trace of his resentment for the buck easily forgotten. It was still forgotten when Justin managed to save Blackberry from the rapid floods in the canyon._

_"I said I wasn't going to leave my friends behind," Justin repeated before tenderly hugging Blackberry around his injured neck in the pouring rain. Blackberry, though a bit uncomfortable, was too relieved and tired to object. To tell the truth, he kind of liked it._

_"Forgive me?" Blackberry asked hesitantly. Embleer Frith, where did **that **come from? Justin just smiled._

_"Of course. Always. After all, we're friends," Justin replied without a moment's hesitation. Unfortunately for the cross-bearer, it wasn't enough to encourage Blackberry to forsake everything for him. And what bothered Blackberry was that he truly regretted it._

_"You idiot! You fool! This is NOT rational! You're just acting based on your own emotions, just like what happened back with Nekas! If you do this to me again, I won't EVER forgive you!" the Watership soldier squealed, outraged at Justin's foolishness to give up the cross to Prince Rainbow._

_"Flyairth, he won't be hurt, will he?" Blackberry murmured as the mob of rabbits started to gang upon the human teenager._

_"No, but all the rabbits at the warren do not feel safe with the human child here! Do not get in our way, my friend. Please, Blackberry, you don't want to throw away everything you have ever worked for, for this human. He is not worth it."_

_Blackberry, giving in, agreed. After all, it was true, wasn't it? El-ahrairah only asked them to protect the boy and bring him to the warren to be healed. He did not say anything of the sort about swearing allegiance him, standing by him always, and even fighting against their own friends and family just to support him. That was too high of a price for Blackberry; he could not do it. Besides, once the boy was done with his mission, he would have to return home and they would never see him again. There would be no need to be attached to the child nor to fight for him since he could, most likely, achieve it himself without his help. It wasn't cowardly; it was just...logical. But the look on Justin's face was heartbreaking. Blackberry knew then that he could never forgive himself for it...and he didn't expect the human boy to either._

_The human cross-bearer stopped Holly from cuffing Blackberry, coming to the black-eared buck's defense, much to the Watership inventor's surprise. Here he was, still stubborn, still wanting to distance himself away from the child, and still wished to have nothing to do with Justin for the sake of his pride and honor...and yet Justin still had his heart be soft._

_"If he doesn't want to fight, he doesn't have to. I can't force him to give up his safety and life for me. That's too much to ask for anyone."_

_"Blackberry?"_

_For an instant, the buck thought the boy would curse him and rave at him in justified fury. He was prepared for it, was ready to just block the meaningless words out. He just simply wished that all the rabbits in the Great Hall weren't watching them so intently. Even Flyairth was showing interest._

_"I...I just wanted to say that...even though we haven't been on the best of terms, I still wanted to say I'm sorry...for being an embarrassment to you."_

_The rabbit twitched. **That** he wasn't prepared for...and it was all the more painful for at that moment, Blackberry's heart broke. Damn him. Damn the pride. Damn the proper rules of nature and decent rabbits._

_"I...Hawkbit, Acorn, and Speedwell explained it to me, though it was really on a skewed point of view," Justin gave a half-hearted chuckle before continuing softly. "But...I understand, and I don't hold it against you either. To tell you the truth, I probably would have done the same thing if I was really respected by my peers as well. I should have realized it was really selfish of me to expect you to humiliate yourself for my sake and give it all up, and...even though I don't agree with it, it doesn't stop me from saying I'm still glad I got to know you...as a friend. I...I just wanted to say that...in case I don't come back."_

Blackberry was so cold with remorse and shame, he did not even feel the tears spilling from his eyes as he bowed his head and wept quietly, "O Frith, forgive me...I was such a fool."

Speedwell nervously stamped upon instinct as Woundwort snarled in the crevices of his darkest nightmares:

_"You, the cross-bearer, the almighty, powerful one who was meant to defeat Elil-rah! Surely you jest, you meddlesome, disgusting worm! You're weak, you're foolish, you're dense, and you have never and will never amount to anything significant in your life! You are nothing more than a pitiful specimen of a human who was a mistake, a wasted life, a worthless, disappointing vagabond upon whose death will only bring relief and joy to the world that so despised you! You are nothing!"_

The white rabbit jester, however, could not help but give an amused snort with watering eyes as he fondly remembered:

_Speedwell flashed back to when he and Justin had a heart-to-heart talk about the nightmares haunting the boy._

_"You're afraid to go back to sleep, aren't you?" Speedwell asked the cross-bearer softly, knowing how morose the teen felt after the ghost rabbits tried their first attack on his psyche._

_The boy shivered as he replied, "No...I mean, yeah. Maybe, a little."_

_Speedwell could not help but smile at the young one's stubbornness as he drew close to the protégé, " 'A little'? 'A little'? You naive duffer, you! A little would be, like say, an ant, a grain of sand, or yes, even Hawkbit's brain! But this is certainly not little! It's all right to admit you're scared about these things, Justin. You're not alone in this. I mean, great seasons of sun and rain, what I saw would probably give me the screaming horrors for hrair days and nights! The point is, young one, you don't have to be very scared cause you're stuck with us, us bucks from Watership Down!"_

_"I know, but...it's easier for me if I convince myself that possibility. Otherwise I don't think I'll ever be in my right mind, not to mention it wouldn't make me relax any easier or feel safe." The white furred rabbit just felt his empathy and concern grow for the child. He knew it wasn't easy for the cross-bearer, especially since Justin was being the target of dangerous assassins and Elil-rah's Owsla repeatedly. To still be able to endure the ordeal for the sake of adversity and friendship was nothing short of admirable._

_"Like I've said before, Justin, it's not wrong to admit you're scared and vulnerable. Heck, by the fur and paw, I would have said you were lying if you said you weren't. I remember when I left Sandleford and crossed over the heather with the others, it really put a chap like me off, and brought about the very worst in me, not to mention I wanted to give up and abandon everybody without giving a hraka's care about my comrades. But traveling to Watership Down, fighting Efrafa, and yes, even coming here to get you for El-ahrairah's sake, changed me for the better, but it was only because of El-ahrairah and Hazel and my friends that I was even able to do that."_

_"Speedwell, are you ever afraid?"_

_To be honest, Speedwell did not wish to talk about such private matters to other bucks...but it was hard to resist not opening up to the vulnerable and trusting kid._

_"That's a silly question, you young duffer. Of course! After all, like I said, every animal and creature, even El-ahrairah, feels fear at some point or other."_

_"Well, what do you fear?"_

_"To find out that I'm fighting on the wrong side, to betray a creature's trust I suppose. In other words, being in the dilemma of having to choose between two people I care for and against one of them. I'm not good at choosing sides or making first-rate decisions, young one. That's why I trust Hazel-rah, Bigwig, and Holly. I mean, Frith in a hole, I'm not a bally leader, I'm a follower."_

_Justin smiled finally, cheering up to the white buck's touch of caring._

_"Y'know, this is the first time any one of you rabbits has actually hugged me." Justin, however, instead of being repulsed or uncomfortable, to Speedwell's surprise, just snuggled up closer._

_Speedwell gave a small laugh and blushed, enjoying the closeness. "Well, what can I say, young chap! I'm a touchy, feely kind of rabbit who always wants to keep everyone's spirits up!"_

_Speedwell then said, "How about a story then? I daresay, a jolly good story should be able to calm the likes of you down!"_

_Justin nodded, liking the idea. "Okay, which one?"_

_"Your choice, Justin."_

_"How about your story? A nonsense story, the one starring you and Lucy from Nuthanger Farm as the King and Queen of all rabbits?" That request couldn't make Speedwell happier; he remembered he felt his heart was going to leap out of his chest in giddy excitement._

_"You're quite sure?"_

_"Of course!" chimed in Justin, eyes twinkling, "Even though I've read it many times in 'Tales From Watership Down', it'll be even better hearing it from a real, talking rabbit such as yourself. And who better to ask than the rabbit who came up with the tale in the first place?"_

_Speedwell honestly could say he never had such a better and more enjoyable time telling that story for Justin became the ideal audience, attentive, polite, silent, and with wide-eyed interest. Unfortunately, the attacks by Hogweed and the other specters of the dead made matters immediately deadly for the both of the Watership affiliation._

_"We're not finished yet! We will kill that human, even if he isn't in this dream world anymore! And we will do it with your help! It's time you now saw the errors of your ways, Speedwell, and finally saw that you're on the wrong side!" Hogweed snarled in malicious contempt._

_"My loyalty lies with El-ahrairah and my friends of Watership Down," growled Speedwell as he was painfully beaten and restrained within an inch of consciousness, "And I will never betray them, or Justin for that matter!"_

_"You foolish boy!" screamed out Hogweed in magnanimous arrogance, "You're even more reckless than we thought if you think your light will affect us! Soon, you will die and we will get our revenge for what you and your kind have done to us! Feel our wrath for you deserve what you are about to experience!"_

_"YOU'RE WRONG!" Speedwell managed to shout, despite the burning in his chest and arms from being hung by his forepaws by restraints, "JUSTIN NEVER DESERVES ANY PAIN OR TORMENT THAT WAS GIVEN TO HIM! HE'S NOT EVIL! HE'S ONE OF THE SINCEREST AND MOST CARING BEINGS OF THIS LAND! AND I WON'T LET YOU HURT HIM!"_

_"Justin, don't! They'll kill you! Please, forget about me! Just run for it! Hazel-rah, please, stop Justin! Take him and the rest of the rabbits far away from here! Get back to El-ahrairah! I'm not worth it! Stop him, please!" Speedwell bellowed, seeing Justin walk up to the monstrosity holding him prisoner._

_"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you any better, young one."_

_"You didn't fail Speedwell!" Justin spoke out strongly, and unaware to them, the light from his spirit began to envelop Speedwell additionally. Justin continued, "I don't care if I get hurt or injured from this because as long as my friends are safe! And...I don't want you to suffer for my sake because I care about you too much to leave you behind. So, whether you like it or not, we're stuck with each other!" And once the draining battle was over..._

_"Miss me?" Speedwell managed to joke at the distraught child. Justin cupped Speedwell's face with one hand, seeing the wounds he so valiantly took for Justin's sake._

_Speedwell tried to smile, "It looks worse than it actually is young one. Owwch! Watch that part! Hogweed did a number on it when he kept cuffing me back in the dream realm."_

_"Hey, on the upside, you're not the only one injured," beamed Justin as he absentmindedly ran his fingers across the deep gashes Speedwell inflicted on him in order to wake him up. The white rabbit wasn't sure how to feel about injuring the cross-bearer, but chortling, the teen just wrapped Speedwell's torso fiercely with a great hug._

_"By the light of Frith, must you always give me a hug every time I get injured!" the Watership rabbit grunted in mock annoyance._

_" 'Well, what can I say, young chap! I'm a touchy, feely kind of rabbit who always wants to keep everyone's spirits up'!"_

_Speedwell then remembered when he and the rest of the fellowship was captured, and Prince Rainbow was forcing the human adolescent to surrender his life for his protectors' sakes, remembered the helpless anger he felt._

_"Bucko, please, listen to us rabbits!" Speedwell choked, shuddering hard at trying not to sob, "You think you cannot carry onwards without us, but do you realize how much more it would hurt us if we lost you! If we came back to El-ahrairah empty-handed with no way to cure him! We would be far more devastated than a thousand fold from what you would feel!"_

_"Get away from him!" Speedwell threatened Rowf as the dog advanced towards his human friend, "Frith in a hole, you've hurt Justin enough with your self-righteous hatred, you wretch! Take one step closer and I'll scratch your nose to shreds!"_

_"Maybe some rabbit should, Blackberry!" snapped Speedwell at Blackberry back at the warren of El-ahrairah, outraged that one of their own would desert Justin, "How could you do such a thing! To Justin! After the battle we had with Nekas and Greenweed, I would have thought that you would have realized the truth by now! Embleer Frith and Inle, you abandoned Justin! After all we promised him, you still chose to ignore him without a second thought!"_

_"So there we were, King and Queen of the rabbits, and Lucy was covered with flowers and I was covered with dandelion leaves! I dug a nice hole for us to sleep together. My horse slept too, but his master came looking for him, and the farmer came looking for his Lucy. He had a whole bushel of hay with him, so my horse didn't go hungry, and my dear Lucy rode him all the way home to the farm, and I promised to come and see her every time it rained. I kept my promise, but on the sunny days, when it was as clear as water with a slight spring breeze, Lucy requested I take her lonely, younger cousin, Justin, to visit the places only us rabbits knew about. He was always so sad, ever since his mother died, and he needed a friend. And so, I carried him on my back to visit the land beyond life while Jesus and Frith showered us with blessings of flayrah and rainbows and candy! Just for the two of us, and he saw Hyzenthlay and Hazel and all the rabbits of Watership Down in the meadows of Fenlo, always lush and green with grass and flowers blooming out pots of honey and sugar within their petals. All the rabbits said, 'Look at that human! He's so sad and lonely! We'll adopt him and make him a member of El-ahrairah's family! We'll care for him like he was our very own!' And from that day on, Justin never knew pain, sadness, or hurt, for he continued to live in the warren, with the Watership Down rabbits as his best and very close brothers and El-ahrairah as his father in the burrows of light and friendship."_

_The cross-bearer was already sleeping serenely on the grass before the storytelling ended, using his arm as a makeshift pillow. Chuckling, the white buck draped a furry paw over his charge's chest, drawing him close, before lying beside him to rest._

_"And that is the end of my story, young one."_

A rainfall of tears spilled from Speedwell's white, bruised face as he hoarsely said, "Just like El-ahrairah..."

Buckthorn was stoic as he recalled the General's harsh, bitter tone:

_"Why couldn't you just die! No animal in this land will ever love you of their own free will, no animal will ever trust you, and even if you do what you were meant to do, you honestly think that those fools will look upon you as some sort of savior! As their sovereign messiah! No, they will turn on you the instant you help them, and then they will forget who you were or what you ever done for them! You...twisted...arrogant...bastard!"_

The buck could not keep up the unbreakable expressions for long:

_"But...why couldn't he send other rabbits with you? I mean, if he really wanted to protect me, he could have sent the whole warren to get me and look after me from Elil-rah's minions," asked Justin innocently before blushing and realizing what he had just uttered could have been taken offensively. "Hey, I didn't mean that the way it sounded! Of course I'll always have faith in you for helping me! You, all of you, helped me so much during this entire journey back to El-ahrairah, and I'll...I'll always have faith in you guys and that God will help me live through all this."_

_Despite being famous for being extremely stern and rigid, Buckthorn couldn't help but feel more at ease with the cross-bearer. Truth be told, the buck dreaded the thought if Justin was one of those arrogant types who was so full of hot air and self-importance from being powerful that he treated everyone around him like they were beneath the human. Yet Justin, fortunately, was not like that...and it showed._

_"Justin, that may be all well and good, but you have to be more confident in yourself and your own abilities if you ever face a bleak situation. And...I won't lessen the fact that yes, there will be tests, possibly demanding and seemingly insurmountable, that you may to face alone, without us. There's a rabbit proverb that says, 'Grass and flowers may die, but the ever hopeful rabbit continues to silfay when hungry'. So try to have a little faith in yourself too, Justin. The cross of light may be a part of you, but it is not you in entirety. What matters is the fact that you force yourself to carry on, to continue no matter how difficult things may be, to never give up. That was what kept all of us alive when we left Sandleford and came to Watership Down, because we wouldn't abandon our mission, our hope, and our dreams. So, come on you young bucko, chin up! Try not to worry so much and have some faith in yourself too! Bobstone guess."_

_Buckthorn whispered at the incarcerated human child as he was at his hope and wits' end at the battle with Hufsa, "Justin, please...if you really are the cross-bearer, please...give me strength to win this, for everyone."_

_"Not anymore you won't," Justin's astral projection growled, protecting Buckthorn from Hufsa's magic. "Buckthorn taught me that loyalty and determination will always prevail, to never give up! Even without the cross, true power comes from faith, from hope, from friendship, and it's a separate power than can never be taken away and misused! The power knows Buckthorn is my friend, and it won't let you cause anymore harm with it! Now get out of Buckthorn's head and STAY OUT!"_

_Buckthorn, though he could never explain why or how, knew, from the warmth in his mind and heart, that Justin helped him. Unfortunately, it came at a devastating price as Justin shielded Buckthorn with his own body so that Hufsa would turn him to stone and not the Watership warrior._

_"No..." Buckthorn sobbed as he cradled the bloody form of Justin in his paws, his resolve finally breaking. Yet what came next was a blessing._

_"Buckthorn! Heavenly Father, please, I trust Buckthorn with my life! Let him use the cross to save everyone! Please, help him!" The sword of power, a weapon of the cross and light. A gift of power to help him fight Hufsa. Buckthorn could feel the faith and trust Justin gave to him from the blade. The Watership soldier never felt more touched at the display of reliance and friendship. And it gave him more to fight for; this was something he would never let Hufsa take away from him. Yet as the battle was over and Hufsa was grotesquely wounded, Buckthorn, for once in his life, became afraid of Justin. He couldn't bear it if he frightened the child from trusting him, after seeing his harsh, cold ruthlessness with the Elil-rah Owsla soldier. He could not bear abandonment again like he had with Lichen._

_"Justin, look at me," Buckthorn said softly, nearly pleading. Justin looked at him blankly, fatigued and stunned._

_"Justin, it had to be done. If I didn't do it, he would have killed you and tortured the rest of us, without a thought of guilt, remorse, or mercy. It had to be done. Do you understand?"_

_The teen nodded easily enough. "I understand, Buckthorn, and I...owe you my life. You...you injured someone, a living creature, for my sake, and...and I know that can't be easy."_

_The Watership buck knew that deep down, Justin wanted another solution to the carnage, but it pained him that the child didn't see things on the same level. And the thought that Justin might distance himself from his protector hurt the rabbit deeply. "Are you afraid of me now...because of this? Because of what I did?"_

_Justin just shook his head and gave him a soft, reassuring hug. Buckthorn, thankful from the display of loyal affection, closed his eyes gratefully and wrapped his paws around the human's body. It was such a simple gesture, but the warmth and feeling of holding the teenager out of love and feeling cherished...Buckthorn could not ask for more than that._

_"I'll never be afraid of you, Buckthorn, for I'll always trust you, for you're my friend."_

_"So, you lucky duffer, is it true? Was Hufsa right? Did you really beat the Black Rabbit of Inle in a tournament of bobstones?" Dandelion asked later as they fled._

_Buckthorn said mischievously, "I won't say."_

_As the rest of the Watership rabbits groaned, Justin snickered as he said, "Oh, come on! Leave him alone! It wouldn't be the first time a rabbit in this group has kept a secret or two. Besides, he's not hurting anyone!"_

_Like a true friend, the child did not desert Buckthorn nor faltered in his undying support for his Watership protector and companion. It was clear to any rabbit that Justin would never forget what Buckthorn had done and suffered for his sake...and Buckthorn was appreciative of that reminder._

_Then Buckthorn remembered the times he had gladly defended Justin just the same:_

_I would advise you not to attempt it, Buckthorn, for it will not accomplish anything, and you know far better than to give in to your anger so easily. Hazel-rah and El-ahrairah have always praised you for your firm, unfaltering doggedness, the Black Rabbit said in an emotionless, frigid tone as they were begging the messenger of Death to open the holes of affliction where Hazel-rah and Justin were trapped with It._

_"Don't you dare say their names!" roared Buckthorn, outraged beyond comprehension and so full of anger, the buck's head was buzzing, "You...you...you do not even deserve to acknowledge them! Embleer Frith, you know this is not Frith's will to imprison Justin and Hazel-rah! They have never deserved this, and yet you are keeping them as prisoner to be contained as prey for the dark...thing that is trying to hunt them down in the runs! And you knew! You knew that the creature from the comical field was influencing Hazel-rah from the very beginning, trying to lure Justin to a place where he would never be able to escape and where his power would not work against the monster! How could you! Embleer Frith, you knew and yet you did not do a damn thing about it!"_

_You rabbits do not understand. This was the only way to stop It and I cannot remove Hazel and Justin from the holes because they must travel out of them with their own free will, exactly how El-ahrairah had done before, the Black Rabbit said forlornly, accepting whatever would happen as unchangeable fate._

_"No, you do not understand, embleer Rabbit of Inle!" Buckthorn spat out, his body shaking, "This is NOT Frith's will! This is not a fate Hazel-rah deserved! How can you possibly squat there and not give a damn about our Chief's fate! I do not care that you are a servant of Frith himself, but if you let Justin and Hazel-rah die...I will find a way to kill you! I swear it!"_

_"Buckthorn, what are doing! Don't hurt him! Please!" Buckthorn was still frozen in place, even though his heart was pained to ignore Justin's pleas to not fight the other rabbits and wreck havoc at El-ahrairah's warren. But this must be done; he would not let these fellow rabbits cross that line again...at least not without dire consequences._

_"How pathetic," Sandwort sneered at the boy and the buck, "Needing a human to tell you what to do? Waiting for the cross-bearer to give you orders, like those mindless dog servants of Prince Rainbow?"_

_Buckthorn replied softly and with great restraint, "This is one of the gifts the cross-bearer had blessed us with during our journey. I may be cautious and reluctant to resort to violence, but I will not hesitate to use this if you threaten the cross-bearer again."_

_Buckthorn could only breathe heavily as the burning in his lungs competed against the hellfire of pain and sorrow in his heart when he saw that Justin was refusing to run and leave them behind while he was trapped in the stone pillar made by Carnage (Rowf). The rabbit remembered how much he just wanted to say a single word, any word for Frith's sake...but the pain of losing Justin kept him heartbreakingly silent and drained._

Buckthorn shut his eyes as he howled despite the tears, "WE'RE HERE, JUSTIN!"

Fiver trembled as the voice of Woundwort emptied every feeling of hope and valor in his world:

_"I hate you! You represent everything that has ever caused me suffering, that has tormented me day and night, even after I found death! I never found any respite, any chance of peace, all because of you, you damned human! I wish you never existed! I wish you never came! YOU are the cause of every tragedy that I ever faced!"_

Yet the seer then saw visions of the past flash through his head, his second sight reminding him of the one, universal power no evil could destroy:

_"And how would you know!" Fiver sobbed at Hazel's ignorance and inability to empathize, "You don't know what it's like to never have a life without worry, trouble, vexation, and responsibility! Even life as a Chief rabbit pales in comparison to the fact that the second sight took my life from me, my sanity, my control, ever since Efrafa tried to attack Watership Down! I never asked for this power, this insight, and it asks so much from me, consumes me! Why can't I just be a...a normal rabbit! Why couldn't I just forsake this power when I want to, so that I wouldn't always be troubled from painful premonitions, the screaming horrors, the ability to feel the pain, wrath, and destruction of death and war and danger! Every time I see a vision with my second sight, I can feel it, everything, the emotions, the anger, the hurt, the impeding doom, and it takes so much out of me! It's just...it's just no one knows what I undergo!"_

_"I know," Justin said softly, looking directly into Fiver's eyes. Fiver could tell his voice, though gentle and hesitant, was still strong enough to bore deep into the seer's grief and understanding._

_"Hey, you're forgetting who you're talking to. Fiver, I know what it feels like. Remember when you guys first found me, when I was being chased by Mallow and Vervain? When Dandelion told me the story of Elil-rah and the prophecy? I acted exactly how you are now, and trust me, I don't think any human would be in their right minds if they actually wanted to be chased around by Elil-rah and his Owsla, to live every day and night in fear and caution, and to constantly worry about using and learning powers to protect yourself and the ones you care about. I mean, I didn't ask to be the cross-bearer and I didn't ask for any of this, but...I have to do it. Just like how you have to always use your visions, to deal with them and interpret them, to protect us. We don't know why we're chosen, but we do know that crying and contemplating it isn't gonna get us anywhere. And besides, it would be better if we bore the responsibility rather than someone else who might not be able to handle it. I mean, could you imagine what would happen if Bigwig or Hawkbit had to be the ones with the visions in this group? But Fiver, you are helpful, for all of us. You always gave us a hint or a clue to figure out what was going on, to find out a weakness, to find a solution! I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for your visions, for your premonitions, for your intuition. So don't beat yourself up over this!"_

_Fiver still kept crying like a broken soul, and, though Fiver did not comprehend it then, he was grateful when Justin and Hazel drew him close and cuddled him gently, their expressions just blank with worry and pain...but not with blame and impatience like Fiver's father. And, though foreign, it was a welcome experience...despite the awkward shame Fiver felt whenever Justin constantly put his own safety and reputation on the line for the rabbit._

_"Justin, think about it. If I stayed behind, that may help in bargaining to the Kings of Yesterday and the King of Tomorrow to give back your cross and the Sense of Smell back to the rest of my friends and letting you go. Then the rest of you will be free to get back to El-ahrairah, and you don't have to worry about me since I can't die, and with me not part of the group, I wouldn't constantly have to put you and the rest at risk!" the seer persisted in the Web of Thorns when both he and Justin were jailed and imprisoned._

_"Fiver, NO!" Justin whispered intently, "What if there's a time when we do need your second sight! Then I'll be in greater danger! And what about Hazel? Don't you even realize this'll kill him inside, having to leave his brother behind to take the fall for something that wasn't even your fault to begin with! Why do you think the rest of the Watership rabbits are even fighting for you? For us! It's because they care for you too much to let anything happen to you!"_

_"WAIT!" the teenager yelled, "WHAT IF...WHAT IF I WANTED TO FIGHT FOR FIVER'S DEFENSE! If...if I fought in the duelists' test, for the defense of Fiver, will you accept? Since Hazel and the rest aren't here and Fiver's still hurt from the otters, let me participate in the duel! Let me fight! If I win, let both me and Fiver go along with my cross and their Sense of Smell, but if...if I lose...you can let the opponent kill me during the battle! Let the duel be a fight for my death! The challenger can try to kill me all he or she wants, but if I can evade their attacks until my foe tires out or gives up, then it proves that we're innocent! Please, your majesty! This way, there will be a fair fight and if I lose, I'll die in this fight anyway!"_

_Fiver saw the hope and unrelenting dependence the child had for him as he steely stared into Fiver, "But...you have another sense! Your second sight! You've done it before when Hazel was shot from the farmers at Nuthanger Farm when he tried to free the hutch rabbits! You can do it again! Please, just do this! Just have faith in yourself!"_

_"I guess because I had faith everything would turn out OK, and that no matter what, I would always prefer it if I died trying to save someone rather than someone sacrificing themselves for my sake. I've already had one important sacrifice of love in my life. I don't need another, especially since I still think, hope, that no matter what, if we look hard enough...well, there would be a way to save and help everyone without sacrificing anyone, without leaving anyone behind. And I wasn't willing to leave you behind, especially since I know how much that would hurt Hazel. And myself, for that matter."_

_Blackberry asked hesitantly on the very night Justin arrived into the land beyond life, "But what is your take on the matter, Fiver? Could it be possible that he has passed on as well and that the Black Rabbit made a mistake in bringing him here?"_

_"No, the Black Rabbit could never make a mistake, and even if he did, the boy isn't dead. He was brought here, even though he was alive. But I can tell you one thing of the boy: he's extremely lonely because I felt the pain he's experienced over the years of his life, and he wishes he could have a normal family, or at least a group he could feel he belonged to. Yet, I can also sense in him great loyalty, patience, and love. Who knows? Maybe he really is the cross-bearer." And Fiver truly meant what he said, realizing that Justin's soul mirrored so much his own._

_It was after Justin had stopped time on the entire forests of Yesterday and Tomorrow and Shardik had betrayed his kings to give the teenager his cross. Justin said with sincere love to the hulking grizzly in front of him, "I'm sorry, Shardik, for what you had to do to save me, what you had to give up. If...if you want, you're free to come with us to El-ahrairah's warren where it'll be safe and no one will persecute or judge you."_

_Fiver could not agree more with the cross-bearer...and he could not have felt more pride and touching admiration for his friend. Justin was not one to forget Shardik's loyalty and bravery, and if anything, Fiver would have loved to welcome Shardik back into the warren. And he was glad to see that Justin did not ignore or dismiss what had been a strenuous and complete sacrifice on the bear's part._

_Shardik said sadly, "My place is somewhere else, young one."_

_"Shardik?" The teenager was still persistent._

_"What now, young one?"_

_"Thank you." It was a simple answer, but full of understanding and fulfilling nonetheless. Fiver then knew Justin was truly worth fighting for. And when Justin had finished healing Woundwort back in the warren of El-ahrairah..._

_"I still blame you for everything that has happened to me. I do not regret wounding you and giving you and your friends grief and suffering during your journey. I still hate humans and desire some aspects of power and authority in my old life under Elil-rah, you know," Woundwort growled._

_"I know," Justin replied; Fiver would see he had already been through this with Rowf._

_Woundwort then had a sneaky smile on his face as he leered, "And what is to stop me from taking over El-ahrairah's warren and claiming his power as my own? What is to stop me from being the next Prince of all Rabbits? What makes you think I'm no longer loyal to Elil-rah?"_

_Fiver answered for Justin, "Because you know, deep inside, what you didn't need was power and supremacy, but a family and a fellowship you could trust. You had all the power you wished for under Elil-rah's rule, but it never made you happy. I can sense it even right now, in your heart, Woundwort. You never felt satisfied, at peace, always restless with anxiety, worry, and self-doubting torture. Even if you did become the next El-ahrairah, you would still be just as miserable as before, as you always were. Now, you realize that you have an opportunity to fix things, to start anew, like a seed ready to burst into a baby plant, without a chance of your past and misgivings coming to haunt you. And you would never risk that chance again...not after what you have seen of Justin and Elil-rah."_

_The seer, to his surprise, could see the reluctant, petulant admission draping onto the General's face._

Fiver's eyes blurred with his tears as he gripped his comrades' paws tightly and said fiercely and angrily, "This has to work!"

Whispering a furious denial of the horrors of losing the battle, Dandelion bore in mind what Woundwort had raged back in the Skies of Hellfire:

_"You're evil and you're selfish, Justin! I know everything about you, your life, your troubles, and to tell you the truth, you deserved it, every little bit, because your destiny to become the cross-bearer would be a greater travesty to animals who never deserved to be injured from your powers of the cross! You deserved to be alone!"_

His eyes were so painfully shut, Dandelion could feel his eyes threatening to pop from the pressure as Justin's voice echoed in:

_Dandelion recalled when he first met Justin, how the teenager painfully struggled and writhed, thinking that, at the time, the Watership rabbits were going to kill him. The golden storyteller got a foot to the face for his troubles, but eventually, when all was as calm as the child could be, Dandelion, though he had no idea why, reached out to comfort the adolescent stranger._

_"Don't worry, young one. Hazel-rah is a smashing leader. Don't be scared to trust us or him."_

_The teen, white in the face, just nodded, but Dandelion was a bit surprised to see the lack of fear, mistrust, and skepticism from Justin. He wasn't a danger; he was a naive, innocent kit at heart._

_Dandelion then remembered how touched he was at the sight of admiration and honest enjoyment that sparkled in Justin's eyes, when he told the group the stories of El-ahrairah with his skillful, aesthetic, talent "I never knew how much you and the rest of the guys around here depend so much on stories. I mean, it's like...like I'm there, with you, actually witnessing what was going on, in the midst of the adventures and travels with El-ahrairah himself! Heck, no wonder you're always known as the best storyteller at Watership Down!"_

_Dandelion then brotherly encouraged the cross-bearer gently, "Justin, I won't lie to you. None of us knows why El-ahrairah sent for you, and by the fur and paw of El-ahrairah, I myself do not know if the additional prophesy told by the King of Tomorrow is true or not, but I do know this: El-ahrairah sent for you to come protect this land and his children, El-ahrairah trusts your powers, and El-ahrairah trusted us, and only us, to protect you with the very best of our abilities. So, don't think the absolute worse about yourself, all right young one?"_

_The gold rabbit was pained to hear the self-blame and fear in the young child's voice, "But, does it even bother you that the cross-bearer has to be a human, a creature who has waged a battle against all animals since time began? That the King of Yesterday and Tomorrow could be right when they said I was a menace to all creatures in the land beyond life?"_

_Dandelion lifted Justin's disconsolate chin and touched the human's nose delicately, whispering, "It did at first, but the more time we spent with you, all of us realized that you are not the enemy. I am honored that I have received a chance to protect and know you, just like how I've always been honored to be the chronicler of this journey, the raconteur to memorize and foretell all our travels and adventures into a story, so that this legend will never pass and will always be a part of Lapine history. Justin, if nothing else, trust El-ahrairah and his judgment. You are not what you think you are: the cause of all trouble you bring into the land beyond life, someone who isn't strong and cowardly, someone who is destined fail. I don't see that in you, and neither do Hazel-rah and the others. In fact, the stories will say how no other rabbit will ever find any other creature so devoted, so gentle and full of kindness and mercy, than the teenage cross-bearer by the name of Justin within all of the land beyond life."_

_Justin gave Dandelion an amused, skeptical look. "Since when has there already been stories about our adventures?"_

_Despite the serious, dramatic moment, Dandelion had to marvel at Justin's humor._

_"I'm working on it as we go along, or, as you humans say, 'I'm winging it'?" Dandelion smirked at this comment._

_"Are your stories ever true or just based on your own opinion?" Justin shot back, grinning._

_"Is there a difference?" Dandelion chuckled, "Now, see! You're smiling! That's the old chap, now! Come now, no more sad faces, no more wallowing in self-pity, no more sadness, no more doubt, you hear me, young one?"_

_Dandelion relished that one moment, the moment he felt like a caring ward, the moment he felt like he could father Justin and care for him like he was his own kitten. After being emotionally starved from the feeling for so long, the rabbit bard welcomed it with open, willing paws._

_Justin chuckled, "I swear, I don't know who's more overbearingly optimistic: you or Bluebell."_

_"That may be open to some debate, young cross-bearer. Now, if you asked who's more of a storyteller, well now, there's no contest there!"_

_After teleporting from the lethal army of King Fur-Rocious, Dandelion wanted to desperately return to rescue his comrades. And he was relieved to see he wasn't the only one._

_"I don't know, but I'm not going to leave them behind!" Justin thundered, "And no, I don't care what you say, I'm not leaving them behind!"_

_"Justin -" began Dandelion._

_"No, forget it! I don't care if I'll be endangering myself, or if I'm being stupid, or if I'm going to walk into a trap! I don't care about any of that!"_

_"Justin..."_

_"Hazel and Bigwig and the others are going to get hurt if we leave them behind! And even if we did leave them behind, we'll still be in danger because it's just you and me! And just the two of us can't fight any other remaining traps and surprises that Elil-rah put in our path to try to kill me!"_

_"Justin..."_

_"I know you don't like this, and hell, I don't either! You think I really want to go and get killed! I don't, but I'm not gonna abandon my friends either, and we're not going unprepared! As long as we have my cross, we might still have a chance to beat King Fur-Rocious! I'm sorry if I'm acting like a jerk and a spoiled brat, but I'm not going anywhere except back to where King Fur-Rocious is, and that's final!"_

_Dandelion didn't answer as he crossly glared at the teenager._

_"Can I talk now?" he asked flatly._

_"What?" Justin snapped huffily._

_"If you took yourself off your high tail for just a moment, you would have heard me say that I agree with you completely. I want to go back and help Hazel-rah too!" Justin was floored, and then he blushed as he glanced downwards, embarrassed._

_"Sorry, I got kinda carried away," he mumbled apologetically. Dandelion's grin grew even wider as he placed a paw on Justin's head and ruffled his hair affectionately. By Frith, he wasn't sure if he wanted to cuff the kid or hug him for his stubborn, persistent, loyalty._

_Dandelion ran, faster than he ever had before, as the rabbits of King Fur-Rocious chased after him and Justin mercilessly in the runs. "As if I had a choice, you young duffer! We don't have a choice! It's the only path that this run is leading us into! But we'll be trapped if it's a dead-end with no other way out, cross-bearer! It's a bad lookout!"_

_Dandelion could feel his hope and optimism diminish, but as usual, Justin never failed to cover that base._

_"No, it isn't! I've got an idea! Just run into the end of the tunnel!"_

_"Justin!"_

_"Just trust me, Dandelion! I won't let you get hurt! Just trust me! I trust you!"_

_"Our children's children will hear a good story, Dandelion," Justin managed to smile as he placed a feeble hand on Dandelion's bloody paw._

_Relieved, Dandelion beamed through the tears, "And you'll be the chap to tell it alongside with me when we get back to El-ahrairah's warren, young Justin. I would not want any other being by my side but you when we chronicle this adventure together for all rabbits back home."_

_Dandelion glared at Blackberry, fuming that the black-eared comrade would not be willing to fight for Justin, after everything the teen did for the inventor rabbit. But Justin said softly, with understanding, "If he doesn't want to fight, he doesn't have to. I can't force him to give up his safety and life for me. That's too much to ask for anyone."_

_Dandelion snarled at Blackberry, "And to think he still forgives you sickens me."_

_Dandelion thought furiously as he stomped out of the run, How dare he! How dare he hurt his kitten like that!_

_"Why? Why?" Dandelion cried piteously as he saw Justin tell Prince Rainbow that he would willingly sacrifice his cross and his life if the Dogs of ware spared the rabbit Owsla. Dandelion then knew, at that moment, how agonizing a mother doe or a father buck felt, when they saw one of their kittens die before their very eyes._

_"I trust you, Dandelion."_

Dandelion released the angry tears from his stubborn eyes at last, shouting valiantly, "We will always be your family!"

Strawberry shuddered at the instinctive fear of General Woundwort of Efrafa:

_"You stupid, little boy! You're just doing this to glorify yourself, and you are as mad as that troublemaking seer, Fiver! Your words of kindness and hope have no meaning to any right-minded animal, for everyone can see the truth: you are taking advantage of any fool who believes the hraka sprouting from you mouth, from the lies and deceit, all to make your own life easier and to selfishly ease your burdens, without giving a thought about how many innocents you had to destroy for it!"_

The reddish rabbit could feel the claustrophobic fear of the cramped runs, the misery, the gloomy prisons, threatening to choke him, but then rabbit misfit felt the memories of his times with the cross-bearer reach out and gently massage assurance into his scars:

_It was the first night when it was discovered that Justin would be the cross-bearer foretold in the prophecy, when the Efrafans sent by Woundwort surrounded their camp. Strawberry was doing his best to control his apprehensive terror as he silently gave advice to Hawkbit, Blackberry, Bluebell, and Justin._

_"Whatever you do Bluebell, make sure none of the Efrafans can get a clear shot at Justin with their lances. Shield him with your body! Justin, we want you to duck your head and try to avoid any weapon that comes your way. Once the battle becomes too ferocious, they won't be able to do much when you can make a run for it. The instant you get a chance, young one, run as fast as you can and don't look back. We'll stall them for you." Instead of complying, Justin just retorted back._

_"No! Forget it! I'm not leaving any of you!"_

_"For Frith's sake, stop being so much like Bigwig!"_

_"No!" Justin repeated hotly, "I'm not leaving anyone behind!"_

_Then Strawberry remembered when Silverweed disguised himself as the human cross-bearer, how he managed to have all the rabbits turn on Strawberry and heartlessly banish him from the Owsla, how hurtful it was to not have any of his allies believe and trust him, to stand up for his defense. It was the worst betrayal Strawberry could ever imagine. Yet Justin, the true Justin, still endured whatever came gracefully for his sake._

_Justin snarled at Cowslip helplessly, "You're lying! Strawberry didn't betray me! He would never betray me! He's my friend, and I trust my life with him if I have to! I don't believe you or your lies!"_

_"Where is your mighty and omnipotent El-ahrairah now, Strawberry!" Cowslip bragged as he continued to pummel and gouge out Strawberry's face, "Where are you friends, your sworn comrades who would always stand by you! Admit the truth, you traitorous wretch! When it comes down to it, you are no better than the rest of us, your past will never let you go, and you will never be anything more than a weak, cosseted, dandy from the Warren of Shining Wires! Your destiny lies with all those other useless dolts who died for no other great purpose other than to save my own fur and paw! Just like your precious Nildro-hain!"_

_Strawberry then bellowed back with all of his strength, his identity confirmed, "My destiny...is to protect the cross-bearer and El-ahrairah!"_

_"Justin!" yelled Strawberry as he leapt towards the human teenager who toppled over, losing his balance, into the chasm that Strawberry used to send Cowslip and Silverweed tumbling to their supposed doom with the Watership soldier's seismokinesis._

_"Strawberry!" whimpered Justin as he precariously held on to his ward's paws, slick from sweat and dirt._

_"Justin, give me your other hand!" Strawberry yelled urgently, "Justin, don't be stubborn! Give me your other hand! I'm not going to let you die!"_

_Then Strawberry saw the cross-bearer hold up a familiar object that Cowslip dropped, the very object Justin was willing to sacrifice his life for the rabbit's sake. It was the key Elil-rah gave to Cowslip to free him from the collar, the dull metal glinting from the light of the cross._

_"Strawberry, here take it! It's they key Elil-rah gave to Cowslip to free them from their collars! You can use it to save yourself! Cowslip dropped it!"_

_Strawberry was so shocked, he nearly dropped his slim hold on Justin's fingers. The cross-bearer risked his life to just give him this? The child wanted to see it to the end to help Strawberry with his painful past, when no one else wished to? Strawberry could never repay Justin back for his empathy._

_Later that evening, when all was well and safe:_

_"Whatever you did, Strawberry, it doesn't change my opinion about you. You still the rabbit I know and love. I don't care about how you're different...and neither does anybody else."_

_It was so uplifting, releasing the emotion of defeat, just to hear that._

_As Justin surrendered himself to the dog guards of Prince Rainbow, Strawberry wailed with horrified concern, "Justin, for the love of Frith and all that he has created, do not throw your life away! Think about El-ahrairah! Embleer Frith, don't do it!"_

_But the teenager did not comply to the pleas, and regardless of the cost, Justin became to willing sacrificial lamb to the wolf...for their sakes. It was then that Strawberry could fully realize that what Woundwort had always believed about the cross-bearer would never apply to Justin's dedication._

Strawberry resisted the comforting urge to bury his head in his paws as he whispered, "Thank you, Justin."

Holly grimaced as he reflected on the ludicrous ranting of the Efrafan General:

_"You do not know how many tears I've shed over the deaths I've seen, over the anguish I felt, all because of you and your blasted race! DAMN YOU! You don't know what I've lost, how I've tried to keep all rabbits safe in Efrafa, to spare them from the heartaches of loss, only to have them turn their backs on my legacy and curse my name once your Watership friends came!"_

Yet the sounds of the young, carefree laughter of the human was far more powerful than anything spoken from the words of that lunatic:

_"What, did you actually think you were strong enough to be the cross-bearer!" scorned Damien as he continued to berate Justin after taking over as the new "improved" cross-bearer, "Did you actually think Frith wasn't going to use you as a worthless replacement until he found someone a lot better! Please! Even by looking at you, I can already tell what your life was like: you have no friends, you're an embarrassment to your family, and no one wants to admit they're even close to you! You're scum, weak, a sniveling moron who always lets people step all over him, and even if you could fight back, you're so weak and girly and pathetic that you'd just get your ass handed back to your every time! No wonder Frith decided to bring me to this land and take your place! You couldn't even handle fighting by yourself without depending on your so-called 'friends'! Hell, the best and only company who would be willing to tolerate you is nothing more than a bunch of animals! God, that's so sad, it's revolting!"_

_Holly felt so angry, both at Damien and at Justin. Embleer Frith, why wasn't Justin defending himself against that wretch! Why wasn't he giving that bloody bastard a piece of his own mind! By the fur and tail of the Black Rabbit, Justin would be in the right! Incensed, Holly took it upon himself to defend the cross-bearer._

_"That is enough! You have made your point, Damien! You are the new cross-bearer now! But stop laying it thick upon Justin! He has never done a single act of injustice against you or your person, and yet here you come, take his cross, and insult and mock him as if he was nothing!"_

_Of course, that was a deadly mistake and had cost Holly the chance to return back home to El-ahrairah with the rest of the fellowship. Injured, Holly begged Justin to leave him as well. Holly then saw a hidden strength, a secretive edge of power, that Justin rarely displayed through his timid, meek, gentle personality. But Holly discovered that it was there._

_"No. If we're going to be left behind...I want us to be left behind together."_

_Later, as Holly regained consciousness from his wounds, he overheard Justin begging the two weasel deserters, Lousewort and Sneezewort, to help Holly so that the rest of the Watership warrior rabbits didn't go mad with worry and dread._

_"So...so what do we do, now?" Justin queried._

_"Well, we were hoping you would tell us, lad," Sneezewort replied softly, "After all, me n' Lousewort are renegades from our own army, and we do not have anything planned, but remember young Justin, we'll gladly return the favor for the kindness you have shown us previously. If there is something you wish for us to do, just say it, and we shall gladly help you."_

_Holly heard Justin hesitate, pausing, before stating strongly, "I want you to take Holly back to the warren of El-ahrairah in the meadows of Fenlo."_

_"What?" Lousewort gasped, not sure if he heard correctly._

_"I want you to take care of Holly for me," Justin repeated, "Holly is still too weak to journey back to El-ahrairah by himself, and...and I know the rest of the guys will be very worried about him in the meantime. But if Holly was back at the warren, he could get better care, and he would be reunited with his friends and his family."_

_Holly didn't know whether to scold Justin for making himself into such a pity-case or to be impressed by the boy's grace and willingness for carrying other creature's burdens._

_Sneezewort asked, "And what about you, Justin?"_

_Lousewort stated, "You wish for us to leave you behind, do you not?"_

_Justin remained silent._

_"Justin, there is no point for you to throw your life away, mate," Lousewort tried to argue compassionately, "And you shouldn't be so hard on the rabbits; they are your family too and they would be glad to see you again."_

_"They would not want to see me, and neither would El-ahrairah for that matter. Damien is the cross-bearer now, not me. Besides, it's just as well. No one here would care if I lived or died, now that I can't be of use to anyone."_

_Holly, though he would always care for Justin, felt his patience snap as he reprimanded the adolescent, feeling that he needed to show some stern, disciplined, tough love. "No, it is El-ahrairah and Frith's decisions, not his, not yours, not even Hazel-rah and the others'. For Frith's sake, Justin, do not act like a spoilt, selfish kit who covers his ears and whines at every single moment his elders try to give advice or try to make one see the real truth. You are far too gentle and noble to act as such, and you know the truth as well as I do! Do you honestly believe what Damien has told you? Hazel-rah, Bigwig, Silver, Speedwell, Campion, and the rest of the bloody chaps care for you! They did not wish to abandon you, they did not wish to harm you nor cause you grievance! Yet, do you still thoughtlessly wish for them to forget how their Prince, their ancestor, their benevolent leader, is dying and forsake the only thing they need to help him, all for your sake! Do you still wish for them to ignore another suffering creature in need, all for you! If you still do, then you are no better than Elil-rah himself! As for Damien...yes, he is the cross-bearer who will fight Elil-rah, but I still stand by my conviction that El-ahrairah and Frith would be pleased and welcoming to see you if you come to their warren! And...I still think that regardless, you shall always be our friend and the only one any rabbit would be willing to declare with joy as the cross-bearer. I would stake every tuft of gray fur on my body on that, young one."_

_Instead of rudely arguing, the gray war veteran was relieved to see that he got through the boy, and Justin was trembling, slightly abashed, in Sneezewort's arms._

_When they had later traveled into a dense forest and found the incarcerated Lord Brock, Justin, despite the danger, told the weasels and Holly that he wanted to help the enemy badger. Suffice to say, all three of them were not pleased._

_"Justin, have you gone mad?" Sneezewort demanded angrily, "You could have been killed!"_

_"Sneezewort, we can't leave Lord Brock there without helping him!" Justin protested._

_"He still wishes to eradicate you!"_

_"He's in pain! He probably hasn't had food and water for several weeks! He's suffering! We can't just walk away and ignore him!"_

_"I can live with that," huffed Holly darkly._

_"Sort of like how Volgnamass and Damien could live with it when they abandoned all three of you?" Justin snarled, unrelenting. They sighed; the young one had a point. It was surprising to see that Holly still had a lot to learn from Justin's undying faith and compassion. And when he finally defeated Greenweed, everyone was cheering for Holly, erasing the reminders of when young rabbits used to curse the old Sandleford captain for helping to lead so many rabbits to their doom. Justin smiled at the relief and pride drawn on Holly's face._

_"'Pelil éan, atha néan'," quoted Justin, grinning. Holly cast him a fond glance as he lowered his head so that his eyes were level with the cross-bearer's._

_"And I could not have been able to do it without you, young one," Holly whispered affectionately to the teenager, his red eyes twinkling, as he brought his nose to Justin's, like the love between a grandfather and his grandson. Justin reminded him of his young heart and soul, underneath all the angst and guilt of his past...and Holly would never wish to lose it ever again. Exactly like how he couldn't bear it if he lost Justin._

_"Don't, young one, don't! Otherwise, we will all die in vain and so will El-ahrairah!" the old rabbit entreated vainly as Carnage attacked Justin. When Justin was able to calm down and heal Carnage back into Rowf, it still didn't lessen Holly's anger the slightest. He was going to maul that dog for hurting the young one! But once again, Justin begged for the sake of clemency._

_"Don't hurt him! Please! Rowf didn't know any better! If you won't do it for Hazel, then please, do it for my sake! Please! Don't attack Rowf and Snitter! It wasn't their fault! Please, just forgive him! Just let it go!"_

Holly managed to wheeze, his aged, wrinkled face full of sorrow and sadness, breaking his stern resolve, "You young duffer."

For the first time, Hazel truly understood how Woundwort felt for all these years:

"Maybe you'll truly understand why I hate you and the rest of El-ahrairah's legacy! Maybe you and the rest of those fools will understand why Elil-rah is the true savior of this world, why Frith's values are nothing, if you even had the faintest sliver of the knowledge how much it hurts to be cursed, to be ignored and scorned, to try to live to everyone's expectations, only to feel hurt and burning anger at the sight of others enjoying to witness your failures, your ideals mocked, and nothing you do could ever change the fact that you will always be nothing more than a deep disappointment!"

And likewise, Hazel could say he knew how blissfully liberated he felt when Justin came into his life:

_It was back when the rabbits first met Justin and Dandelion had finished telling Justin about the prophecy of the cross-bearer, and how, be logical reasoning, it had to be him. The adolescent was scared, disbelieving, and though it was a delicate situation, Hazel needed to say it._

_"Justin, this is something we need to ask of you. We need you to come with us to our warren to heal El-ahrairah and then to fight Elil-rah with your power. You, and only you, can do this feat for no other in the world has the ability to accomplish this. I know you may be scared and this may be asking for a lot of you, but you must do it."_

_"Why!" snapped back Justin, frustrated, "Why must I do this! Don't you know you're asking the wrong person! I don't even know if I can do this! This too much, more than anything I can ever handle! I can't possibly be strong enough for this!"_

_"Justin, realize this: if you don't do this, if you fail, you will be killed by Elil-rah and his army. They now know you're here in this world, and since you haven't stopped running unlike us, it is possible to seriously hurt and kill you in any way possible. We know this, Elil-rah knows this, and now you know this. You were brought here for a reason, but we can honestly say that it was no accident. I know you feel hurt and scared yourself, but also realize that you're with us now. The rabbits you've known since you were a kitten, the rabbits you've admired for their courage and bravery, and the rabbits that now see you as a friend and our only hope in this fight. Like Buckthorn said, we won't let anything happen to you, and we'll do everything in our power to protect you."_

_"You promise?" Justin asked hesitantly. Hazel and the other rabbits nodded._

_"I guess I don't have any other choice. All right then, I'll do it. I'll help you."_

_So much was required from the cross-bearer, and it pained Hazel to admit that it was not fair for the teenager. It was far too much for anyone._

_Hazel reasoned to Bigwig after the fur-cropped rabbit argued hurtfully with the teen, "There's no point in making Justin feel worse than he already does. He knows what he did earlier with Bluebell and Campion was foolish, but has every good intention to do what he did. His heart's in the right place. He's not doing this to spite you, Bigwig; he's doing it because he cares for us too much to let us go. He's bonded with all of us in such a short time, and I don't want you to do something that could jeopardize our relationship with Justin. The young one has had a rough enough time as it is, and you're not really helping matters much."_

_"Oh my God, Hazel, I'm so sorry," whimpered Justin as he saw the flashbacks of It possessing Hazel right after the battle with Greenweed. Hazel, though drained and injured past all comprehension of his senses, could detect that the boy had sorrow and anxiety in his voice, but not disgust and blame. In fact, he was surprised when Justin became adamant in coming to Hazel's defense to the Black Rabbit of Inle himself._

_The Black Rabbit stated, Hazel has been infected by the nightmare, young one, and to allow him to leave the holes and runs of disease and pestilence and death would upset the balance of peace and chaos, life and death, in this realm and in the land beyond life. I cannot allow your friend to pass. You must abandon him._

_"No, I won't!" Justin yelled in defiance._

_Justin, if you do not release Hazel and come out of the runs, I will have no choice but to allow you to die, at the claws of the dark beast of the comical field, and then El-ahrairah shall truly perish without your aid. Young one, do not be imprudent. Is it really worth sacrificing your life, your mission, El-ahrairah, for Hazel?_

_"Yes!" shouted Justin angrily, to Hazel-rah's shock._

_"He's...he's right, Justin," Hazel huffed with fatigue, "I...I can feel it, in my heart, I can feel the dark creature's pain, his anger, his bloodlust, his mind pressing against my own. I'm...I'm not free from it, Justin. The only thing you and the rest of the chaps were able to do was to delay It, but the presence is still there, in my heart...and it is making me weaker and weaker. I will fade away, young one, so please, listen to the Black Rabbit before it is too late! Leave me behind! Please!"_

_"But it still has consequences, ones that I can't live with, and neither can the rest of the guys live with it!" Justin hissed, and then addressed to the Black Rabbit, "Please, you know none of it was Hazel's fault! He didn't know what he was doing, and the animal was taking advantage of his depression and his sadness! You can't punish him for being tempted, for making a mistake!"_

_Regardless, young one, Hazel still has the piece of the curse in his heart and soul, and to release something such as that in the land beyond life would endanger other creatures. You can curse me, plead with me, loathe my decisions and hate me as much as you wish, as it has always been with every creature I have brought, but I still stand on my decision, Justin._

_Hazel then remembered that Justin then performed the ultimate sacrifice: he took in the dark piece of It, the remnant of evil, out of Hazel's heart, and prayed for it to inflict himself instead. Now, the teenager was shouldering the burden of Hazel, unafraid of the consequences and the pain. That act of friendship was what enabled Hazel to seal It into the prison of the holes of affliction. The words of the Black Rabbit and Justin still affected him to this very day._

_The Black Rabbit, bowing to Hazel, then spoke solemnly, Hazel-rah, Chief Rabbit of Watership Down past, soldier of El-ahrairah's Owsla, protector and friend of Justin, the legendary cross-bearer...I ask for your forgiveness. Hazel-rah, as you leave this warren with my preeminent blessings, tell Justin that I am truly and sincerely sorry for what has happened, for I have done him a great wrong. Never before has any creature within my ward and care and power has ever been misjudged this harshly, and as a result, Justin is both blessed and cursed, by both darkness and light, and no power in my being can ever correct that. Which makes this all the more regrettable and tragic, for despite my sorrow and graveness, for despite my oath and promise to never become attached and emotionally involved with a creature's death, Justin...showed me a faint glimmer of joy, of light, of the loving energy that drives him to carry on with his burdens, his hope, his friendships with you rabbits of Watership Down. I have never experienced such gentleness, such vigor, and though I never will again...I thank him for that one moment._

_Justin, with some afterthought, continued, "And we were wrong too, all of us. We forgot, even though we have good hearts, how significant we are to each other and how important one touch can be. All of us were so scared at saying the wrong thing or making you feel worse or leaving you alone because we thought some time alone would be best that instead of helping you and trying to convince you we were here for you, we just tried to distance ourselves from you, thinking that you could handle it yourself except that probably just made things worse off for you. I'm sorry we did that, Hazel. We would never mean to hurt you; we care a lot about you."_

_In the illusion Woundwort created to imprison Justin, to force the teenager to surrender his cross, Hazel had to slap the boy hard across the face before he could renounce his claim as the cross-bearer. Justin held his cheek numbly as Hazel whispered sorrowfully, tears watering the rabbit warrior's eyes, "You're far too noble and young to make such a decision, young one."_

_The cross-bearer was starting to weep and numbly, Hazel held to his tightly, grateful that Justin opted the more difficult, yet more noble choice. "We nearly lost you, Justin. We nearly lost you. Thank Frith we have found you. Thank Frith."_

_Woundwort was screaming beyond feeling, "Justin, you fool! You are ruining everything! Is that what you want! I'll give you riches, status, power, vices beyond the wildest imaginations of any human, and yet you are willing to forsake it all...for that illusion! You fool! It is not real! Turn back while you can, cross-bearer!"_

_Justin then declared fiercely, "No, I don't want it! I don't want anything! Everything I ever wanted...is with me right now! Hazel, please don't leave me! Please!"_

_Hazel then spoke to Justin gravely as the Dogs of War and Prince Rainbow were about to strike the boy, "Cross-bearer, young one, Justin, our friend, please, run as fast as you can back to El-ahrairah's warren in Fenlo. You can not surrender the cross, not even for us!"_

_"I won't, Justin," Hazel-rah promised. He would never leave him, his friend, his ward, his hope...his heart brother._

Hazel gritted his teeth and his eyes, though spilling tears, showed formidable fire as he yelled from the depths of his soul, "We can do it!"

The rabbits were so busy focusing whatever little strength and valor they had left in their souls, they failed to notice something extraordinary happening to them. The memories of love, friendship, compassion, and loyalty created yet another set of miracles.

For each of the rabbit warriors of Watership Down, all of them were unaware that a spectral, translucent, phantasm of a cross, made of pure golden sunlight, slowly yet surely, materialized into view in front of each rabbit's chest and torso. Exactly like the blessing of power Hazel-rah received when he fought against It in the warren of the Black Rabbit. All of them, Bluebell, Campion, Bigwig, Acorn, Hawkbit, Silver, Pipkin, Blackberry, Speedwell, Buckthorn, Fiver, Dandelion, Strawberry, Holly, and Hazel-rah, had a small pocket of light encompassing their own crosses of power and love in front of their upper bodies Leisurely, the glowing intensified until Elil-rah could spot, with extreme confusion, a line of fifteen, lustrous stars lined directly behind the Prince of Rabbits, blazing brightly, despite the black fires, with the essence of yellow and orange.

"**WHAT! IMPOSSIBLE!**" Elil-rah bellowed in pure, terrified shock, "**A NEW SOURCE OF FRITH'S LIGHT! HOW IN THE NAME OF HELL'S BEASTS WERE YOU WHELPS WERE EVER ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE BLESSINGS OF GOD AS WELL!**"

Justin closed his eyes in eternal thanks as he could feel the determined, persistent, courageous presences of his protectors.

_My friends...I knew I could count on them...as always. I can feel them...fighting with me...their strengths, their spirits...joining with me and the cross._

_Then, let us finish this once and for all, Justin. Let us all destroy this abomination once and for all...together._

"**THIS IS THE TRUE LIGHT OF HOPE!**" roared El-ahrairah and Justin together as their souls and hearts united for the final amalgamation along with the fellowship of Watership Down, their voices booming.

"_Digger, Listener, and Runner!_ _Gifts of Rabbits, set us free!_" chanted El-ahrairah and Justin.

"_Give us strength to fight our Enemy!_" chanted Bluebell and Campion.

"_Let man and animal reunite_," chanted Bigwig and Acorn.

"_Bind our hearts and souls alike_," chanted Hawkbit and Silver.

"_And pray for the cross to shine its light!_" chanted Pipkin and Blackberry

"_Hope and Kindness, Cunning and Courage_," chanted Speedwell and Buckthorn.

"_Friendship and Love, Mercy and Grace!_" chanted Fiver and Dandelion.

"_Frith and El-ahrairah, stand strong beside us_," chanted Strawberry and Holly.

"_Banish this evil..._" chanted Hazel-rah.

As one, El-ahrairah, Justin, and all the rabbits of the Watership Down Owsla ended the prayer with beautiful, final, powerful, crescendo.

"**...FROM TIME AND SPACE!**"

Justin could feel and see flashes of images and emotions fly by:

Bluebell laughing like a loon, holding his sides as he rolled on the dirt, laughing.

Campion, serious and resourceful, leading young rabbits into a farmhouse like a confident guide.

Bigwig, gruff and irritable, training potential soldiers and barking out orders.

Acorn looking extremely proud and valiant as he engaged with other rabbits in the Owsla of El-ahrairah.

Hawkbit sniping and arguing, though good-naturedly, with Blethlin with mock annoyance.

Silver, peaceful and gentle, contently grazing on clover and sweet grass.

Pipkin eagerly following Kehaar as the gull took to the skies, casting fond glances at the rabbit chasing after him with obsessive curiosity.

Blackberry, intellectual and prudish, staring blankly at the stars with thoughtful, contemplating expressions.

Speedwell jumping around the fields of grass and clover, carefree and joyous.

Buckthorn escorting El-ahrairah as an ever-faithful guard, watchful and dutiful yet cautious.

Fiver, squatting on an anthill with Vilthuril, wordlessly and with transfixed eyes, staring into the landscape in the distance.

Dandelion telling a story to an audience of adoring, wide-eyed kittens in a warm burrow.

Strawberry, haunted yet free, sleeping peacefully in the paradise of El-ahrairah's warren under the warm sun.

Holly running with Blackavar and several of the other hlessi as they explored the unknown, young and giddy and full of daring courage.

Hazel, quiet, reserved, yet no less of a leader, gently providing sage advice to young, attentive, inexperienced rabbits.

With the streams of the purest essences of warmth and magnificent splendor, the shadowlike, ethereal crosses on each of the rabbits' chests exploded in a glory of brilliance, and fifteen beams of light, one from each cross, flew and twisted in the air, convoluting and twisting wildly, before being absorbed by the cross in El-ahrairah's paws. The crystal began to build in its intensity, charging and compelling into an infinite, unfathomable force of power. It was huge, unstoppable, and all around the meadows of Fenlo, the darkness that was swallowing the very lands of the Garden of Eden, shrieked and howled in rage and pain as, within their very centers, streams of fresh, white light also emerged, rushing out of the cloak of evil and bursting out like a hailstorm of bullets. All over the land beyond life, tiny new sources of holy power rained out of the ground, the earth, the trees, and the skies and stars, only to come together and make home at the very cross in El-ahrairah's paws. Elil-rah, despite the attack, could not ignore the fact that he could feel and sense the gravity of all the power radiating around him.

"**THIS...THIS CANNOT BE! NO! HOW! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!**"

The very last words Elil-rah heard before his oblivion were from El-ahrairah as he replied cryptically, "**WHERE THERE IS DARKNESS, THERE IS ALSO LIGHT. BUT IN THE VERY HEART OF DARKNESS, IN THE VERY DEPTHS OF CALAMITY AND DEATH, THERE RESTS TRUE POWER, THE LIGHT OF LIGHTS, THE GRANDEST STRENGTH OF ALL...FOR THE HEART'S TRUE ESSENCE...IS LIGHT!**"

With a gigantic flash, the dark fires surrounding them vanished under the cruel relentlessness of the power and fire from the cross, and El-ahrairah released a powerful, endless surge of sunlight directly at Elil-rah. It grew, larger and larger, forming an orb as large as the sun towards the dark creature. Elil-rah tried to resist, tried to fight, but it was futile. The light engulfed him, searing into him, tearing the demon beast apart, and the enemy had no choice but to suffer as the nova consumed him. The sun's inferno and searing light obliterated Elil-rah instantaneously.

"**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**" screamed Elil-rah as his own body betrayed him, writhing in pain, the spider, the skull, the goat, the wolf, and the raven all screeching in agony as their very hearts of their own bodies exploded in a fury of sun and holy fire. This was the proof of Frith and God's might, and with final clarity, the body of the demon began to fade under the intense brightness, growing dimmer and dimmer as piece by piece of Elil-rah disintegrated and completely vanished into the void of nothingness.

"**AAAAAAIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**" Elil-rah could do nothing but watch helplessly as the damned fellowship of all that was holy withdrew from his view, the distance between the two forces growing larger and larger, as Elil-rah watched helplessly, his voice muted into silence, as he and his soul plunged into the never ending abyss of the eternal cavity, where he would endure an eternity of silence, damning emptiness, and torturous isolation. This, as Elil-rah's last remains were destroyed within the light, was truly the most damning sentence God and Frith could ever assign to the dark creature. And no power ever known would provide salvation.

Elil-rah was gone...forever.

It was finally over.

Overexerted and weakened, the entire Owsla of Watership Down released their hold on each other's paws and toppled over, unconscious and drained. Whatever mana they had left was spent in the final battle, and now depleted, they were no more.

El-ahrairah, with a sad smile, closed his eyes, as if he did not truly relish the swift hand of justice dealt on such a sinful creature, as if he did not gloat over the punishments of the wicked. The crystal trinket flashed, and slowly but steadily, the entire lands beyond life were bathed with warm sunlight, engulfing every creature with healing comfort and warmth, and like the Watership soldiers, they too gave in to the peaceful slumber and fainted into a fitful rest. Even the allies at the warren of El-ahrairah in Fenlo were all now laboriously on the ground, unfeeling and comatose. As the light grew, the darkness faded, melting, leaving forth a new, fresh grandeur of the paradise that once was. Now, everything sparkled with the fresh dew of morning and to the east, the beautiful rosy glow of morning broke across the dark, starry sky, extinguishing the stars one by one.

It was a new day of the reincarnation of the Garden of Eden. what was once broken was now whole and renewed.

With a final flicker of light, the power from the cross faded and now, the rabbits of Watership Down, though still lying senseless on the grass, were now back to normal. They were no longer anthropomorphic humanoids, wearing tunics of a multitude of colors, but instead, they were now ordinary rabbits, natural by Mother Nature and Frith intended.

In the very center, El-ahrairah still stood upright, but, now devoid of the cloak, crown and wings, and in his paws, he cradled the prone, sleeping form of the teenage Justin, the rabbit's blue, clear eyes now content and at peace.

"It is over, young cross-bearer," he whispered, "We have won."

Author's notes: I am sorry to say...that after over a year of writing and reviews, the NEXT update will be my LAST one for this story. Since this is after the final battle, anything else done afterwards will be anti-climatic (I think) so for the remaining three chapters, I will update them ALL TOGETHER in the next update. So, though it will be the last update, it will be a 3-chapter update. In those three chapters, I will wrap up and address these questions:

1.) Why was Justin chosen to be the cross-bearer?

2.) Who named Justin "cross-bearer", a word in the human language?

3.) How did Justin get a piece of El-ahrairah's heart inside him in the first place?

4.) What will happen to Justin and the rabbits now?

All in all, this shall be finished. And to all the reviewers, I will leave a special thanks to every reviewer who ever reviewed in this story.

Constructive criticism? Felt that there wasn't enough action the battle? Felt there was too much? Want to express your opinion? Review! Fell free to say whatever you like! I am free for all opinions (except flames)

Till then, wait for the next update in a month. )


	31. Elahrairah Explains It All

/

Author's Notes: I would like to sincerely apologize to all those who waited patiently for my last update. Not only did school and real life continually decided to interrupt my daily schedule, but I also had the most severe case of writer's block! Additionally, since I wished to end this novel (Yeah it's a novel! To count, on MS Word, it is single-spaced, about 467 pages long with 394,379 words to date! And people wonder WHY I'm tired? )

I hope you forgive me for taking so long with this update and enjoy the last of the story! =)

/

**CHAPTER 30****: El-ahrairah Explains It All**

The world was numb, a feeling of silence, but Justin welcomed it gratefully. He could almost stay here in such a deep, eternal slumber of rest and recuperation forever. Traveling with the Watership Owsla and barely stopping to catch their breaths due to the persistence of their pursuers from Elil-rah's army never left much time for respite. Justin could honestly decide, though he was barely consciously thinking about the matter, that he had never slept so deeply and intensely.

"Justin..." a figure bathed in white whispered and the boy could feel a warn hand being laid against his face as the ethereal spirit drew closer into the cross-bearer's line of sight, though the illumination was so bright, the boy could not discern the form that was only inches in front of him. Then the hues of gray and black swirled away into a new burst of brown, gold, and blurry yellow. Feeling soon returned back into his tired limbs and muscles as the adolescent groggily woke up from his unconscious state.

"Uh...wha-...ugh..." the human muttered thickly and messily, disoriented.

His eyes sharpened the fuzzy images around him until he realized he was staring directly into the kind, sage face of El-ahrairah who was leaning over him with patient interest, his eyes soft yet with a touch of anxiety. Their noses were mere inches apart.

Startled, Justin nearly jumped out of his skin with a yelp, but he calmed down immediately once he realized he was overreacting. After the sudden jolt of adrenaline and distressed alarm, Justin managed to wheeze out several cool breaths while sitting upright. El-ahrairah looked slightly amused at the scene of the flushed teenager.

"Sorry," Justin muttered sheepishly, "You nearly scared me to death a minute ago."

The Prince of Rabbits simply nodded his understanding. Unable to say anything out of sheer awkwardness and temporary loss of cognitive thought, Justin looked around only to realize that he was once again in El-ahrairah's personal chambers, still immersed with the light of warmth and homey welcome. The bed of ivy and dock leaves that El-ahrairah first laid upon while he was infected with the black curse now served as a temporary infirmary for Justin's rest and recuperation. Justin then realized that his arm was no longer broken, that all the injuries he sustained while journeying to El-ahrairah's warren had vanished without a trace! Not a single cut or bruise remained on his flesh. He was healed, renewed, and free from all his ailments!

"My…my arm!" gasped Justin, still woozy from getting up.

"I healed you from your injuries once you fainted from the strain of the war," El-ahrairah said simply.

Still a bit lightheaded, Justin placed a palm against his warm temple, groaning, "How...how long was I sleeping??"

"About a bit more than one day," El-ahrairah stated, "ever since the battle with Elil-rah had ended."

Justin had totally forgotten about the battle, and he snapped to attention immediately, blurting out in a rush, "What?? What happened??! Did we win?! Is the warren safe??! Is everyone safe?! What happened to Elil-rah?! Where's Hazel?! What happened??!"

El-ahrairah placed a gentle paw on Justin's forehead, temporarily silencing the teenager into a conscientious, courteous, calm and attentive state.

"Justin...be calm. I will answer your questions...all of them."

Justin looked at the Prince of Rabbits questioningly.

"Huh? What...what are you talking about?"

"Justin, please...listen to what I have to say. You need to hear this, almost as much as I need to tell this to you. So please, save your questions for later and listen to what I wish to impart to you."

Justin remained silent.

El-ahrairah looked a bit uncomfortable as he carried on, resignedly, "Throughout your entire journey, you and the rest of the Owsla of Watership Down have carried your mission and duty without hesitation and lack of hope...and there is little I can do to repay that faithfulness. Yet, as you do remember realizing previously, there have been many unanswered question from the very beginning about this entire matter of the cross-bearer and how you had came to be in the spiritual land beyond life, the Garden of Eden. And I realize that, if nothing else...you deserve to know the entire truth about everything, about why you were the one to bear the cross, about how the prophecy came to be, and why certain events, which cannot be possibly explained, have denied the limits of time and space and reason in order to come to the aid of you and your friends."

The human adolescent's eyes then widened as he realized that El-ahrairah was truly going to reveal everything to him, without second thought. Suddenly, Justin's mouth felt very dry as his mind, which had the list of unanswered riddles and queries he so deeply wished to ask, was now wiped clean out of his memory. Thankfully, El-ahrairah needed no prodding to begin talking.

El-ahrairah gave a grave sigh before he started the long toll of eventual, sorrowful history.

"I...I wished I could have told you everything from the very beginning, from the first two times I met you, but circumstances beyond my control prevented that. Not to mention that Frith and God forbade me from telling you more than enough information as necessary. They both felt that the less you knew, the safer it would be for you to carry out your mission to defeat Elil-rah."

Justin was confused. El-ahrairah had met up with him before?

"Wait! El-ahrairah...we've never met! How could you have possibly told me all this, even if you wanted to?" the teenager protested.

El-ahrairah then cryptically smiled and, to the adolescent's amazement, the Prince of all Rabbits began to change and shift the shape of his body, his golden fur now turning into tanned, leathery skin and his physique becoming taller, gangly, and altering into a bipedal-upright position. In just mere seconds, Justin then gasped. Standing before him was the kindly, quirky, grizzly old man who sold Justin his cross at the swap meet next to Justin's church, only a little more than several months ago. The same wrinkled face, the wild-growing hair, the toothy grin, but now, the boy could see that El-ahrairah's eyes were still the same, full of powerful warmth and blue with the endless yawn of the encompassing oceans. Wide-eyed and slack-jawed, Justin could only gape at El-ahrairah as the rabbit transformed back into his regular, animal form.

"You...you can shapeshift?! So...so..._it was you_. You were the one who gave me my cross!" Justin marveled in shock.

El-ahrairah nodded as he continued, "Yes, it was I who bequeathed you with the jewel that would soon be the one link to your destiny as the cross-bearer. In the physical world, your world, it would only be an ordinary silver bauble...but when Frith and God brought you into the Garden of Eden, it would fulfill its role as a source of power to protect you and the guardian rabbits from Watership Down I sent to retrieve you, and not to mention to be the lone light in the inevitable duel with Elil-rah, as was promised so long ago."

At these words, Justin instinctively cradled the cross in the palm of his hand. He was stunned, and a bit disappointed, that instead of the pure crystal jewel of the sun and light, what lay against his callused skin was nothing more than a silver trinket. It was no longer the precious, orange stone of might and power that Justin was accustomed to while staying with the Watership Owsla.

"When Elil-rah started to infect me with his spells of darkness, I was too weak to fight him and continue on the ongoing war between my Owsla and his. I knew then that the time had come to summon you into the land beyond life and help me defeat Elil-rah. So with as much strength as I could muster, I sent my spirit into the world of men and disguised myself as the elderly, commonplace seller into order to attract your attention and be able to give you the cross necklace. Such a feat was possible for me because Frith made me a pillar in the land beyond life, and one of the powers blessed to me was the ability to disguise myself into any form of my choosing, much like your antagonist Silverweed...and I was the best candidate to discreetly hand you your bequest without suspicion on Elil-rah's part since I already know how to communicate with men," El-ahrairah droned in a subdued voice.

At these words, a sudden comprehension then dawned on the teenager. Justin could not believe he hadn't realized it before when it had been staring at him in the face for so long. He was communicating with El-ahrairah right now..._in the human language_...just as he had done before with the anthropomorphic rabbits of Watership Down.

"Wait a minute! You...you can speak _English_??"

The Prince of all Rabbits smiled humbly. He commented, "I was wondering when that realization would come to you. I was a bit surprised to see that you did not immediately guess upon that fact when you had healed me from Elil-rah's curse. Yet, I understand that with all the chaos and urgent danger arriving from all sides, I don't blame you for not grasping it sooner."

"So...that was an additional gift Frith gave you?? Because you became a pillar?"

The Prince of all Rabbits said, "No. Again, I repeat, I had the ability to speak in both Lapine and English before I became one of the caretakers in the land beyond life. And also keep in mind, regardless of how powerful Frith is, he could never had given me that gift even if he wished it so...for Frith does not have that sort of power and authority."

Justin's brow crinkled a bit before he asked hesitantly, "But...I thought it was a tremendous taboo. Strawberry told me that it was forbidden for any animal of Frith to communicate and breach the world of humans, and Blackberry told me how since we're from different worlds, it was impossible to learn each other's language, much less interact with each other."

El-ahrairah then showed a look of guilt. He said quietly, "I am aware of the consequences of such actions, young Justin."

Justin at first was confused, but then he guessed that El-ahrairah must have done something improper and illicit in order to learn the English language. Then Justin remembered the conundrum he and the other Watership rabbits realized about the word "cross-bearer", an expression in English. If El-ahrairah could communicate with the adolescent, then that meant...

"You were the one who named me as the cross-bearer, weren't you?" the teenager asked softly with reverence, "You named me with the word 'cross-bearer', even though it was an alien term to rabbits who could only speak Lapine. It was you, wasn't it?"

El-ahrairah shook his head, bewildering the boy.

"No, it is not so, young one. Regardless of my ability to commune in the language of men, I was not around at the time when Adam and Eve were banished from this paradise for their betrayals nor was I granted the authority or a special role in the fates that determined the role of the cross-bearer and your prophetic destiny in the final battle with Elil-rah. So...no, I did not name you 'cross-bearer'."

Justin was even more floored. El-ahrairah was such a plausible choice.

"But...if you didn't name me as 'cross-bearer', then who did??"

El-ahrairah then gave a sad smile as he ushered the adolescent to the pool of water supplied from the underground spring of water at the far side of his cavern with his forepaw. He said mysteriously, "Look into the pool, and you will find your answer to that riddle."

A bit puzzled, Justin slowly walked to the pool and knelt down where he could see the black pool of water, murky from the shadows, but its aroma and liquid vitality were as clear and pure as crystal. El-ahrairah then ambled up to the pool and, whispering a few words of power, he dipped a paw into the spring, breaking the smooth surface of the water and sending soft ripples to snake across the plane, shimmering Justin and the Prince's reflection. To the boy's surprise, what he saw next was a clear image of Elil-rah himself, in his demon, five-headed form, standing in a plane of infinite darkness, shrieking in pain as a column of light cascaded down from above and engulfed him. The smoky, ethereal form of the evil demon, still just as frightening and terrifying as ever before, was thrashing and writhing in pain as he scuffled and struggled to not give in to the aura of pure sunlight. What Justin was witnessing...was a battle between Elil-rah and...something.

"El-ahrairah, what -??" began Justin, but the Prince of all Rabbits shushed him.

"This is a apparition of what happened in the past. What you are witnessing now is the first battle when Elil-rah had massacred thousands of pure, innocent animals, when God had created the creature of man to fight and overpower the evil beast, and his imprisonment into the nothingness of limbo. What you are seeing now is his banishment and the final declaration of the unavoidable battle that would form the prophecy of your coming. Be silent and watch, and your questions will be answered."

Justin, with a pounding heart, bit his lip as he saw the image of Elil-rah snarl with absolute malice at the source of the light above him, which was still pummeling the dark beast with the purest rays of light and hope.

_"You cannot do this to me!!" shrieked Elil-rah, "I swear, by the infinite darkness, you cannot keep me here forever!! By what right can you do this to me, you damned fools?! You underhanded, unfair, bloody cowards!! You cannot to this to me!!! This cannot be!!! This shall not stand!! I will escape and overpower your pitiful confinements, and I will continue to kill and obliterate all until there is nothing left!! I will, without end, destroy everything blessed by you and the precious men of God!! You will never stop me!!!"_

_ From the source of light came a deep, ethereal voice, calm and radiating untold wisdom and ageless omnipotence, stating "Even so, dark beast, we will not stand idly by and allow you to wreck havoc on those we hold dear and those who have no desire for malignant destruction of all those of the light. We have given you a chance to peacefully coerce and live by the creatures of our worlds with grace and benevolence, but you have haughtily and callously exterminated many races of beasts I had blessed on that eventful day, and as such...I have wept. I wept for those who placed their trust in me, I wept for being lenient, I wept for my mistake of oversight...and I have also wept for not being able to do more than what I must do now...for if it were within my reach, I would surely kill you for the vengeance of my children's deaths."_

_ "You were always a weak fool, Frith," sneered Elil-rah, smirking despite the power radiating from above, "A deluded imbecile who was too fearful to stand and face me, but instead, needed to call for help to summon the being who sent my master to the depths of fire and brimstone so many eons ago...like a true coward. You could not kill me even if you wished it...for you do not have the power to do such an achievement."_

_ It was worth noticing that Frith became angry (if the intensity of the light surrounding the demon beast now becoming harsh and even more scorching was any indication), but did not give in to his temper._

_ "Regardless, God has sent me to tell you this: he has a proposition for you."_

_ "And what trickery would this be?!" snarled Elil-rah suspiciously._

_ "We both know that you will not stop in your quest to cover and overpower all creatures of the light, so what we propose is a battle, a duel, if you will. This shall be a fight of combat that shall determine your fate and the fate of all creatures of the Good side. He will select one lone human, a creation and child of God, to battle against you in the future. I do not know when or where, but this one will be of His choosing. So, here are the terms: you will be given one last chance to destroy and rule over all we have created in the Garden of Eden, but in order to do so, you must defeat the chosen child in the final battle of the upcoming war between your forces and the human's forces. It shall be the deciding challenge. If you win, the human forfeits his or her life and there will be none to stop you from declaring yourself as the unholy master of all animals and creatures of my brethren, and, sadly, I cannot do anything to reverse such a decision. Not even God shall recant this agreement; it shall be final and irrevocable. However, if the chosen human wins, you shall forfeit **your** life...for God will grant the chosen human the power to destroy you and your entire legacy of evil. And this is possible, for your own master could not stand against God's will himself, so do not be pompous enough to believe you, a servant of Satan, could ever have a fool's hope against His might. Well...what say you? Do you accept?"_

_ "YES!!" howled Elil-rah with exuberant, sick delight, "You fools will regret the day you have meddled in my affairs!! I shall gladly accept your pitiful challenge to halt me!! One lone human?! You pitiful dunces!!! It took entire armies of men to subdue me, but they could not exterminate me, and yet you expect me to fear a single child, no less?!! Very well then! I shall kill your so-called 'chosen one'! Until the day he or she arrives for the day of reckoning, I shall raise massive armies, ruthless assassins, and beasts of the most unimaginable terrors and depravities known to men. Your one child will not stand to my power!!"_

_ "Then so be it...**but**...now I shall tell you in what role I shall play. The one who will battle you will not be alone for I will not have it so."_

_ Elil-rah seemed slightly troubled at this statement, and even more angered at how Frith managed to gain a single hand over the enemy. The beast snarled, "I do not recall that being part of the bargain, you smug, lying wretch!"_

_ There was a note of self-satisfied amusement in Frith's voice as he clarified, "Think of it as retribution from the animals you brutally slaughtered. I said the human will have forces to fight against your own Owsla of evil, and though God will chose the human, He gave **me** the authority to choose the creatures to fight for and aid the chosen one. Therefore, God shall prophesize the coming of the one meant to fight you...but **I** will additionally prophesize and chose the strongest and mightiest animals of my blessings to come and protect and fight as the army of the chosen child of God. And these animals will not easily submit to your power for they will be persistent, unyielding, powerful, and cunning to no ends. They will truly be more of a match for your forces. But may the fates and God protect this child for the inevitable war...for it is a huge cross to bear, a responsibility too far for any human to abide by."_

_ Elil-rah's eyes glowed in the unholy crimson color of spilled blood as he purred, "A cross to bear, eh? Very well then, you fools! I shall wait for that day...but now I shall warn you a declaration that you, yourself, could take back to your foolish friend. Hear my words!! From this day on, I curse your chosen human, and the instant he or she comes within my grasp, I shall send all of my loyal servants to destroy and kill your 'cross-bearer'!! Do your hear me?! So it is and so it shall be: you have just damned your chosen child of the chosen trial to his or her fate!! Your child shall bear the cross to endure the suffering and hate of my anger and judgment, only to die by my hands!! I now swear, by all that is evil and dark, I will not rest until the one who bears this cross perishes!! For it is and always will be, I curse and damn the name of my enemy as 'the cross-bearer'!!!"_

_ With that said, the light surrounding Elil-rah vanished as Frith retreated into the obscure shadows above, leaving Elil-rah to his delusions and building, disgusting desires, whispering softly, "Then let it be so...and may God help us all...for the sake of this 'cross-bearer'."_

The pool of water then shimmered once again to dissolve the premonition of the past, and El-ahrairah then looked up to see a shaken and very astounded Justin, his eyes crinkled in horror and his face clammy with surprised bile.

El-ahrairah, understanding how much of a shock it was to the boy, hopped until he and the teenage Justin was side by side, and compassionately, he placed a warm paw on the adolescent's shoulder.

Justin whispered in horrified astonishment, "_Elil__-rah_...named me...as the 'cross-bearer'???"

El-ahrairah gave a small nod.

The teen just continued to stare at the dark pool of water, still unable to grasp or comprehend fully what he had just seen. After a few hazy minutes of blank thoughts, he finally managed to croak, "But...but why would Elil-rah...name me?? Why...why would he give me his blessings??"

El-ahrairah then said solemnly, "It was not a blessing, Justin, but a curse. When Elil-rah declared that he would allow one lone human as the cross-bearer, he was cursing you and your existence, forever marking you as a target of his hate and ruthlessness." He paused before continuing, "Justin, you need to understand that your cross, your power, your role as the cross-bearer...it is both a blessing of power from Frith and God...BUT, it is also a curse from Elil-rah and the evil darkness that loom behind, a sole promise that you will be scorned, hated, and pursued until the ends of the land beyond life to be killed and destroyed. Do you remember the additional tidbit of the King of Yesterday had told you and Fiver during your trials in the forests of Yesterday and Tomorrow?"

Justin then realized what the Prince of Rabbits was leading to. He still remembered the saddened words of the stag as he told Fiver and Justin: "_Though meant for good, there are two sides of the one who bears the cross, just like night and day, air and land, spring and winter, and thus, peace and chaos. At the time of revelation, the one who was to heal shall also be the one to die, where there is life, there will be death, for the cross brings grave danger of unspeakable horrors to the Prince of a Thousand Enemies._"

"He was telling the truth, wasn't he?" Justin asked, strangely resigned and calm, "It wasn't just because I was just a human, but because I was the prime target to Elil-rah, wasn't it? What the King of Tomorrow said, it really was another part of the prophecy about me, wasn't it?"

El-ahrairah nodded, affirming with further detail, "When God decided to chose the one human to become the chosen one, Elil-rah's promise to destroy all who hold dear to the proposed human were made as part of the prophecy. Apparently, the chosen animals who would protect and fight with you would also share the danger of being attacked by Elil-rah and his Owsla. In other words, Justin, your burden would also become ours. And the other animals, such as those who persecuted you in the forests of Yesterday and Tomorrow, though I understand their fear, were unwilling to take an active stance against Elil-rah, for fear of his retribution upon them, yet they were _not_ unwilling to take an active stance in punishing and harassing you. For you see Justin, to those animals, you are no different from Elil-rah, for their reasoning stands is that a human is a human...and as such...they are all evil."

"Gee, that makes me so much better," quipped Justin dryly, "So why couldn't the cross-bearer be an animal? I mean, Hazel and the other rabbits, Sneezewort and Lousewort, even Snitter and Rowf, all of them are really strong and they can take care of themselves and fight and defend themselves against soldiers and members of Elil-rah's Owsla. I mean...I mean..." Justin appeared to be a bit troubled and in pain from his questioning, and the Prince guessed what it was that was so incommodious.

El-ahrairah supplied thoughtfully, almost murmuring, "In other words, why were you, specifically, chosen, considering that the rabbits could fight as well without you? Why were you declared to be the cross-bearer, considering how you are not physically able to defend yourself, how you cannot participate in anything strenuously tolling, and how that there could be any human who is many times apt at strategizing, fighting, and is a born leader? Thus, how could there be any possibility that you, perceived as weak by many, can be expected to fight such a monumental war?"

Justin gave El-ahrairah a dry, laconic look, but nodded. The rabbit leader had pegged him down exactly.

El-ahrairah then spoke with a hint of fervent resolve as he uttered, "Justin...you remember what Dandelion had told you, that no animal or beast blessed by Frith could ever withstand fully against Elil-rah, for there is not a single one who could resist his influence as much as you could. Animals live on instinct and they have no free will. They live, fight, and toil for one thing, and one thing only..._to survive_. Though there are several aspects of loyalty, most animals, though there are several exceptions, follow those that can benefit them the most with luxury and safety. That was why Elil-rah had such a varied and colossal army. It was not because the creatures that joined him truly believed that Elil-rah was their true lord and master over all of them, but simply that they did not wish to be on the losing side of this war, especially with so much at risk in the land beyond life. After all, why endanger themselves when they could join Elil-rah and live in relative peace and harmony...even if it would be under his rule? Why settle for grass, silf, and fruits when Elil-rah promised them endless riches of food and power and powers that could truly allow them to be lords of all they ruled? Any creature in nature, regardless of it being the tiny ant to the mammoth elephant, has the one, solitary hunger and drive to survive with the least amount of sacrifice necessary. It is not a greedy or selfish principle to live by...but simply, it is one based on instinct. And you yourself have seen this firsthand. After all, you have seen the animals of the forests of Yesterday and Tomorrow demand you death once you entered their kingdoms. You have seen the bison, the King of Yesterday, try to cheat you into a painful execution by preventing Hazel and the others from defending you at the trial. And...I am sorry to say, you have seen this in my own warren, when several of my loyal subjects of my kingdom had wanted to sacrifice you to Elil-rah to save themselves for they feared terribly the aftermath of the battle you would bring here. Elil-rah himself knew of this, and that was why he was able to easily exploit that instinctive, primal fear and convince many of the pillars to abandon Frith and follow him instead."

"But not all animals live by that code," Justin argued, "Sneezewort and Lousewort changed sides after Volgnamass betrayed them and after I healed them because they wanted to pay me back for helping them. And Snitter and Rowf were always loyal to Prince Rainbow because he was their master and the one being that treated them with respect and kindness. That's why they followed his orders to protect me, even though they were a little reluctant to do so. And you're also forgetting something I just remembered: if all animals followed that rule, then why did you and the rabbits of Watership Down resist Elil-rah?"

"Ah, I was wondering when you would ask me that...as it is a pertinent question. Yes, it is true when you say that myself, Hazel-rah and his faithful band from Watership Down, Snitter, Rowf, Sneezewort, Lousewort, and even, to some extent, Woundwort himself, were able to resist Elil-rah's luring and temptations, or at the very least, were able to realize where their true loyalties and calling lay. Yet, we all had one common factor: it was because of your influence, your heart, and your strengths of trust and friendship and kindness. That was what has touched all of us, those foreign aspects of human compassion that is never possible to receive from another animal of Frith. Ever since you were given life, I have watched you and seen you grow, despite the sadness and -"

Justin's eyes widened as he heard that last sentence, and he blurted out, unconsciously being demanding, "Wait! Wait!! What...what did you just say??! You...you watched me??!"

El-ahrairah replied, "Yes, young one. As you recall, I told you I had met you twice before you had entered here in the land beyond life. The second time was when I masqueraded as the kindly, old man who sold you your cross shortly before you were summoned into this realm. The first time was before that incident, when God and Frith allowed me that one day to bless you the instant He decided that you would be the one to fight the chosen battle. That first time...was when you emerged from your mother's womb, when you were born into the physical world."

Justin remained still, overwhelmed and dazed with confusion and disbelief. El-ahrairah then had a warm, fatherly smile dashed behind his whiskers as he affectionately murmured another bombshell.

"I have always known you, Justin Bralusi Vannerley."

Justin's head popped up, his shock rising. El-ahrairah called him by his full name, first, middle, and last.

"My name..." Justin wondered aloud slowly, "How...how did you know my full name??"

El-ahrairah's eyes twinkled as he gave a small smile. "Because I was there when you were given birth of life...and I was the one who had christened you by your birthright as the cross-bearer. And I was also the one who had given you the surname, 'bralusi'."

The adolescent's jaw dropped before he succeeded in finding his voice. "Uh...I...I don't remember my mom ever telling me a rabbit gave me my name. She told me...that the name came from one of the coat of arms that bore itself as the family crest on her side of the family, from the name of a distant uncle."

El-ahrairah shook his head as he replied mysteriously, "She told you that...because it was what I asked her to inform you, so that your birthright would not be made apparent until the final day and hour of your arrival."

"But...but why would my mother listen to a rabbit?? Uh...no offense. But...I think anyone who was approached by a talking rabbit would get...well...kinda freaked out."

El-ahrairah then smiled as he leaned over to the pool of water again and touched in with his paw, whispering another prayer of power as the silver, opaque spring began to darken and flicker into another illusion of a memory from long ago. Justin didn't need to ask what El-ahrairah was showing him as he immediately recognized the people appearing in the image of the water. It was his mother and father, inside a sterile white room, and with growing clarity, Justin then could see a baby bassinet of clear plastic with a red-skinned, whimpering newborn wrapped in a blue, cotton blanket and a white, cloth cap. Justin then gasped as he saw a paper nametag plastered on one side of the bassinet was inked with black marker, "JUSTIN". The teenager then knew what he was seeing: it was the day he was born and he was witnessing his mother and father arguing in the hospital room. The liquid memory then started to play.

_"Damn it, Laura!" bellowed a red-faced, younger, drier version of Justin's father, "Do you always have to be so stubborn?! And where are we going to find room to keep it?! Money's tight enough as it is!! Look, the kid'll be a lot happier if he goes off to some other couple for adoption! I mean, look at us! We can barely keep up our payments as it is without needing another mouth to feed!"_

_ Justin's mother was shrill as she protested, "Brad, we can manage! Please! He's your son! I couldn't bear to give him away! Please, don't act like this! I know we can find a way, and let's not argue…please! This is a joyous day and he's your son as well! Don't be like this…please! Our first child was just born, and we should both be very proud!"_

_ Justin's father stormed off into the hallway, disappearing from sight, but not before muttering over his shoulder, "Hey, you want to have kids so badly, **you** care for them! And we wouldn't be in this mess if you didn't abort the brat like I asked!"_

Justin felt the tears of hurt well up in his eyes as he witnessed this, and El-ahrairah nuzzled the young human's cheek with his nose, whispering with sorrow, "I'm sorry you had to witness that."

The teenager tried to shrug it off and blinked easily enough. He replied flatly, "When you grow up with a man like my dad, you realize it's not so surprising. It's nothing, really. I've always been rejected for most of my life, so why should this be any different?"

Both the Prince of all Rabbits and the adolescent turned to the pool again.

_Justin's mother gathered herself by cradling her face in her hands, apparently crying but hiding her tears from view. El-ahrairah was now in the room, and after staring at Justin's mother and the open door from where Justin's father stormed out with a sad, pained expression, El-ahrairah then hopped over until he was squatting on the floor next to the bassinet that contained the infant Justin, who was now sleeping softly and quietly. El-ahrairah had a look a prideful, quiet yet intense fondness and caring on his whiskered face._

Justin turned to the rabbit next to him and asked, a bit bewildered at what he was seeing, "How come my mom didn't see you??"

El-ahrairah said shortly in order to not distract his friend from witnessing what was about to happen, "Another gift of power from being a pillar. Just continue watching, young one."

_In the flashback, El-ahrairah then softly glided on the air until he was floating next to the depressed woman on the hospital bed. El-ahrairah then whispered softly, persuading Justin's mother with his empathy and power of suggestion, "Braslusi…Bralusi…complete his birthright…complete his legacy. Name him 'Justin Bralusi Vannerley'."_

_ "Bralusi??" Justin's mother looked up from her hands, her face now dry, confused and muddled at the fact that she, in her mind, came up with such an odd, foreign name for no apparent reason. El-ahrairah then whispered softly in her ear, "It is the name of a distant uncle, one from your side of the family…a name that speaks volumes and will highlight the spirit of this child. Name him, 'Justin Bralusi Vannerley'."_

_ El-ahrairah then flew, walking on the very essence of air, until he was squatting with the baby Justin in the plastic bassinet. El-ahrairah then smiled warmly as he placed a furry paw as soft as goose down on the forehead of the infant. The benevolent prince then said softly with his halo of starlight gleaming around his head, "I wish I could stay here for a while longer to watch over you, young one. Blessed be, and be it so…"_

_ Immediately, El-ahrairah was luminous in golden sunlight, every bit of his pelt and fur shiny with warmth and life of the heavens above. Justin then saw a single spark of glowing yellow emerge out of the radiance that surrounded El-ahrairah, twinkling and flickering like a baby flame. Slowly, the spark of El-ahrairah's heart descended into the human baby, disappearing into the child's chest and for a brief moment, Justin saw that his past self was, like El-ahrairah, was softly radiating with yellow and orange. From the window of the hospital, light from the sun was breaking through the overcast clouds and entered into the room, and to Justin's amazement, the baby bassinet was draped with a single ray of illumination. Finally awake from his slumber, the newborn gurgled happily as he vainly tried to raise his arms, almost as if he wished to tough El-ahrairah. The leader of all rabbits then chuckled affectionately as he touched his nose against the toddler's forehead before fading softly into nothingness._

_ El-ahrairah whispered finally before he disappeared completely from view, "I will see you again, young one. We will meet again someday, I promise you, my child."_

With a flash, the remembrance faded like the mist on an early spring morning, and Justin, despite the astonished disturbance, crinkled his eyes at the large golden rabbit in front of him. El-ahrairah still kept his firm yet deep gaze locked with Justin's hazel eyes. The teenager didn't know what to think about the new revelations that were displayed to him; he was both touched and bothered.

"All this time," Justin said slowly and thoughtfully, "I…I never knew."

El-ahrairah then gave a wide smile.

"In a way, your mother was not lying when she told me you were named by an uncle. It's just that this relative was so distant from your bloodline, he was practically nonexistent. But…I can tell you with absolute certainty that regardless of the marvels I had witnessed, the miracles of life and death I had seen, the battles and creatures I have fought and won…none of those compared to how much joy and pride I felt when I came to you on that very day, seeing you, and marveling at how you have now grown into the benevolent yet powerful warrior I see standing before me. You were almost like one of my own sons."

Justin gave a sad smile, sighing with fatigue, "You're one of the few who thinks so."

El-ahrairah could see that there was still some hurt lingering in the boy's heart, and it pained him for what he was going to ask the child to do by the end of the day. The rabbit then commented, "Do you see now, Justin? Your obtaining the cross was no accident or act of oversight. Though I do not know the complete and full reasons of why you were chosen, God and Frith sent me to you the very moment your soul was given life in the physical world and that was the day I gave you my heart as a present and symbol of my loyalty and friendship with you, that I would be bound to honor and protect you, like a brother and father. When Frith told Elil-rah that he would select the most resilient and cunning creatures ever known, he chose members of my kingdom and family to carry out this grave responsibility, to carry the weight of the land beyond life at the time of the final battle. When I was first told, I…admit…I was truly scared and terrified. I did not ask for that responsibility, yet Frith warned me that I and my subjects were the only creatures suitable and capable enough for such a task. Being a trickster and a pillar multiplied my powers many-fold, and after all the devious and cunning plans of utmost brilliance, Frith knew that if any animal of his blessings could ever succeed in the war against Elil-rah, it would be myself and my legacy."

Justin just looked at El-ahrairah with studying eyes, taking it all in, and the Prince of the Thousand then turned sharply to his human friend.

"Did you ever wonder why you developed such a fascination with the tales of Hazel-rah and his band of followers from Watership Down? How you developed a love for the stories and such ever since you were a young kitten?"

The teen faltered, despite it being such a simple question. He stuttered, "I…I guess because it was interesting, and well, the more I read about it and the more I watched the video and read the stories about you and Hazel and Bigwig and everyone else, it sorta…I dunno…I guess it grew on me. I mean, I immediately fell in love with the characters and how they were so kind and different from the other rabbits in their warren, and how they went though so much just to find a home. I guess…it appealed to something in my heart and -"

"There," encouraged El-ahrairah, interrupting the teenager, "What you have just said, that was it. That was a key in this entire matter. _It reached out and touched your heart_, in ways that few stimulants in the physical world of men could ever have done. Do you not realize it yet, young Justin? The reason it spoke out to your heart was because of the piece of my soul was linked to yours, and as such, hearing about the tall, brave tales of Hazel-rah and his faithful band of warriors inspired you, encouraged you, and made you yearn for them, almost as if you knew them intimately. It was what touched you, made you more familiar with the legacy of Watership Down and Hazel-rah with morbid interest, and it was the sole knowledge that helped prepare you for the inevitable time when you would be summoned into the land beyond life and become the cross-bearer as prophesized. For if you never had the slightest inkling about Watership Down, if the void in your heart was not filled with the stories of Hazel, Bigwig, Fiver, and all the others soldiers of the Watership Owsla, and if you had no idea about the facts of the Christian faith and God, you would have never been able to survive the trek to my warren and defeat Elil-rah. Do you not see, yet, Justin? None of this was coincidental or accidental. It was all part of His plan to have you fulfill your destiny to vanquish Elil-rah."

Justin then remembered a very important fact he figured out once he and the Watership Owsla arrived in the meadows of Fenlo.

"But…but…" Justin genuinely flustered, "How is it that the stories were true to begin with?? I mean, in my world, a lot of people like these stories too, but…but it couldn't have been true! It was fiction, a fairy tale, a story to entertain, but…but it's not like it was a history book or some sort of account of something that actually happened! So, how could it be possible that what Richard Adams who authored all this turn out to be the real deal??! How could this all be true?!"

El-ahrairah then gave a little twinkle in his eye as he said secretively, "All I am allowed to say, young Justin, is that God works in mysterious and wonderful ways. And despite the beliefs of men, every story, regardless of plot, character, or culture, has some seed of truth, has both a link to what is real and what is fantasy."

El-ahrairah then shot a proud, knowing and pleased look at his friend.

"Do you know why I gave you the name 'bralusi', young Justin?"

Justin shook his head.

"In Lapine, it means 'beloved'." The teen's eyes were a bit blank at this, so the Prince explained further.

"It is because rabbits and all creatures that were not blessed by Frith do not know the true extent to how deep emotions can run. You are forgetting that though us beasts of Frith live by instinct and necessity, we have no free will, and as a price...we have no such things as love, the deep bond that is only given and blessed to humans, for out of all creatures in the world, only men know what love truly is in their hearts. Granted, we have feelings of attraction and devotion and friendship in the realms of animals, but that it a poor comparison to the light in men's hearts, to the brimming power that acts as a driving force, allows humans to go past their limits and expectations, gives them hope and determination, and above all, encourages and heals all wounds."

"But...it's not always a good thing," Justin sighed, "Because we have free will and emotions, we're also capable of being evil. You said so yourself."

"True, and that is why you needed a piece of my heart, my spirit, to help balance out that inequity so that you could use the light of Frith and God to your full potential, for its true purpose of protecting those you cared about and for restoring the land beyond life. However, the jewel of light was not your _only_ source of power," El-ahrairah said meaningfully.

Justin's brow crinkled in concern, puzzled.

"Do you remember that there were times when your cross surpassed everyone's assumed potential? Did you ever remember that there were times your were allowed to do the impossible, in the periods when you and your guardians were bleakly at the edge of defeat? Such as when you managed to disintegrate Lord Brock's cloak of resistance off his body even though it was made from one of the strongest and darkest magic unheard of by both humans and animals? Did you ponder how you were able to have the cross come back to your possession even though Greenweed, disguised as the human Damien, had it within his power?"

Justin then realized El-ahrairah had a point. It didn't add up. The teen then said weakly, "Holly said at that time, it was because of my heart, that the cross knew that I had a purer heart than Damien, so it came back to me."

El-ahrairah then smiled enigmatically as he continued.

"Not so, young one. As you remember the Black Rabbit of Inle himself telling you that humans are never intrinsically pure of heart, that out of all creatures in the physical world, they are the ones with the most tainted darkness and sin. And you, despite being the cross-bearer, are no different from any other human. Yet, did you ever think why this was so? Did you ever wonder why it was so that you were able to achieve such things, even despite the fact that your cross, your item of power and light, was relieved momentarily from your grasp? Did you ever question why your soul could have so much light and power to become a formidable force to any minion of Elil-rah's Owsla?"

Justin shook his head as he realized that there was a grain of truth to those words. If the cross really was his limited source of power, then out of the many times he had his cross stolen, he would have never been able to do such things as mentally contact Buckthorn during his trial with Hufsa or extract the piece of It from Hazel's heart when he was possessed in the holes of affliction. Also, he has additionally realized that he would not have been able to communicate with the animals that lived in the forests of Yesterday and Tomorrow since only animals empowered by El-ahrairah's trickery or Elil-rah's malice could be given the gift of human speech. And he would not have been able to do the unattainable even _with the cross_ such as bringing back the dead lark from limbo that Prince Rainbow had heartlessly "killed".

"So...so what was this other source of power?? Was it...was it my heart?"

El-ahrairah said with a small smile, "Close, Justin. It was the piece of my heart that was also in you. As we share the same name, 'The Prince of the Thousand', we also shared the same soul, as Elil-rah had previously revealed to you. Yet, he did not recognize that this would also bless you with additional powers that stemmed from my own aura. Though I was too inflicted with the darkness and evil to even fight against Elil-rah, you and that one lone fragment of my heart and soul was enough to grant you supplementary protection by providing a hidden cache for untold might and valor that not even Elil-rah would expect. As such, that one shard of my aura allowed you to achieve things with your cross far greater than you could have ever been able to do alone, and the more time you spent with the rabbits of Watership Down, the more powerful it would become. Of course, it was also the same for Hazel and his Owsla too the minute they met you."

"Huh?" Justin was dumbfounded from that last statement.

El-ahrairah then explained with a sad smile, "This relates to your question of why you were chosen to be the cross-bearer, even though a stronger and more capable and independent human could have been picked for such a perilous mission. As you have noticed before, you progressed to survive in the land beyond life, endured many moments of pure terror and unadulterated dangers and bloodshed…all because you grew to trust and depend on the rabbit guardians that I sent to protect you. Had you been a strong, robust and capable human being who knew how to fight and trek through the wild terrain, you would not have needed the shelter of my loyal Owsla, and you would have been more confident in your abilities, a stronger force to be reckoned with, a true warrior worthy of the cross…"

Justin then looked glum as he heard this. None of those characteristics applied to him at all. Yet El-ahrairah then spoke something incredibly contradictory.

"…and by doing so, you would have betrayed all of us."

"What???" Now Justin was completely floored.

El-ahrairah then said with great conviction, "Justin, it was pride. It was the sin of pride that God and Frith feared from men. By the heavens above, even I myself, the Prince of all Rabbits, showed great scorn and contempt for all those who were supposedly beneath myself, and with that pride came great foolishness and sadness for it was also the day Frith created the Thousand to prey on my families and children. If you were a true example of a strong, courageous man with a fighting spirit, as every bit of a confident, reliant and proud man like Damien, then there would have really been no need for you to depend on the protection and security of Hazel-rah and the other rabbits I sent for you. Nor would there have been any reason for you to trust myself and to fulfill your destiny. It would have been possible that you would have thought that you were far too talented and superior to ever waste your time and energy helping out 'lowly' animals, creatures that, by popular opinion and creed, you were meant to rule over and be the lord and master of all, just like Elil-rah had so ardently and foolishly believed."

"But I would never do that," Justin protested, "I care too much about Hazel and the others to even betray them like that."

"I know," El-ahrairah conceded, "for even though you had no absolute reason to, your meek spirit, your tender heart and your willingness to trust the rabbits with your life was what made that bond between Hazel and the Watership Owsla possible. Think about it, young one. When you first arrived in the land beyond life, you were alone, scared, and had no idea of where you were or why you were here, except you did quickly realize that your very life was in grave and immediate danger. There was no possible way you could survive in the wilderness on your own. All animals blessed by Frith have physical talents that could put mortal men to shame, for men cannot run like the wind, they are too weak to pull the plow, they have no fur to shelter them from the heat and cold, and they cannot fly and swim with the greatest of natural ease. Regarding their hatred of men, it would not take much for the other inhabitants of the land beyond life to sense you and to seek retribution for past grievances by killing you. No other animal or rabbit I could have sent to protect you and inform you of your duty as the cross-bearer would have easily gained your trust and your faith and your friendship. It would have been difficult, even more so when you would be asked to fight against Elil-rah. In the midst of fear and panic, you needed companionship…and love. You have been denied of it so long from your own race and father, and I wanted to make the excursion to my warren as blissful as possible for I cared for you too much to see you go through this journey alone. And that was why I solely chose the rabbits of Watership Down along with Campion to assist and escort you. After hearing stories of their journeys to Watership Down and after how they had bravely brought Woundwort's misguided reign to an end, you would have confided in them for you already knew that Hazel and the other rabbits were kind, dependable, good creatures, and you always had the underlying hunger and desire to meet and be with them, to have them as company. If it were not for those stories of Watership Down in your physical world and if it were not for the piece of my heart that awakened your judgment to trust and depend on Hazel-rah, the mission would not have been successful. You might not have believed them. You might have refused to fight. You might have given up as the hardships became more unbearable. You may have even requested for a bargain with the dark Owsla and Elil-rah himself, hoping to find an easy way out. Yet none of these things had happened. It was for one reason, and one reason only…because you loved Hazel and the Watership Owsla. It was because they treated you with compassion, kindness, and understanding, as if you were one of them, not as a stranger or a burden or a detestable human. _That_ was something that you truly desired, more than anything power or riches could have ever given you. That was why Woundwort's mirage of temptation when he tried to dissuade you from your mission to heal me failed when he showed you images of a wholesome family, unbroken and welcoming, of popularity and general admiration, of having a role of great authority and respect. It was because you loved the fellowship of Watership Down far more than anything Woundwort and Elil-rah could ever offer you."

Justin then remembered how often he had heard Fiver and the other Watership warriors comment so many times that he had a spirit and a heart almost exactly like El-ahrairah. Looking back on it, it was literally the truth.

El-ahrairah paused to let that sink into the boy's mind before he continued, "However, this does not mean that the only reason you are good, kind, and compassionate and gentle was because of any intervention due to my influence. I chose you because I could sense, even as you were but a mere baby, that you had great potential for gentleness and love stemming from your soul. Being meek and sympathetic and humane is not a weakness, but it is your greatest strength, the most wonderful power God could ever bless mankind. It takes much strength and courage and self-control to be gentle man than it does to be a vain, reckless, impulsively brash one. And it was why I sent the Watership rabbits to protect you and become your own personal fellowship to escort you back to Fenlo. You see, Justin, originally, Hazel-rah and the others were only ordered to defend and protect you with their best of ability for they cannot die once being spirits in the land beyond life, and, as Blackberry had previously said more than once, if the current cross-bearer failed in his mission, another could have simply been summoned in his or her place. Yet, as time passed, the Watership Owsla began to grow fond of you, your nature, and most importantly, they saw you far more than just a weapon that could save them and their world. They soon learned to love you as their friend and brother, a bond that had deep meaning in the unity between human and animals alike. For it was that love that helped them move on from their past hurts, their regrets, the mistakes and sorrows in their lives that ate away their soul and gave them no respite, even after death. That was why is was additionally important for Hazel, Fiver and the rest to be neither men nor rabbits, but rather, new creatures in between, along with the cross-bearer to be a human. For only a human knows the true extent and capacity to radiate love and hope to others, yet sadly, creatures and beasts of Frith are not capable of such light and virtue, just the burning desire to survive and defend and live. Even in their new forms, Hazel-rah and the Watership Owsla could never harness the light of the cross nor would they be able to receive their blessings of power to equalize the war against Elil-rah's Owsla. This is because no animal of Frith can ever generate the virtue and unrequited compassion that comes so easily to the race of men; we are not capable of emotions to such an extent. Yet, since the cross-bearer was human, the cross-bearer could share his spirit with certain animals if they ever established a deep and meaningful bond between each other, like family and comrades and allies. And that was what you did, Justin. You shared your heart with your rabbit guardians and friends. You gave them hope, friendship, merciful kindness and compassion and respect, the saving graces that cannot be received from any other living thing other than man, and it was these merits that gave them the courage, the drive, and the strength to carry on and overcome their burdens. And by doing so, you additionally shared the power of the cross with them, making them into formidable warriors that not even Elil-rah's minions had a chance of defeating. Had you never helped Holly and rather abandoned him instead, Holly would have never been able to stand up against Greenweed and defeat him. If you did not help Silver with his painful family grievances from his past, he would have never been blessed with the power of levitation and made a powerful ally with Scry-rah, weakening the hold Elil-rah had on the other pillars. And if you had never remained loyal to Strawberry, he would have never been able to use his gift of seismokinesis to avenge your death by Cowslip and Silverweed along with being able to see beyond his old, shameful past as a rabbit in the Warren of Shining Wires. For you see, only the rabbits of Watership Down, the few animals who you could depend on fully and learn to love and cherish, could be entrusted with the mission to provide a faithful and strong fellowship to the cross-bearer. I had been given only one chance for the ability to bless Hazel and the Watership rabbits with the gift to speak in the language of men, to have new forms not natural to rabbits of Frith, and to walk upright and have a human soul. In those forms, it would enable the band of Watership Down to help you fight against Elil-rah, by combing your hearts and souls together to multiply the intensity of the power of the cross to beyond Elil-rah's wildest expectations, and thus, completely obliterated him to the hell of nothingness at the final battle. For as you shared you heart with them, the rabbits of Watership Down shared their hearts and strength to sacrifice every ounce of their auras and vitalities into the cross, blessing it with their love for you. For _that_ was the true power of God…not the trinket, not the blessings of might and weaponry and power, not the human soul, but love."

"Uh…no offense El-ahrairah, but that sounds corny," commented Justin with a sour yet bemused look.

El-ahrairah then smirked mischievously, like a royal king being caught playing in the mud like a wild schoolboy, saying, "Corny, maudlin, sappy, it may be…yet it does not change the fact that it is true."

"Wow…just…wow. Thanks…thank you for sharing."

"And thank you for listening, young one."

Justin gave a deep sigh, sensing that El-ahrairah had explained all he needed to, and right now, the teenager felt a bit light-headed but at the same time…relieved, excited, and happy. Elil-rah was gone. That meant no more battles, no more attempts on Justin's life, no more cautious paranoia of thinking that the next evil messenger would pop up and try to assassinate him or his friends…

The grin on Justin's face became wider as he thought of this. The Garden of Eden was, after all, a paradise. He really could enjoy a prolonged stay here. No pollution, no bullies, no cramped buildings and irritable, mindless chatter, just wide, open plains, fresh, pure air, sparkling water, and adventure beyond the eye could see. And there was so much to do now that he was free from his duty. The battle had ended; all the animals were now in peaceful bliss, so there couldn't possibly be any danger from exploring and wandering. Justin needed a break, and it was not like he would be missing anything back home.

Justin then said gleefully to El-ahrairah, "Well, now that it's over, I can stay here for a while, right?! I mean, Hazel and the others wanted to show me so much about the land beyond life! Bigwig said he'd take me out on one of his expeditions with his Owsla, and Buckthorn told me that he wanted me to visit the Black Rabbit of Inle again just to say thanks…"

El-ahrairah's face fell when he heard this. Frith and Inle and all the blessings of the world, may God forgive the Prince of all Rabbits for what he was about to do.

"Justin, you can't stay here," he whispered quietly, tragically.

The teen, oblivious, then commented rashly, lost in happy thoughts, "Oh, I won't stay here forever, El-ahrairah! I know I can't live the rest of my life here, but it'll be so cool to just relax here for a month, maybe two! I know I'll come back home eventually, but even so, I'll visit again frequently and I'll -!"

"No, Justin. You do not understand. It is not that easy. You can never come back. You must go back home _now_."

The chubby adolescent then stopped, white in the face, his heart actually refusing to beat for a second out of dread and disbelief.

El-ahrairah then said the worst possible thing Justin could ever hear in the Garden of Eden.

"Justin...you must return back to your home before the sun sets...or you will die."


	32. Farewell, Rusatitha

**CHAPTER 31****: Farewell, Rusatitha**

Justin just stared at El-ahrairah, unwilling to believe it.

"What...did you say?" Justin whispered, trembling with denial.

The Prince of all Rabbits cursed himself for what he was about to do, but he repeated his statement anyway, saying, "Young one, I meant what I had said. You cannot stay here for your life is in perilous danger. If you do not return back to your home back in the world of men and leave the Garden of Eden, you will die."

There was a deathly pause. Then the boy asked, "But…but if I have to go home….can't I just come back to visit?"

The pain in El-ahrairah's heart intensified as he dolefully shook his head. He replied, "No, for once the gates to the Garden of Eden seal themselves, it will never be possible to return back. This…shall be the final parting."

The wall of resolve and strength then shattered in Justin's soul.

"But...but why?!" Justin protested, his voice getting louder and louder with hurt and disbelief, "You can't be serious! Please tell me you're kidding! I thought you said we defeated Elil-rah! I thought you said that the evil darkness was never going to return back in the Garden of Eden!!"

"I was not lying when I said that, Justin," El-ahrairah replied, "Elil-rah has been completely and utterly vanquished, and the evil will never return. By the end of this day, the evil shall be banished from this world...but the reason it still lingers is because of your presence here. The battle with Elil-rah was not the end, young one. There is still one evil that lingers here in the land beyond life and threatens to destroy us all."

Justin then clenched one hand into a fist over his chest as he said fervently and hurriedly, "Then give me the power and send me and Hazel-rah and the rest of the Watership Owsla to fight it! If the evil is still here in the land beyond life, then we have to destroy it before it has a chance to cause chaos again here!! And I don't care if it's still after me! I'm not afraid to face it!!"

The golden rabbit prince looked at Justin with such a meaningful, deep gaze of pity and sadness.

"Justin...the evil that still lingers here in this realm..._is__ you_."

It never rains, but it pours.

"What?" the teenager demanded roughly, hoarsely.

El-ahrairah then turned his head slightly to look solemnly at the dirt walls, unable to reflect on the pools of betrayal swimming in Justin's eyes, as he spoke, "Justin, my young child...I was not lying when I said it was an incredible, if not extreme, omission to allow your presence and being into the land beyond life, even if you were the one to bear the cross. Do you remember saying only moments ago, that despite the potential of love and altruism a human soul carries, it can be overpowered by the vice and ruthlessness of the dark, evil sins that can only appeal to the hearts of men? If you remain here, you could never maintain your heart and soul to be free of evil, and over time, your being in the land beyond life will eventually corrupt it, for this realm is a paradise ONLY for the beasts of Frith. Henceforth, your mere presence here threatens to upset the balance of good in the land beyond life. Remember, men can never come back to the Garden of Eden, and even now, you are no exception."

"But…but I _saved_ everyone! I defeated Elil-rah!! I'm the cross-bearer!!" whined Justin, his voice strained with hurt.

"I know, and I am truly sorry for what I must ask you to do," Elil-rah said, hurt plainly evident with frustration and sorrow in his face, "but you must go back home before the sun sets. You see, before, God blessed your cross with the additional protection that allowed you to live your life here in the Garden of Eden without harm. For this is a spiritual world, and any physical human that steps foot into this realm will vanish and cease to exist. But you were immune so that you could fulfill your role to fight and defeat Elil-rah. However, now that the battle is done and your cross is no longer blessed with the power of light, it cannot protect you anymore, and your life will be in deadly risk if you remain here. Please, young one, do you not understand? You need to go home. You _must_ go home."

"No!!" It was amazing how much defiant anger and denial the human could muster up into one word, into one plaint.

"Justin," El-ahrairah repeated patiently, a bit more firmly with worry, "Do you not see the danger your life shall be in? If you do not return back to your world of men before Frith sets, you will perish without any of the protective power of the cross blessed to you earlier."

"Then give it back to me!! Make me the cross-bearer again!! Damn it, give it to me!!" bellowed Justin, his hands clenched into fists, his face red with rage and disbelieving anguish.

El-ahrairah shook his head solemnly, "It was not of mine to give or take away; it was God's and He has His reasons to end this where it is as of now instead of a later time. Justin, do you not understand that you cannot question His decisions, of why He does not wish for you to remain here in the Garden of Eden longer than necessary? This is the best thing for all of us, whether you agree with it or not, you cannot ignore the fact that what will be will be. Your desire to live here indefinitely cannot happen for it is not meant to happen. You _cannot_ stay here. You were determined upon to live back with your kind, your race, in the world of men and _not_ in this realm. Justin, you cannot live here because He wants you to return back to your home."

"I don't care!!! You have no right!! THIS ISN'T FAIR!!!" Justin was now screaming himself hoarse, his blood rushing to his face.

El-ahrairah was truly remorseful as he looked at the teenager before him, agreeing silently at that aspect.

"Young one, please be understanding: if you do not go back to your home, you will forfeit your life and you shall surely die."

"**THEN LET ME DIE!!!**" wailed Justin, his hands wrenching his flannel shirt, the boy close to breaking down.

El-ahrairah's blue eyes widened slightly in surprise and his brow crinkled in concern. For the first time in his life, the Prince of Rabbits was truly, greatly, taken aback.

Justin continued, his eyes shut with tears of misery already starting to bead between the slits, "You honestly want me to go back?!! Back where no one wanted me?! Back where no one loved me or cared about me?! I don't want to go back, back to where I was never happy to begin with! You only saw me when I was born! You don't know what I went through growing up, how I was picked on and made fun of! You don't know how lonely I felt my entire life because I could never make friends, how my own mother left me alone to be abused by my own dad, and how I never had anyone to trust, to depend on, to look for reassurance that everything was going to be OK! _No one_ loved me!! My life just sucked! It sucked!! And you want me to go back there?!! You're asking me to leave Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig and all the others!! The first and few of the only people who ever gave a damn about me!! They loved me!! They cared for me!! Even if I left, I would be so miserable, I'd die anyway!! I can't do that!! I can't say bye to them!! I can't…**_I won't_**!!!"

The teen nearly bellowed himself hoarse with that last utterance as he tore out of the warren, running into the caverns and burrows, lost and without any sense of direction. Yet it did not matter to the young human being. He just wanted to get out, away from El-ahrairah, and to hopefully see his friends, the rabbits of Watership Down, again. He wanted desperately to see them, have Hazel nuzzle him, tell him that everything would be all right, and that they wouldn't leave him.

"Justin!!" El-ahrairah called out urgently as the boy ran out, but the young human stubbornly ignored the Prince of the Thousand as he vanished in the shadows. El-ahrairah cursed to himself as he shut his eyes and let out his breath in a quaky sigh. This was not going to be easy.

Justin, now no longer hindered by his broken arm, stumbled and meandered wildly through the dark tunnels. He was unable to maintain his bearings in the stuffy blackness, like a panicked mouse in a maze. The adolescent could barely see his hand if it was positioned directly in front of his face. As he wildly took any tunnel that had an uphill incline leading towards the surface, Justin distraughtly tried his best to convince himself that El-ahrairah was lying, that everything the Prince had stated about his need to return home had been propaganda. It had to be, the human thought, nearly choking with the bile of fearful umbrage, it just had to be. It couldn't be true.

Justin kept echoing these misconceptions and denials as he raced upwards, the hardened dirt terrain ascending towards the meadows of Fenlo. The human could tell that the overwhelming aroma of soil was starting to lessen as it dissipated with fresh air wafting down the tunnels, and the dusk turned lighter and lighter, indicating that there was sunshine creeping from the outside. Justin's breath turned into small exclamations of triumphant joy as he kept jogging, nearly having to force himself to climb as some parts of the tunnel became quite steep. If it was still daylight outside, then most likely, the rabbits were already out basking in the setting sun while feeding on the grass…and with them would be Hazel-rah and the other Watership rabbits.

Finally, Justin managed to half-crawl from the outside darkness into the very surface of the meadows of Fenlo, still gracefully submerged with the dying orange and rosy tones of sunset. The fading of the star just further reminded Justin of how little time he had left and how much he wanted to spend it with the rabbits of Watership Down. Determined, the teenager strode out of the tunnel and began half-walking, half-sprinting around the grassy plains, trying to spot the familiar rabbit troupe, darting in between the other rabbits and startling them. However, Justin soon realized something was wrong. As he kept trying to look around for the Watership Owsla, many of the rabbits who spotted him starting squealing and screaming with fright. Their cries rang eerily through the kingdom, and upon hearing them, many of the other Lapine animals also started panicking, setting off a violent and noisy chain reaction. Justin was puzzled. The adolescent thought, what's wrong? Why are they acting like this? Don't they know I'm the cross-bearer, that I won't hurt them? Don't they know I'm their friend?

Unfortunately, not a single rabbit seemed to recognize the human. Kittens begged to escape, and their mothers, snarling and cursing at the human child like some enemy, gathered up their litter and dashed for safety into the holes of the warren. Other rabbits stamped out a loud, pulsating warning into the ground with their sturdy, robust hind legs, and upon the alarm, neighboring rabbits began to dash away too. Soon, it was difficult to spot any rabbit close by without having it shriek in fright and scamper off like the wind. Justin even spotted two weasels, one white and one creamy-brown and correctly guessed that they were Sneezewort and Lousewort. Yet when Justin ran up towards the animals, hoping he could ask if they saw Holly, he noticed they too had changed. Neither of them looked distinctly anthropomorphic and alien in human-like bodies. Instead, they appeared to be nothing more than overgrown, mammoth, natural weasels, with no armor, no metal claws and teeth, and no hominid emotions and features set upon their faces. Justin stepped closer, and upon seeing him, both Sneezewort and Lousewort hissed, their fur rising on ends furiously. They both bared their teeth and batted their air in front of Justin threateningly, warning the teenager that they were going to hurt him if he dared touch the weasels.

Justin was shocked, feeling incredibly let down and deceived. What the hell was going on? He pleaded, trying to soothe them, "Sneezewort, Lousewort, it's me, Justin!! Don't you remember me?!! I'm your friend!!!"

Yet the two creatures who were once Volgnamass' fierce soldiers no longer understood the alien, unfamiliar English words from the young human. They continue hissing and spitting, frightened beyond belief and their bloodthirsty urge to attack being close to the breaking point. The sun's rays bounced off their dilated pupils, showing that their eyes were tinged with the red hotness of primal ferocity. Daunted and taken aback, Justin hurriedly stepped backwards, still confused. What was going on? Why didn't any of the animals recollect him?

In the background, Justin heard distinct barking, and the adolescent turned around to see Rowf and Snitter, the black Labrador and the white, spotted terrier dogs, yapping at him. At first, Justin happily thought that the canines were about to greet him, but then Justin realized with apprehension that their hackles were raised and both dogs were menacingly and savagely growling at him, circling around the human a good distance, as if they were cornering prey. Justin grew more and more troubled. The Plague Dogs were also treating him like an enemy, like a stranger. Justin tried to back off, but Snitter came up from behind him and tried to gnaw at his arm, narrowly missing the young human but nicking him with an afflictive scratch. With the two dogs circling him, there was no way for the human child to back away from the danger. The dogs were deadly intent on keeping Justin where he was, and the teenager was starting to get more and more frightened of the animals. It was like he was seeing his comrades in a whole new light.

Suddenly, Justin felt something hard and thick and sturdy brutally and excruciatingly strike him in the side, and hollering in pain, Justin fell, holding his injured ribs. The teenager looked up to see a fierce, angry-looking vigorous, strong, brawny rabbit with a telltale puff of brown fur atop its head. Justin's eyes widened with hurt as he sucked in his breath. The buck was Bigwig, only without his clothes and mortal body. He was now a true, natural rabbit. And a very angry rabbit now intent on hurting Justin.

"Bigwig, stop, please!" Justin pleaded, tears of hurt and loss welling as he held up a hand in a fruitless attempt to halt the attack, "It's me, Justin! Please, remember me?! It's me, the cross-bearer!! Please, Bigwig!! Don't hurt me!! You know me!!! I'm the cross-bearer!!!"

Bigwig just snarled at the scent of the human enemy, and the buck tried to cuff the child, but Justin managed to slide away from the clawed paw. Yet, another paw struck Justin painfully on his right shoulder, and Justin yelped, feeling the scratch marks open underneath his cotton garment. Justin turned around to see that it was Silver, also now in his terrestrial appearance, and like the other animals, Silver was showing no signs of recognizing the teenager as his former friend and ally. Justin then noticed more and more rabbits were starting to surround him, joining in on the attack. Despite his fear, the teen could make out Holly and Blackberry and Dandelion amongst the Threarah, Flyairth, and even the orange-furred Strawberry, all of them growling and baring their teeth hazardously. Justin then understood. The rabbits and animals were surrounding him to prevent Justin from escaping…so that they could rip him to pieces, like they would to any other enemy. Since they were no longer new creatures of the cross, they had no capability to comprehend what they were doing nor would they even have the will to remember him as the cross-bearer. They were acting upon instinctive nature…just like ordinary animals, no more and no less.

Justin was whimpering, unable to believe it, now ironically in danger and about to die by the paws of the animals he saved from Elil-rah. The rabbits gathered around closer, inching for the kill, their eyes screaming and crying for blood to be spilled, for the punishment of the unnatural infidel.

"Please, don't!!!" cried out Justin. But his appeal for mercy remained lost as the rabbits' paws bore down on his body. Justin shut his eyes, wincing from the incoming pain, unable to bear to think of how it would feel to die this way. Yet there was only silence, except for Justin's beating heart and his quivering sobs.

"Open your eyes, young one. It is all right now. I have removed you from the danger," El-ahrairah's voice rang quietly.

The young human's eyes flew open to see…that he was back in El-ahrairah's chambers, underground and at the very heart of his warren. It was as if Justin never left. Shivering, Justin could only sit in a sprawled position on the dock leaves and, stunned, flashback to the horrific events he had just witnessed. Broken and crushed, the adolescent could only just slightly moan at how the animals never acknowledged him, how they treated him like a foe, and how even his trusted allies and protectors from Watership Down were now no longer the anthropoid guardians he had grown so accustomed to. The memories overwhelmed the former cross-bearer with infinite feelings of sadness, violation, and unsettled, tormenting angst.

El-ahrairah just gently touched his nose against Justin's forehead, bathing him softly with healing sunlight briefly before the luminescence faded, healing the teen's newly acquired wounds. The Prince of all Rabbits knew that Justin's hopes and dreams to remain happily with the comrades he once knew were just cruelly dashed and destroyed, so he had to step delicately around this issue if he wanted the child to listen and return safely.

Justin's entire body was now shaking uncontrollably as his face and nose were streaked, wet with troubled distress. He had to gather himself for several moments before he could voice his anguished soul through his shattered resolution. The juvenile asked, taken aback, "W…Wh…Why?"

It was amazing how one word could emphasize so much of a response.

El-ahrairah explained sadly, "As I have said before Justin, the mission and prophecy are over, completed and finished thoroughly. Once Elil-rah was defeated, the power we shared was used to reform everything in land beyond life back to its original, former glory. Unfortunately, that includes all the animals and beasts of Frith who reside here. Now that Elil-rah's reign of terror has been broken, none of the animals have their former memories of what had happened during the war for Frith and God will not have it so. To retain that knowledge would also risk the balance of what is good and natural to all creatures here. God and Frith both intended the Garden of Eden to be free of any type of man's influence, and that includes the history of you arriving into this realm to face Elil-rah. Now, in order to keep this blissful harmony, none of the animals you met, not the Plague Dogs, not Shardik, not Sneezewort and Lousewort, not even my rabbit subjects, will ever recall how you came and fought Elil-rah. It will only be acknowledged through stories and tales of adventures bygone and past, thought of as anecdotes of fantasy, but it will never be remembered as the real truth."

"You're lying!!" cried the youngster furiously and stubbornly, "If that was true, then how come you still remember it?! How come you can still talk in English and tolerate my being here?!!"

El-ahrairah sighed, "It is because I am one of the pillars in the land beyond life, and indeed, Frith told us that being such guides in the Garden of Eden bears abilities and knowledge not accessible to other animals. Additionally, we are allowed to remember these past events because Frith wanted to remind us of how easily most of the pillars forsaken him and God, how easily they were corrupted, so that we could be repentant and regretful enough to never stray from our duty to protect and safeguard the Garden of Eden ever again."

"But that's not fair!!" yelled Justin, immediately flaring up, "I can't even say bye to them!! I can't even spend my last moments with them!! Bring them back!! Let Hazel and the others have their memories back so that I can say bye to them! So that I can be happy before I die!!"

"I cannot," El-ahrairah confessed helplessly, "for that is a power given to me by God, not of my own. It was for one time only in eras of darkest and dangerous times, a last resort in order to summon the cross-bearer and banish the evil blackness. Yet since the mission is finished, there is no need to have Hazel-rah and the Watership Owsla to remain in those forms any longer, so God turned them back to their Frith-blessed selves, into natural rabbits. I cannot return the Hazel-rah you knew because I do not have the authoritative power to do so."

"So ask God to bring them back!!" roared Justin, now red in the face, "You owe me for this! Damn it, you OWE me!!! **BRING THEM BACK!!! _PLEASE!!!_**"

El-ahrairah then looked firmly into Justin's eyes, a bit severe, "Justin…_I cannot_."

Justin, completely at a loss, then collapsed on his hands and knees, wailing, "No! Please!! You can't do this to me!! Please!! Hazel and the others were the only good things I had in my life!! You don't know what happened to me back home, you don't know what I had to suffer through, how much of a hellhole it was for me!! El-ahrairah, please, don't send me back!! Please! I'm begging you! You never saw what my life was like!! If you did, you wouldn't do this to me! Please, bring back Hazel-rah and the Watership rabbits! Please!! Let me just stay here and die!"

El-ahrairah felt it was time to reveal another piece of information, but unlike the others, this was one the Prince was extremely reluctant and loathe to do so.

"Actually, young Justin…that is something I must confess to you. Even though I was forbidden to enter your world again after you were born, I did not remain willfully unaware about your upbringing and your life. I…I know…what happened to you for I watched you throughout all your life. I viewed your life through the pool in my burrow. So, your belief that I just briefly visited you upon the day of your birth and then left is fallacious. I observed you and have seen everything. Even though I am sending you back home, I know what your life was like."

There was a shocked silence, and the young adult raised his head.

"You...you saw?? Everything??" Justin was white in the face, and, if it was possible, the air in El-ahrairah's burrow went down by several degrees. El-ahrairah, knowing what was about to come, just nodded once glumly.

The teenager was now visibly shaking with disbelief and scandal. He stood up, whispering fiercely, "You...you've seen every thing that happened to me?! _Everything_?! I thought...I thought you left to go back home after you put a piece of your heart inside me when I was born."

El-ahrairah shook his head as Justin's face turned red with embarrassment and anger and lividness.

"No, young one. I...have seen what no animal should have ever seen, what no human ever deserved to go through. I have seen every moment you cried in pain from the beatings your father gave you, I have seen the look of fear and loneliness mirrored onto your face when you were a toddler as you slept alone in your dark room, huddle under the blanket with a rag stuffed in your mouth to prevent your father from hearing you weep when your parents divorced. I understood your embarrassment and humiliated pride as people approached you, trying to urge you to get aid from the abuse you were receiving from home and school. I have seen you beg for mercy as stronger children bullied you, pushed you into the dirt and sand, and stolen what little belongings you had. I have heard every word of disdain, every insult thrown at you, every spiteful trick played on you. I felt every bit of that pain as it stripped pieces of your own heart, every shred of hope and happiness, for it also did wound my heart since we became linked ever since on the day of your birth. So...yes, Justin. I have seen, I have heard, and I have felt. Everything."

Justin just stood, still at ice, his anger and frustration at his peak, with the Prince of Rabbits looking at him intently but sadly, their bodies no more than two feet apart.

Justin's hand twitched.

WHAP!

El-ahrairah did not show the slightest bother of discomfort, but his cheek reddened underneath his fur and his head was still turned to the side of the room from the impact of the swift, angry slap the human child delivered on his face. Embleer Frith, the kid had a good cuff.

Justin's voice was thick with hurt and accusation as he said in a low, dangerous voice, "Why didn't you do anything?"

El-ahrairah just remained silent, still maintaining his strong gaze directly into Justin's eyes.

"Why didn't you do anything?!"

El-ahrairah did not answer. Justin was now screaming again.

"Why didn't you do anything??!!"

The teen, now livid with rage and shock, threw himself upon El-ahrairah rather unsuccessfully and struck the Prince of Rabbits again in the face. El-ahrairah remained as still and stolid as stone, and the blows were doing very little to break the rabbit's calm demeanor. However, this was because El-ahrairah was hurting many times worse inside.

"**WHY DIDN'T YOU DO ANYTHING??!!!**"

El-ahrairah just mournfully looked at Justin wordlessly.

"You son of a bitch, why didn't you do anything?!!" Justin was now wild beyond control as, like a child with a tantrum, he kept pounding his fists against El-ahrairah's torso, not caring the bolts of pain shooting against his hands and carpals, "You saw, you knew and yet you didn't do anything!! Why?! WHY?!!! WHY DIDN'T YOU DO A DAMN THING TO PROTECT ME?!! **WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP ME?!!!**"

El-ahrairah just looked at the teenager with regret as he gave no indication that the beating Justin was giving him bothered him in the least. That made Justin angrier; he wanted to hurt El-ahrairah, break him, do anything to give the insensitive bastard an inkling of the hell he went through. Over and over, Justin kept trying to do anything he could to hurt El-ahrairah, and he even dug his fingers into the rabbit's flesh and tore at it, bits of pelt falling to the ground. The Prince of Rabbits still did not say a single word and remained like a statue. No matter how much Justin tried, he could not make any damage onto the rabbit's body. The rage and frustrated blame was now out of control, pouring out of Justin's wounded heart like a waterfall of unfairness and anguish. He kept striking the Prince for several minutes until his strength gave out, and panting, over-exerted, the boy sank to his knees, his entire body weak, bawling uncontrollably. His hands and knuckles were bruised and had patches of El-ahrairah's fur where he ripped it out from the rabbit's upper body. Justin's gasps were mixed with his painful sobs, his hurt still deep and his anger defeated by El-ahrairah's stoniness. The now dejected teenager lamented for a final time in a hushed, strained voice.

"Do you hate me that much? Did you enjoy watching me suffer?"

"No, young child. It is not as you say."

El-ahrairah's voice was clipped, the memories of what he had seen of Justin's life threatening to overwhelm his judgment and resolve.

"You are truly naive and foolish if you think I would heartlessly turn my back on such. Yes, I had seen what you had endured, but what would you have wanted me to achieve? Appeared in front of your father and demand that he would do what was right by you? Attacked all the children and fellow teenagers that picked on you and insulted your demeanor and heart, cuffed and scratched them until they bled? Should I have whispered to your mother to never divorce your father, even though it meant that she and your sister would have been as miserable as you were? Should I have acted as your guardian and sheltered you from every danger and malicious scorn that would have arrived into your life? Should have I taken you from your life of your father and adopted you as my own child, having you to live with me in the land beyond life? _I cannot do that_. Even witnessing the day of your birth was a tremendous taboo, one that neither God nor Frith nor Prince Rainbow greatly appreciated, even though it was necessary to present your birthright. Young Justin, can you see that I cannot fight your battles for you? That I am not your lord and savior that can change everything to make life carefree, blissful, and perfect? That I cannot save you?"

"Why the hell not?!" yelled Justin, outraged, "You expected _me_ to fight _your_ battle with Elil-rah!! You had _me_ heal you!! So why couldn't you do it for me?!! Why couldn't you save me?!! Why couldn't you be there for me when I needed you?!!"

"Because it was not my responsibility nor was it my destiny allowed by Frith!" roared El-ahrairah angrily, now coming to his end. Justin just stared back down to the ground, sullen and brooding.

"I hate you. I hate you! I should never have come. I should never have healed you. You never cared for me at all," Justin garroted as he began to sob again.

El-ahrairah had a look of regret and pain on his face. Justin's words, though said in blind anger, could not have been more excruciating. They were more unbearable than anything Elil-rah could have inflicted upon him. The Prince then continued softly, his voice as gentle as rose petals falling on summer grass.

"Justin, you have always known this: life is never fair and free from burdens. It is true for my people, it is true for all beasts of Frith...and it is exceptionally true for the race of men."

Justin just concentrated on the buzzing roar in his flushed ears as he kept wailing softly.

"But it is as you once told Acorn, one of the messengers I sent to protect you, yourself with your own words...that the pains, the trials, and the sorrows are all a part of life, that they give us strength and enable ourselves to grow and mature into stronger beings. In short, you have heard so many times that what does not kill you only makes you stronger. It is the truth, young one, regardless how much your heart tells you otherwise."

"Don't you dare throw my words back at me!" Justin shouted, flaring immediately, "You...you...you're the last person to lecture me about this crap! It won't go away! It won't _ever_ go away!! You're betraying me! You're abandoning me! Just like everyone else in my life! And you think that I'll get over it?! You honestly think that this is something I can just forget?! I should have known better than to honestly put my faith in those lies!!"

El-ahrairah, bless him, did not falter in his gaze as he continued to look deeply and expressively into the boy's wounded soul.

"You may not realize it now, young one, and I understand that. This was a burden that had a high cost at your expense...and you have paid for it dearly, and unknowingly, without thanks or reward...and I am truly sorry for that. If I could...I would gladly welcome you to live the rest of your days at my warren, without caring how many, including Frith, would object at allowing a man to stay at the Garden of Eden. However...I care about you more than that, more than you may think, and that devotion was enough to make me see that granting your wishes to remain here would not be a gift, but a punishment and a curse. Without the protective jewel of God, you will die and vanish from the land beyond life, but even with that knowledge, you continue to wish to live out the remaining hours in happiness rather than going back to the world of men. You are waiting for death by your own terms...and I cannot allow that. God will not allow that. He has plans for an existence for you, a life in the physical world and not in ours. And it is not your decision to decide whether or not it is fair or unfair, whether it is time to live or time to die, and whether or not you have the power to decide what is to happen in your life. And it would be cruel to deny you what God has in store for you, to let you die and give up all God has for you in short-sighted vain. Though God cannot force you to make a decision, I hope I can at least convince you to make the right one. Regardless of what you have endured, it is still a beautiful life. A life that would be far better to live in than here. Even as of now, I can see the troubles that will arise because of this: there would be turmoil and anger and discord amongst the animals once they learnt that a human has been granted permission to live in their haven when many of our friends have suffered terrible travesties by the hand of man themselves, there would be arguments, fights, and order would break apart. It would be another war, but this time, it would be over you, and it would be all the more hurtful and heartbreaking and painful. As much as I care about you, Justin...I cannot ignore the safety and duty as the Pillar of Peace and Harmony to uphold and maintain the land beyond life for you. As much as it disgusts me to say this...I have to follow the greater good."

Justin clenched his teeth painfully, his hands now scrunching the dirt on the ground tightly.

"Justin…you were promised a beautiful life, but that does not mean that it will be easy. Nothing in the lives of men, or animals for that matter, is ever so simple. However, it is still a good life nonetheless."

The boy just shuddered with the icy, artic gloom surging in his chest.

"Yes, you have a right to be outraged, angry, even have feelings of betrayal. I do not dispute that. Yet, understand I could not do what you wished for me, that I could not do what you have requested. To do so would have resulted in grave consequences, not only for myself, but for Hazel-rah and the rabbits of Watership Down, and indeed, all creatures in the land beyond life as well. Allowing you to remain here would upset the balance of peace and tranquility in the Garden of Eden, and I know you would never wish that on any of the animals you have encountered here in the land beyond life."

Justin had to swallow the steaming bile of rage threatening to spew out of his mouth. Leave it to El-ahrairah to choose which reasons could hurt and guilt the most.

"After the day you were born, God and Frith had forbidden me from visiting you any more than necessary, and I was not as foolish and rash as to disobey that order, for the sake of all in the land beyond life. Please realize, young Justin, that I am not the glorified, brash, devil-may-care hero and trickster that you perceive me to be, but I am also a leader, pillar, and sage to my people and kingdom, first and foremost. I cannot…no…I _will not_ forsake them nor put their lives and well-being at risk. However, I also cared about you as well. I did not want to abandon you either, so I discreetly kept watch over you. In the pool of my personal chambers, I viewed you growing up in the physical world. I stood by when you came across painful burdens and trials that have deeply wounded your soul. I have wept when I saw how much pain and anger you were exposed to, how deeply hurt you were by scorn and hate. I refused to avert my watch and remain ignorant, but rather, I continued to observe you, through the periods of your life, through both the joyous times and the tragic times. There were even a few, scant occurrences when, God and Frith forgive me, I intruded upon your dreams, and though you would never remember them the following morn, I empathically endeavored you with pure feelings of joy, happiness, and contentment, feelings humans could rarely experience alone. It was not because I had to, but because I wanted to. Keep in mind, it would have been so much simpler of me to ignore your torment, to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye on your cries, pleas, and hopes of a family to love and cherish you, to not concern myself over your situation and only view you as a tool to help me and my subjects."

Justin felt his sweat trickle down his back underneath his clothes.

"Do you still think that I did nothing to help ease the pain? Do you still believe that I just used you without giving a damn about your condition, that I ignored your angst and sorrows?"

Stubbornly, Justin nodded. There was a tense pause.

"But that is where you are wrong, Justin," El-ahrairah stated, his voice with thick emotion, "I _did_ do something."

There was another pause before El-ahrairah whispered again, his voice shaking.

"I was there."

Justin looked up in numb shock to see El-ahrairah, the Prince of all Rabbits, staring firmly downwards at Justin with two small rivers of tears running down his whiskers from his pained blue eyes.

After the tearful discussion with El-ahrairah, Justin was being led further below the warren by Rabscuttle, who surprisingly, was unchanged by reformation of the land beyond life, and the buck was treating the human civilly with cordial respect and kindness. It cheered Justin a little, but not much. He was still incredibly despondent and lost in regretful mourning.

El-ahrairah then explained to Justin that there was a secret portal, a rip in time and space, below and buried in the very depths of the rabbit city that leads directly to the physical world of men. El-ahrairah himself had used it twice in the times he had to come to Justin's world to visit the chosen human. It was well-hidden deep underground, and not a single rabbit or creature knew of the hole's existence. Not even the other pillars of the Garden of Eden had any knowledge about it for the portal was El-ahrairah's most guarded secret. And he appropriately named it "The Burrow of the Worlds".

Justin, feeling that he had nothing left, went along without much argument and protest. Yet, as he followed the shape of Rabscuttle as best as he could in the growing darkness by keeping a hand upon the buck's furry back for guidance, the youth wished with all of his heart that it would not end this way. He prayed with torn agony inside his heart and soul that he would not leave feeling so empty, so alone, so forsaken.

In his chambers, El-ahrairah was also unhappy and distressed as well. He stayed in his burrow with respect for the cross-bearer's wishes. After the agonizing dialogue and after the Prince told Justin about the Burrow of the Worlds, El-ahrairah offered to be present for his sending off, wishing to say farewell and to try to lessen the broken hate between the two of them. Justin, with incredibly suppressed rage, sourness, and loathing, flatly rejected the offer. The unspoken accusations of abandonment and Justin's unwillingness to forgive greatly saddened El-ahrairah. Yet, true to his word, he commanded Rabscuttle to escort the human youngster through the warren and into the portal where he would go home.

However, the Prince of all Rabbits still could not be at peace with himself, not after what Justin had to endure all for nothing. If only the youngster would not leave with such a wounded spirit…

But it was impossible. If Justin would not listen to El-ahrairah, it was highly unlikely he would listen and open his heart again to any other creature. Except perhaps…

El-ahrairah gravely and sadly raised his gaze to the ceiling of the cavern and whispered his prayer, "O Frith, my heart has joined the Thousand for my friend stopped running today…and he will perhaps never run again forevermore. O God of all men…please, for Justin's sake, heal him. Please, grant him one last chance of respite for I am powerless to do so."

Justin and Rabscuttle then arrived to a wide, circular, snug room, coming at an end to their descent. The teenager then noticed that at the very end of the dank lodging, heavily wrenched with the odor of clod and dirt, was a perfectly circular, golden gateway. It was similar to being a flat disc of the darkest shadows, yet littered with infinite, various fair stars and sparks, twinkling, glittering, flickering instantaneously, swirling around towards the very center of the portal like a whirlpool of sunlight. Serenely, the doorway stood, bathing the room with a soft illumination of vibrant gold and yellow.

Dazed and frozen with grief, Justin then became vaguely aware that Rabscuttle was nudging him gently in the thigh with his nose, encouraging him to walk through the window of reality that would send him back to his home. Justin's face fell as he miserably stared at the buck before turning his attention to the swirling lights. With the heaviest of hearts, Justin stepped forward.

Hazel-rah, the legendary first Chief rabbit of Watership Down, immediately perked his head up from silflay with Hyzenthlay and Blackavar. The brown rabbit then stared back at the Great Tree where El-ahrairah's warren was housed under, his eyes troubled and his nose twitching with extreme contemplation. He could not explain why…but there was a warm surge of power, of loss, of warning… perturbing his heart. What was this feeling of urgent haste? This feeling of…love?

Noticing her mate's vexation, Hyzenthlay also stopped feeding and asked Hazel gently in Lapine, "Hazel, whatever is the matter? Is there something wrong?"

Hazel then whispered one word, not in Lapine…_but in English_.

"Cross-bearer."

"Hazel, what in the name of Frith and Inle did you just say?? What are you talking about?"

"I'll be back, Hyzenthlay," Hazel said shortly, and with that, the rabbit took off, making a beeline straight towards the warren. Blackavar and Hyzenthlay could only just watch after their friend, bewildered and unsure of what had just transpired.

Hazel-rah's heart kept beating against his ribs, his muscles becoming looser and looser with each hop, every step pounding the ground with forcible worry. He did not know why. He did not know who. He did not know how. All that the buck rabbit knew was that he was needed, and like a beacon, some divine force was guiding him, in his heart, towards the warren. And he was not alone. Fourteen other rabbits, little by little, were all making their way through the crowds that were at silflay, sleeping, and playing with the kittens. It was the Watership Owsla: Bluebell, Campion, Bigwig, Acorn, Hawkbit, Silver, Pipkin, Blackberry, Speedwell, Buckthorn, Fiver, Dandelion, Strawberry, and Holly. Largely unnoticed, as one, the troupe barreled into the tunnels at top speed. Running in single file, the Watership soldiers galloped with disconcerting, dire exigency, their breaths short, their sides aching, and their fur matted with moist sweat. Without question or even pausing to get bearings, Hazel and his faithful band burrowed deeper and deeper in the rabbit city. For what seemed like an eternity, the fellowship dove into the deeper and deeper darkness of the earth, now miles below the surface. Yet, Hazel could see a dim glow of sun at the end of the passage, and encouraged, they pressed forward harder.

With one voice, all of them, though they had no idea why, cried out a single word thought to have been supposedly long banished and forgotten in the Garden of Eden.

"**_CROSS-BEARER!!!_**"

Justin was now several feet from the portal when he thought he heard…screaming?

He and Rabscuttle, alarmed, turned to hear the scuffling and stamping of something, no, a group of rabbits, pushing and fighting their way into the cavern. Justin's eyes widened as he immediately guessed, hoped, who the rabbits were. Yet before he could get a good look, all the rabbits, as they made their way through the entrance of the cavern with the Burrow of the Worlds, were bathed with a sudden outpouring of pure sunlight, endless, overwhelming, flooding the entire room.

"It…it can't be," murmured Justin in shock as he winced and covered his eyes from the blinding illumination from all around.

El-ahrairah gasped in shock at the sudden burst of familiar magic that vibrated across the warren and into his very senses before the realization dawned upon him. With tears once again streaming down his face, the Prince of the Thousand lifted his eyes upward and whispered with a smile, "Thank you."

Justin winced at the brightness of the sudden flash of sunlight before the blaze cleared away to reveal fifteen familiar figures standing before the adolescent.

It was the Watership Owsla, once again in their anthropomorphic forms and variously colored tunics and armor, all gathered together in the cavern with sadness and relief mirroring their faces. And in the very front and center was their leader and first Chief Rabbit of Watership Down.

Hazel-rah, in his full glory, managed to smile with tears in his eyes as he opened his paws wide as echoed what Justin had once asked from him while in the holes of affliction in the warren of the Black Rabbit of Inle.

"Before you go, one last hug?" the buck gently spoke in English.

Justin's breath was quivering into small gasps, his body shaking with so much relief and joy, he could scarcely believe what he was seeing again. They had come back…for him. They were brought back, for one last time.

Justin turned to Rabscuttle with a desperate, pained, pleading expression. He begged, hoarse with whimpers, "Please? _Please_?? I...I can't -"

But Rabscuttle nodded, knowing that Frith and El-ahrairah would not object. In fact, they would encourage it. Grateful and more so heartbroken at the reminder of the farewells, Justin tore into the Watership Owsla where they all, sadly and miserably, gave their partings.

Bluebell managed to shove his way through the crowd first as he warmly embraced his human fried, squeezing him for all he was worth and nuzzling in Justin's hair.

"I...I guess this means I can't listen to you tell me any more jokes from now on," Justin managed to say underneath the mass of fur.

Bluebell choked out despite his overpowering urge to blubber, "I do not believe there will ever be a joke of this world that can help me ease the sadness of you leaving. Promise me that you will not forget how much I care about you, Justin, all right?"

Justin, sniffing, broke away only to come face to face with Campion, his face burdened with sorrow and wretchedness.

"Justin..." the Wide Patrol veteran hoarsely and tightly whispered, and slowly, as if he was weighed down by old age and fatigue, he drew the boy close, pressing his nose against Justin's forehead and silently blessing him. Justin heard Campion then whisper in his ear, "You would make me proud to have you if you were a rabbit kitten in any one of my Wide Patrols. You are a true soul and loyal until the end. Never give up on that, all right young one? Never lose your faith in yourself."

"It's so hard though," Justin replied, depressed.

"It always is," Campion answered meaningfully as Justin left his embrace with a heavy heart.

Bigwig hopped in front of Justin before he could decide which rabbit he could say goodbye to next. The teenager was shocked to see that Bigwig's face, instead of the stern, brave, steely facade he always exhibited, was pained and supportive. Both the human and the Owsla rabbit just stood staring at each other for several seconds before Bigwig reached over and ruffled Justin's hair gently, fatherly, brotherly. He gave a grave sigh.

"I wish I could always protect you, Justin...but you do not need it. You are far stronger and more courageous than any of us can ever comprehend. Do not ever give in the lie that you are weak, you young hlessi."

With deep breaths to quell the pain in his chest, Justin nodded, clammy and cold.

Acorn gently nuzzled his face against Justin's cheek as he also embraced the teenager with a soft, yet awkward hug from behind. Justin gripped the rabbit's paws as he murmured softly, "Life isn't fair."

Acorn's whiskers danced on Justin's face as he replied with great emotion and comprehension, "It usually never is...and I know even you have a hard time accepting that. After everything that has happened to you, you feel such outrage that nothing good ever lasts in your life, that you have to say farewell before you even had a chance to make introductions." There was a pause before Acorn then said, "You were there for me when I needed praise and encouragement...but I do not know how to return the favor. I cannot tell you what you already know...and resent. I cannot tell you that it will somehow be all right...because it won't. But I can tell you this: life will surely go on, and so will you."

Sullen, Justin nodded, wiping his face with his sleeve before Hawkbit then came up to the adolescent. Justin felt his eyes well up when he saw the look of pain and sorrow mar Hawkbit's usual appearance of cantankerous, sardonic pessimism. Justin placed a soft hand on Hawkbit's cheek, trying to make his voice sound jovial as he requested with forced enthusiasm, "Hey, please don't. Don't cry, please. I...I always want you to stay your mean, sarcastic, sniping, gloomy personality."

The blackish rabbit snapped hastily, "Cry?! _Me_??! Frith and Inle, you duffer! You have hraka in your head if you think I'll be crying at a time like this! I _never_ cry!"

Ignoring the snorts of the rabbits who heard Hawkbit's remark, Justin just gave his protector a fierce bear-hug, and Hawkbit just groaned, rolling his eyes, "All right, all right! That is enough, Justin! Fur and paw, you're too sentimental!"

Justin sniffed despite smiling, "Don't ever change, Hawkbit."

The Watership warrior just sneered good-naturedly, but his green eyes couldn't hide the torment that he registered, "I don't need you telling me what to do."

Silver was already shedding silent tears as he stood upright and softly, but lovingly, squeezed the boy for all his was worth to his soft, furry chest, and Justin, despite the warmth, felt as cold and emotionally empty as ice. Silver kept whimpering as he buried his nose into the boy's hair, taking in his scent, and Justin finally said, "Thank you, for…for everything. And…and I know it wasn't easy to stand up to your uncle like that. But, for what it's worth, I'm proud that you did…and you should be proud too."

Silver choked, "I became proud of what I had become the instant you came into our lives. And maybe someday, my uncle and I can heal together and as a family."

"I don't doubt it," snuffled Justin as Silver released him in a subdued manner.

Pipkin was already blubbering and crying softly behind his paws. Justin was about to stoop down and pick him up like a baby in order to hug him as well, but Pipkin fiercely held up a paw to halt the adolescent as he stood on his hind legs.

"No," Pipkin whined clearly, "I don't want to be cuddled and treated like a kitten. I want…I want to be able to say goodbye to you directly without regret and you thinking that I'm too emotionally fragile or…or a weakling." Pipkin then directly looked into Justin face, tears still streaming down his fur. He continued, "I will always remember you, I won't ever forget you, and…and someday, maybe I'll get my wings again and be your guardian angel like before."

Justin gave a sad smile.

"Pipkin, you already are."

The dwarf rabbit cried happily at this remark as he nodded silently, maintaining himself from breaking down in front of Justin. Justin then turned to Blackberry, the inventor and ingenious buck with inspiration…and prejudice. Yet, as the boy stood before his rabbit guardian, he knew he could never begrudge Blackberry for how he had developed such cynicism and mistrust for men after being hurt in the past. Blackberry shamefully averted his eyes downward, but Justin slowly walked up to him and pressed a hand against the black-eared rabbit's face and whiskers, causing Blackberry to look at Justin's sympathetic expression.

"Don't blame yourself," Justin murmured, "I don't."

Blackberry replied, "You have every right to, young one…and to be brutally honest, a…a part of me still regrets for standing up for you and losing my standing with Flyairth."

Justin wasn't fooled, and he prodded gently, "But…"

"…but I do not regret that I obeyed El-ahrairah's orders and protected you as well as I could. I…I'm just sorry that…that I…"

Justin finished gracefully for his friend, "I know, I know, Blackberry. You're sorry that we can't spend as much time together as we once thought and that we have to say goodbye."

Blackberry became a bit irked as he tried to clarify with a frustrated tone, "No…O Frith and Inle, young one, that wasn't what I meant to say -"

The teenager then gently placed his hand over Blackberry's snout, stopping the buck. Blackberry was stunned at the peaceful expression and wisdom shining in Justin's sorrowful eyes. The human then solemnly stated, "I know…but let's keep it this way."

"You young duffer," Blackberry scolded, but then he fiercely hugged Justin while touching noses with him.

Speedwell then mockingly sniped, "Hey, you black-eared bucko, leave Justin for the rest of us, you bloody hog!"

"Don't make me come over there and give you a good kick to your furry tail, Speedwell," growled Blackberry teasingly as Justin parted.

Speedwell, as his turn came up, tried to keep his voice jovial, but there was a dead, lifeless gray cloud of doom and despair haunting his usually cheery face. Justin then quipped, "Maybe someday, we can meet again in our dreams?"

Speedwell threw the human child a mock glower as he said, annoyed, "I daresay I have had my fill of dreams after this entire mess, you little scamp!"

Justin winked, smiling, and Speedwell then roared before grabbing Justin in a bear-hug and nuzzled him with great, tender affection before whispering, "Maybe we will, young one. Maybe we will."

Justin couldn't help smiling after saying goodbye to Speedwell, but when he came across Buckthorn, his heart threatened to break again. Buckthorn just stood on his hind legs, staring at Justin silently with a single look of concentrated misery and hopeless mourning that Justin could not help but be reminded of how painful it was to leave the land beyond life. Buckthorn's crystal-blue eyes were brimming with tears and the buck looked so old, weary…and alone. Knowing words were not the rabbit's forte, the teenager just wordlessly walked over to the rabbit, and Buckthorn nearly grabbed him and clung on tightly, as if he was drowning in an endless sea and Justin was the only life preserver. Justin could feel the rabbit warrior's strength nearly crushing him, but he managed to tell Buckthorn underneath the mass of fur, "I wish I didn't have to go either."

Buckthorn let out a shuddering sigh, his body quaking. But Justin then said softly, "But you're not alone. The others of the Watership Owsla care for you, just like how you care for them."

"I know," Buckthorn simply, and dejectedly, answered. But as Justin left, Buckthorn's paw lingered for a moment on the human's shoulder, as if he wanted a few more precious seconds of this time to remain.

Fiver, despite the sadness, had a look of peaceful resignation and acceptance, as if he already knew this was to happen (and most likely, he probably did). As Justin knelt down on one knee to give the Owsla seer one last hug, Fiver whispered, quoting a sentence from the story 'Watership Down', "There is not a day or a night but a doe offers her life for her kittens, or some honest captain of Owsla his life for his Chief Rabbit's. Sometimes it is taken, sometimes it is not. But there is no bargain, for here what is is what must be."

"I just wish it was in this case," whined Justin unintentionally, "It's so hard, asking me to leave a place where I felt really happy, where I felt loved and accepted."

Fiver then compassionately looked at the chosen human before he said mysteriously, "The sun will rise and set, the grass shall grow and die, and so too, will pass your era of sadness and loneliness and guilt."

"Is that a guess or a promise?" Justin wasn't sure he would put his entire faith on that. Fiver, understanding the doubt caused by the hurt and anger, replied gently, "It is whatever you make it out to be, young Justin."

As Dandelion came up to Justin, the golden storyteller then took Justin's hands in his own paws as he spoke with the passion only a true poet and storyteller could invoke, "The story is finished now, the chronicles are at the very end. I…I would be honored if I could be the one, lone rabbit to spread the tales of our adventures to all the creatures in the land beyond life. But…I will not do it if it does not have your blessings, young one."

Justin nodded and then he felt the tears roll out of his eyes as he grasped Dandelion around the waist and said hoarsely, "It will be a wonderful story, and I know you'll do it justice. I just wish I could hear you tell it in the Great Hall of El-ahrairah's warren."

Dandelion hugged the teenager back, whispering lovingly, "Perhaps someday, this story will also be told to the men of your world, my first and special kitten. Take care of yourself, for all our sakes."

Strawberry then came up wordlessly with his head bowed in sadness and regret.

"Sometimes, following the greater good is not always beneficial," Strawberry supplicated meaningfully, "especially if it comes at one's expense."

Justin frowned to himself at the memory of him screaming and ranting at El-ahrairah for forcing him to go back home. The adolescent gripped his elbows tightly, saying with icy resentment, "It didn't stop El-ahrairah from doing it though."

Justin then felt Strawberry lift his chin up with one paw in order to force the human to look into the rabbit's eyes to convey the full message, "And El-ahrairah did not wish to. Please, for Frith's sake, Justin. Do not let this turn you into a bitter and mistrustful person, letting it cloud the soul of the boy I have loved and truly cared for with all my desired heart and confidence. It was what turned Cowslip and Silverweed into the monsters they were under Elil-rah, and I certainly do not wish for it to happen to you as well. And I know how you feel in addition, young one. Betrayal and abandonment will always hurt."

Justin's eyes welled again at this but then Strawberry said the next sentence with such great vigor and ardor that the human child would never be able to forget it.

"But you are not being abandoned, Justin. You are being let go…to wander and find another, and most likely better, path for you to journey on. Abandonment and liberation are two different things, young one." Conflicted, Justin could honestly say he didn't feel as bad as before while Strawberry touched noses with him.

Holly was the second to last, and the whiskered, gray rabbit truly seemed to be worn out and elderly with fatigue and woe. He appeared to be like a wretched grandfather who had to see his own grandchild die before him, wasting away the child's potential years of vitality and youth and happiness. Yet Holly managed to embrace Justin lovingly without giving in to his grief. With steely resolve, Holly sighed with fondness, "Do you remember when Damien injured me and how I was so wounded, I could not travel and had to be left behind from the mission? You did not leave me, even though it could have been easier. I…I just wish I could do the same for you now. Please forgive me for not being able to."

"I don't blame you, Holly," Justin choked, "but I wish you could come with me too. You've been more of a father to me than my own biological father, and I hate the fact that he is what I will be going back to."

"And I as well, my young friend," Holly murmured, "Just remember us and how proud you have made all of us, especially El-ahrairah and God. Remember that. And I will tell Sneezewort and Lousewort that you have said farewell. Even if they do not remember you, they would miss you all the same for they love you as well."

"Thank you," whispered Justin. Then he came face to face with the last rabbit to say valediction to. Hazel, with eternal sadness in his eyes, opened his paws, and Justin let the benevolent leader embrace him for one final time. All the memories of his adventures, his trials, his many moments of laughter, happiness, contentment, peace, and safety under the wing of his Watership guardians and protectors were overwhelming. Inundated, Justin could only whimper as he started to weep again, mumbling softly, "I think I'll miss you the most of all, Hazel."

Hazel was silent during this, pondering, as he felt the cold body of Justin grasp his torso desperately. But with a heavy heart and sorrowful eyes, the first Chief Rabbit of Watership Down then murmured a single statement in Lapine to symbolize the apotheosis of how he and the rest of the rabbit Owsla felt.

"U vahra ma, rusati ma, ven atha ma," Hazel whispered tenderly in Justin's ear.

The other rabbits, hearing this with their sharp ears, then all whispered solemnly, repeating the very same statement in a chorus of formal reverence and regard.

"U vahra ma, rusati ma, ven atha ma."

Justin, confused at the unfamiliar language, lifted his face up slowly to stare at Hazel and the others in bewilderment.

"What...what did that mean?" Justin whimpered, sniffing.

" '_U vahra ma, rusati ma, ven atha ma_' is an old adage of rabbits, " Hazel explained softly, touching the adolescent's cheek gently by the pads of his paw, "It literally means, '_My friend, my brother, in my heart_' and it is only used in times of showing utmost respect, loyalty, and honor, not to be taken lightly."

Holly, with a glum expression, choked, "When rabbits feel a strong bond with those they care about, it is used to declare that particular creature to be their brother, their family, in their hearts. It means that you, young one, are literally our _rusatitha_, our 'heart-brother'. And you'll always be our brother, regardless of whether or not you are a rabbit."

Campion then said in a tight, strained voice, "It basically means to say...we love you, and we will never forget you."

Strawberry snuffled, trying his best not to give in to the grief, "Our hearts are now one. We will always be in your heart, just as you will always have a prized place in ours."

Acorn then spoke with his head bowed down, not willing to allow the cross-bearer to glimpse at the pain hammered into his facial features, "We may never see each other again...but we will never forget each other."

"No matter what, our hearts will always bring us back together again," Buckthorn said, scuffling nervously.

"Oh god," sobbed Justin, now feeling a fresh, new wave of tears to break from the infinite dam of sadness. And the teenager wasn't the only one. Hazel and the rest of the rabbits were crying silently. Dandelion, Hawkbit, Bluebell, Pipkin and Speedwell were all bawling without restraint and hugging each other in an awkward, yet humorous, fashion.

Rabscuttle then said something unintelligible in Lapine, but with an urgent tone, and the teen did not need anyone to translate for him that he must go now. In a few minutes, the very last traces of the sun would be extinguished, and either Justin took the path back home, or he would die. The rabbits of the Watership Owsla looked at each other uncomfortably and reluctantly before turning to Justin.

"Justin, go," Hazel said, and this time, unlike when Justin and Hazel were at the very openings of the holes of affliction in the warren of the Black Rabbit of Inle, Hazel's voice was not forceful or sharp.

Justin just stood there, still and unmovable, hesitating. He could refuse right now. He really could just accept death right then and there. None of the rabbits could stop him.

"Justin??" Bluebell's voice was a bit fearful, and Acorn and Pipkin were starting to show traces of alarm in their complexions.

The human adolescent still stood there stubbornly.

"Justin, for Frith's sake and for yours, go back home," Bigwig gently ordered.

Their friend ignored the plea and just remained standing where he was. The sun was now about to go out and the dusk of nightfall was descending upon the fields of Fenlo lower and lower. Holly, Campion, and Bigwig looked as if they were ready to run up to their friend and throw him into the swirling gate of light. Yet Hazel then said the final words Justin would ever heard from the land beyond life.

"Saying goodbye is not the end, young cross-bearer," Hazel commented with great love and understanding, "If there is a way, it shall happen."

His flesh feeling like burdened lead, Justin then tore off into the aura of swirling sunlight and plunged into the portal. With a _whoosh_, he felt a sudden pull of force gripped all over his body as he speed into a chasm of black nothingness followed by the inviting gleam of blazing warmth at the end of the tunnel. The brief sensation of flying at incredible speeds, and then, the teenager lost consciousness once again as the light overcame him.


	33. Epilogue

**CHAPTER 32****: Epilogue**

When Justin awoke, he saw nothing but the pale blue sky, intermingled with the few, puffy clouds wallowing through lazily. He was lying on something hard and irritatingly scratchy and bumpy. At first, Justin thought, hoped even, that he was still in the land beyond life, in the Garden of Eden.

Then he heard the distant noise of passing semis on the highway, the smell of vehicle exhaust fumes polluting the air, and hanging above, the faint yet definite mindless of chatter of human conversation. With some effort, Justin managed to prop himself into a sitting position to see…that he was back in the empty lot next to his church, lying there helplessly amongst the yellow and brown weeds and dusty ground. Across the street was the familiar coffee shop and bus stop along with a few people happily walking up and down the sidewalks, busying themselves with their own agendas and not taking the slightest notice of the morose teenager. It was clear that once again, Justin was back home, in the physical world of men. And this time, it was not a dream or an illusion. Justin returned back to his own world, and he would never once again return to the Garden of Eden. However, like before in Woundwort's illusion, Justin just sat there, amongst the dry plants, as he cradled up in a sitting fetal position and began to sob bitterly. He wished he could go back. He hoped this was also an illusion as well. He prayed that perhaps, El-ahrairah would suddenly appear in front of him, stating that he changed his mind and wanted Justin to live in the Garden of Eden with him and the Watership rabbits.

It was past sunset and well into the twilight when Justin soon gave up, realizing that no matter how long he stayed there, El-ahrairah wasn't going to invite him back. As he stood up stiffly, Justin then unclasped the plain, silver cross necklace and held it gingerly in his hand. No longer the powerful weapon it used to be, the trinket just lay there against the skin of his red, callused palm. Justin couldn't stop shaking as he stared at the cross. With an angry roar of rage and scandal, Justin threw it into the gutter as hard as he could, letting the waters of the sewer wash it away to parts unknown. With a dark mood and a dark heart, Justin angrily gathered up his nearby backpack and books and stomped home, burning with the intensities of a thousand hell-fires.

Soon, Justin was home, and to his shattered hope and even further disappointment, it was the same dilapidated, wooden house with the dry, brown, weedy garden and untended, shambled exterior it always was. No changes, no new improvements, nothing. It was not another one of Woundwort's illusions. It was yet another sign that Justin was back in his own, cold, harsh reality. And there, standing in the doorway, fuming greatly, was his father, red in the face and looking as if he was ready to rip Justin apart with his bare hands.

Normally, such a sight would mean Justin would be in for a beating, and this would have terrified the teen to the point of cold sweat and weak knees. However, after facing Elil-rah and his Owsla so many times, Justin didn't care anymore. And if his father beat him to death…it would have been preferable. After all, the adolescent could honestly say he didn't want to live with his painful life anymore.

"Where the hell were you, young man?!" growled Justin's father as he none too gently yanked Justin inside the house by the child's arm and shoved him into the living room. Justin just dropped his backpack and books onto a nearby table before answering coolly and truthfully, "I went to a friend's house to study for the upcoming test."

"You know you have to be back before six, you insolent idiot!!" roared Justin's father, and in a flash, he grabbed Justin's arm painfully, forcing the teenager to look at his father in the face. "You think I don't know when you're lying to me, you ungrateful, troublesome brat?! Now tell me the truth, Justin!! Where the hell were you?!!"

Despite the rapid pounding in his heart, Justin steely looked into his father's eyes, replying with a detached yet forceful note, "I told you. I was at a friend's house studying for a test."

"I don't believe you!! You were probably out doing drugs or playing hooky or vandalizing some old lady's home, weren't you?!!"

"Dad, you know I don't do those things. I never have, and I never will. I told you the truth."

"Bullshit!! You've always been a problem!!"

"It's not a crime to tell the truth, Dad! And it's not a crime to have fun and spend time with a friend!! If you don't believe me, then it is not my fault if you don't trust me! It's _your_ problem!!" Justin said, his voice rising and his tone becoming more bold, immediately angering his father.

"You goddamn -!!" Justin's dad couldn't even finish the sentence as he slapped Justin across the face so hard, Justin fell to the floor, dazed and his cheek bruised. A bit dizzy, Justin simply got back up and retrieved his backpack before heading towards his room. Justin then felt his Dad grab him roughly by his shirt collar, making the juvenile face the livid parent again.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?! Get back here and take your beating for being so disrespectful and openly disobeying my rules!!"

"No," Justin said simply.

Justin's father was now apoplectic with rage, his face ghostly white, his hands twitching. He growled, disbelieving, "What…did you say??!"

"I said 'no', Dad," Justin replied quietly, "You can't intimidate me anymore, at least not like that. I've seen evil greater than what you could ever do to me…and I'm not going to just stand by and let you beat me into submission again like you have before." Justin then directly glared into his patriarch's eyes. "I'm not a scared kid anymore, Dad."

Justin's father then raised his arm to slap his son again, but then Justin gave him a dangerous, menacing look of such warning that the man actually halted, stunned. For reasons he did not comprehend, the elder lowered his arm, shocked at the lack of fear in his son's eyes, shocked at the strength of insolence and bold courage raging in his son's demeanor. The child had changed. Taking advantage of the situation, Justin did an about face and headed towards his room. Enraged at how he lost control, Justin's dad just fumed hotly and briefly, "There's a gift that your friend left for you on your desk. Don't see why she should give it to you, you stupid, useless accident! Get out of my sight and stay in your room!!"

Beside himself with incredulous fear, Justin couldn't help but smile a bit to himself with smug satisfaction.

Justin shakily went into his room. As much as he was still terrified of his father, it was actually really satisfying to defy him like that, to watch the small glimpse of fear in the elder's eye and the realization that Justin was growing. Still, it did nothing to calm down his rapidly pounding heart and the small beads of sweat that were starting to soak through his flannel shirt out of fear and shock.

Closing the door and locking it (no sense in taking chances), Justin then saw the present his friend, Michelle, left for him on his desk. Justin numbly picked it up. It was a brand-new paperback copy of "Watership Down", gleaming and its color brightly contrasting against his dusty, faded wooden desk. Along with the book was a small, folded up note. With his breath caught in his throat, Justin gingerly picked up the book and unfolded the paper to see Michelle's handwriting hastily scribbled on the parchment.

_Justin,_

_ I thought you could use a present to cheer yourself up. You seemed really glum and I got worried. Don't think about paying me back cause I know that it'll be fully appreciated. Hope this makes you feel better._

_ Michelle_

The lump in his throat now grew bigger, choking the young adolescent with tears of grief and anger. Justin's hands were trembling as he held the brand new story of "Watership Down" that Michelle left for him. The faint memories of the Watership rabbits almost appeared to be dancing in front of the book's cover, taunting him, reminding him of what he had to say goodbye to…forever.

He snapped.

With an angry shriek, Justin opened the book, and gripping the sides stoutly, he ripped the novel in half, tearing it along its binding exactly like the bullies at his school had done earlier. The sounds of the paper ripping felt like his bones were breaking, fragile and rent asunder. Using all of his strength, the boy threw the cleaved pieces of the story against the wall as hard as he could, causing it to make a loud "_thwap_!" that echoed across the plaster, slightly cracking it.

Overwhelmed, Justin just leaned his back against the wall and slid down into a sitting position onto the floor as he cradled his head against his arms and knees and wept bitterly.

Life for Justin couldn't have been more cruel…or lonely. Ever since he came back to the land beyond life, the teen had become cold, alarmingly introverted, distant, and lifeless, as if he had no reason to stay and live on this earth with any hope. Luckily, no one at his school or home cared to notice this. His father, ever since the confrontation, became slightly unnerved at the fact that his own son was digging his feet into the ground, making a stand, and challenging him. Though the beatings still continued, Justin's father still saw the angry look of stubborn rebellion in the child's eyes, and it had eventually gotten to one point where the police had to be called after the neighbors had called in to report screaming, bellowing, and sounds of breaking glass from the Vannerley residence, loud enough to wake the dead. Yet when the police had arrived in their squad cars, they saw a living room in shambles with broken glass, a cracked window, and both Justin and his father heavily panting with cuts and bruises in the middle of the carpeted floor. Apparently, Bigwig, Holly, and Buckthorn's advice on defense paid well enough to give Justin some satisfaction.

After that incident (and several warnings from the police), Justin's father said shortly that once Justin was finished with high school, he wanted him out of his house and out of his life. That suited with Justin just as well, since he had no intention of coming back to the hellhole his own father condemned him to for so long. The minute he completed the graduation ceremony, he arranged his mother to take him away to his new home six cities over. His mother enthusiastically agreed, and after all the paperwork between her and Justin's dad was settled, Justin was lawfully declared under his mother's dependence until he turned 21 years of age. Justin's father had no objection, and frankly, neither did Justin.

However, school was an entirely different matter all together. Justin was still just as mercilessly taunted and made fun of and harassed just as much as when he left, and the memories of the month he spent in the land beyond life did little to cheer him up. Of course, after fighting Elil-rah and demonic creatures from beyond this world, dealing with human six-foot tall, teenage, crude, insecure rough-handlers seemed very trite and tame in comparison. Then there was one time when Justin and Michelle were walking home from school, only to be followed by a car full of jocks from the football teams who shouted and hurled derogatory comments as they slowed their vehicle to a crawl. Justin and Michelle simply ignored them. Still pathetically desperate for fun, this caused the athletes to park their car a little distance off the road before they ran up to challenge the two teenagers. Needless to say, Justin got bruised on his scraped knees and a swollen lip while trying to fight back from being shoved in the dirt and pushed down. Michelle was not seriously hurt; with Justin being the main target, she was just unceremoniously tossed into a nearby dumpster, for the athletes ironically had a sense of honor to not attack a girl. Though Justin was still able to walk back home afterwards, the only response he got from his dad when he saw him was a simple "You got what you deserved."

After that incident, Justin became even more introverted. He severed his close relationship with Michelle, saying that he needed some time and distance to think over some issues in his life, and right now, he really did not want a friend to be around. Though hurt, Michelle understood and silently disappeared as the school year drew to a close, drifting away from the isolated barrier Justin holed himself into. The teen also quit going to church as well, and after a few concerned requests and invitations to talk things out, the pastor and the youth pastors left Justin alone. If he wished to talk, the pastor said he and the congregation would be there for Justin if the moment ever arose that he would need a shoulder to lean on or a compassionate ear to listen. Yet Justin flatly dismissed the offer. The only ones he wanted to depend on were the rabbits of Watership Down, but seeing as he could never return…

In Justin's mind, he was meant to be alone and scorned. Why fight against it? After all, God wanted to inflict him with this pain, and in Justin's views, he resentfully and angrily cursed God for doing this to him. For taking away the one, good thing in his life, the one chance to have a family to love and cherish. And God expected him to continue believing in his messages of faith and hope and love? After crushing his spirit and joy and taking advantage of him? Not a bloody chance in hell.

As far as the adolescent was concerned, he was never a child of God. Heck, he was a child of no-one.

As the days passed, turning into weeks and months, this gloomy hatred and bitterness had bloomed up to Justin's breaking point. It was unclear to fate as to what would eventually happen in the young human's life and what roads he would take. Yet, the outlook was now not very optimistic. Then, a month and a half before his high-school graduation, Justin's prayer was answered.

Justin tossed and turned in his sleeping bag, irritated and restless as his hurt and pain churned and bubbled madly in his blood, making Justin uneasy with inner torment. It had been this way ever since he had returned back from the Garden of Eden, and as of now, the adolescent doubted he could ever find respite. He was dreaming that he was walking through a bleak, dusty dirt road under the twilight of an infinite starry sky. All around him was the coldness of dew resting upon dropping, green grass, and there were no trees anywhere. The plains and roads were as flat as a board, and the night air was thick with cold fog and mist, causing Justin to shiver. Soon, Justin approached a crossroads, and the child was now stuck between choosing one of the four different roads he could take. Justin tried to make a decision to which path to travel by, but for some unknown reason, his mind was blank and sluggish.

"It is a perfect metaphor, isn't it, Justin?" a familiar voice said gently and quietly behind him, echoing slightly, "Like all humans, each one eventually comes to certain point in life when he or she must choose a new path, a new direction, eventually changing one's journey forever for life is never one, single, monotonous road without discrepancy."

Justin grit his teeth as he hugged his elbows tightly, not even swiveling around to face El-ahrairah, his golden fur and long ears shining soft tones of yellow and silver against the dusk of the grasslands. He wanted so desperately to turn and hug him again, but in Justin's sub-consciousness, he knew that this was a dream and any attempts to run to the Prince of the Thousand would be fruitless, like chasing the rainbow. Plus, his venomous anguish still had the teenager resenting El-ahrairah greatly.

"What do you want?" Justin croaked huskily, accusingly.

El-ahrairah's voice then floated in the midnight air as the Prince of all rabbits vanished, stating cryptically, "Come to Watership Down, young one. You will find what you need."

Justin woke up, the words of the benevolent rabbit patriarch now branded into his brain and heart.

"Wow, it's some turnout, isn't it?" Justin remarked with awe as he stood with the other students waiting for the ceremony to commence. All of them wore their robes of vermillion and gold proudly, signifying to their families and friends the end of one era and the trip to the next big adventure of college. Justin fidgeted underneath his robes and nervously handled the tassel draping off the left side of his graduation cap.

"I know. I still can't believe it comes to this. It's so unbelievable, like some sort of dream," Michelle whispered excitedly. After the dream, Justin and Michelle eventually patched up their differences and became close again, and for the month and a half, they made up for some lost time. Yet Michelle was planning to attend college out of state, so it would be a while before Justin and Michelle could see each other again, though they both promised to keep in touch via mail and summer vacations.

The graduation ceremony went without a hitch, and soon, the young man came to a significant age where he accepted his diploma with high honors, shook hands with the principal and chairman of the district school board, smiled for the photos, and remained seated until all the graduating class had completed their rituals. Everyone rang out cries of joy as they carelessly tossed their caps into the sky, the winds of change billowing through them gently like an affectionate caress of a lover. Afterwards, Michelle introduced Justin to her parents and to Michelle's boyfriend, David, who was also planning to the same university as Michelle was in the following fall term. Justin couldn't be happier for Michelle.

"Justin!!" called out a female voice amongst the crowd, and Justin turned to se, to his pleasant surprise, his mother and sister making their way through the masses of people. Justin's father had declined to attend the ceremony, but it was all right for the adolescent. He wouldn't want his mother and father running into each other face to face and make things extremely awkward, if not downright ugly. Justin's mother and sister both gave him a congratulatory hug, exclaiming how they were proud of him. Justin had arranged it so that after the ceremony, he would take the little luggage he packed and leave for his mother's home to live with for the next four years until he graduated college. He would no longer live with his father after this day.

"Oh, I'm so happy for this day, Justin!" his mother squealed breathlessly with pride, "Oh, but listen to me carry on like some old bat! Tell me, son: what would you like now that you have graduated? Do you wish for some sort of graduation gift to commemorate this event? I'm sure we can get a new mountain bike if you really wanted…or perhaps a new game system?"

Justin shook his head. He knew what he really would like.

"I would like to go on a trip to England by myself…if that's OK with you, mom."

His mother's face fell as she gently placed a tentative hand on her son's shoulders, breaking gently, "Justin…I'm not sure I can afford that. I…I would love to give you such a present, but it would cost an incredible amount of money. And I'm not sure we can bear to spend on such an expense."

Justin then simply smiled as he took out a white envelope from his pant pocket. It was full of money, money that Justin has earned by doing various jobs and chores for other neighbors, as long as agreeing to work part time for the local bagel and coffee shop close to the school. Ever since the dream he had with El-ahrairah's mysterious parting, Justin had insanely and fervently worked and scrimped and saved up enough money without his father's knowledge to help finance his week-long trip to the United Kingdom.

Justin just sheepishly smiled as he told his mother, "You would only need to pay for a fourth of what it would cost."

"Flight 557 now boarding," echoed a female voice over the intercom at Heathrow Airport in England as Justin stepped into the gate terminal, mingling with the many passengers that were hurriedly making their way to various destinations. It had been quite a long and tedious flight, but Justin relished every part of it, taking in the scenery and marvelous sights he witnessed while flying. And of course, Justin hadn't forgotten what he was really here for. Unfortunately, he would not know if it was truly an omen of healing or just another cruel joke.

For two days, Justin managed to stay at a local inn in Heathrow, and after finding out the insane cost of boarding a train, managed to find a cheaper fee for transportation by going to the city Newberry on a carriage. The trip was actually very pleasant, and the young human got many views of beautiful scenery and gorgeous surroundings. Once he had arrived in Newberry, Justin took his time around the town, enjoying a cup of tea and a scone at a local shop before inquiring about maps around the town and the surrounding land. After getting directions from a kindly, grizzly barkeeper, Justin set foot towards Watership Down and Kingsclere. It was mid-morning, bright and sunny with fresh air and the birds lazily twittering as the last traces of cold mist faded under the summer sun. It was going to be another hot day. After several hours, Justin finally managed to pass Nuthanger Farm, faded underneath years under sun, but pretty much what the video depicted. Encouraged, Justin continued south until he reached the very hills and the surrounding copses that consisted of the legendary Watership Down. Surrounding the hills and copse was a fence of barbed wire with a sign saying "No Trespassing".

Justin knew this was now the moment. He could not back down now. He needed to see if what El-ahrairah had told him was the truth, that he really could be healed here. Justin gingerly made his way through the fence and steadily and slowly made his way uphill through the woods and to the grassy knolls. Even though he did not see any rabbits running around the trees, the copse was not thickly overgrown, allowing Justin to easily make his way to the top of the hill. Eventually, Justin reached the very crest of the hills, and breathless, Justin started searching for the infamous beech tree that was planted at the very edges of the hill, the one where the rabbits were rumored to have built their warren upon. To his extreme disappointment, there was nothing but a medium-sized trunk, ancient, with a few carved names (surprisingly of those characters from Watership Down) left on the bark by visitors to the down. The beech tree was apparently cut down by men a long time ago. Justin was extremely let down, up to the point of breaking. It was another lie. Again. Nothing was here. Downhearted, Justin just sat on the grass, staring at the trunk as the sun rose high above the hills, signaling the noonday. Giving up, Justin sighed, wiping the hot tears leaking from his eyes, frustrated and at a loss. He started making his way back down the hill through the copse again.

The adolescent thought bitterly, "It was just a dream. It probably never happened. Damn it, why does this happen to me?! Why?! What did I do to deserve this?! Why can't I just find anything to give me some peace?! Why can't I see them again?! Don't you know how much this hurts, how much I can't bear this anymore?! I didn't find anything!! It was just another one of your lies!!"

All these thoughts were enough to send Justin back into tears again, but then…a voice, ethereal yet gentle, floated softly through the trees.

"Justin…"

The boy stopped, startled. Could it be? Then the boy suddenly realized that he was halfway down the hill, yet to his right, partially hidden by the shade of the trees, was a cave, snugly fit underneath a crop of rock and dirt. Curious, Justin approached the cavern and stood by at the mouth, peering in. It seemed to continue deep into the down itself for the grotto appeared to be an endless tunnel, its end veiled by the shadows. There was a soft breeze blowing out of the fissure, soft and warm and sweet smelling like flowers.

Could Justin really find something there? Was he meant to go there? Or was it another vicious trick?

Justin, with a deep breath to calm his pounding heart, stepped into the cave and walked into the tunnel, stepping deeper and deeper into the shadows hiding from the light of the morning sun. He could barely see where he was going, and in the process, he nearly stumbled on several protruding roots and jutting stones. Heart beating rapidly, Justin managed to guide himself by slowly inching his way through while keeping a firm grip on the rough, rocky walls on the passageway. All the meanwhile, the teenager was both anxious, hopeful, and resigned to expect more disappointment.

Justin could see a light at the end of the shaft, warm and soft and inviting. Encouraged, the adolescent inched ahead until he reached the very end of the burrow, only to find himself in a wide, spacious cavern. The walls were olive-gray stone, smooth and sleek from ages of weathering, and atop the rock room was an impressive and thick network of tree roots enveloping the ceiling and snaking their way to the floor, warmly embracing the walls with snug comfort. The ground was hard-packed dirt, sweet smelling and littered with soft moss, and all throughout the cave were outcrops of limestone, perfect for sitting upon. Justin's gaze then traveled across the grotto to the wall directly in front of him, and he gasped.

There, using pieces of sharp rock shrapnel and busily carving something upon the surface of the wall, was a group of humanoid, anthropomorphic rabbits gathered together, standing upon their hind legs and wearing a rainbow of different colored tunics and armor. Justin's eyes widened as he whimpered with hopeful disbelief. One of the rabbits, as if he sensed something, stopped scratching upon the mineral wall with his tool, and turned around to directly look at Justin. It was Hazel-rah. Hazel smiled, his eyes twinkling, and as if on cue, he and the rest of the bucks started to fade away, vanishing into a plethora of glittering, golden sparks.

"NO!! DON'T GO!! PLEASE!!!" cried out Justin tearfully, almost exuberantly euphoric at seeing the Watership Owsla again. The young human sprinted immediately towards the wall, but all of them, Hazel, Bluebell, Campion, Bigwig, Acorn, Hawkbit, Silver, Pipkin, Blackberry, Speedwell, Buckthorn, Fiver, Dandelion, Strawberry, and Holly, just cast a fond look of farewell at Justin before fading completely into the eternal air. Justin stumbled upon the ground, at a complete loss. He was so close. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. El-ahrairah himself said that Justin would find what he needed at Watership Down…

Then, through the tears, Justin noticed something shiny on the dirt next to him, apparently left behind by the rabbits of Watership Down. The adolescent gingerly picked it up and cradled the object in his hands. It was his silver cross necklace, still smoothly and sleekly bright and radiant under the faint streams of light emanating from the room. Still unsure on what to feel, Justin numbly propped himself up to a standing position again, and then he noticed a second marvel.

He was staring at what the rabbit warriors were carving upon the wall of the cavern. There, scratched upon the eternal stone and rock, was a depiction of Justin and the fellowship of rabbits from Watership Down. It was crude and unrefined, yet at the same time, it was beautifully and masterfully drawn with white scratch marks. In the very center was a figure of a human child, obviously Justin, with a noteworthy cross necklace dangling around his neck. And surrounding him, on their hind paws, were the rabbits of Watership Down, each aesthetically etched with their clothes and tunics and armor. Each rabbit was meticulously drawn with care to the miniscule detail, from Holly's whiskered face and ragged ears to Fiver's wide-eyed and uneasy complexion to Hawkbit's moody, abrasive scowl to Bigwig's distinctive fur cap. It was almost like staring into a photograph. Evidently, Hazel and the other Watership rabbits carved this illustration as a symbol and a testimonial.

Justin lightly ran his hand against the carving, his palm caressing the smooth stone, feeling, for a brief moment, a warm surge of power radiating from the rock into his heart, awakening his soul. He saw images flash into his mind as quickly as the summer breeze:

_Hazel-rah, Campion, and El-ahrairah were quietly grazing on fresh clover blossoms outside the warren. General Woundwort was sulkily squatting by himself away from the rest of the warren's inhabitants, isolating himself moodily as an outcast. The other rabbits, taking the hint, steered away from the Efrafan general and former enemy with distrust and suspicion. Campion and Hazel were a bit bothered, but El-ahrairah smiled secretly. A group of kittens were chasing each other and playing tag in the far off distance, but with the wild, rambunctious energy, the male and female kittens were too hyper and consistently everywhere, bumping into the adults as they patiently silflayed, ignoring the jest. One black kitten, taking it upon himself to take cover from the pursuers, hid behind the large, hulking form of Woundwort. Woundwort, clearly annoyed, sharply told off the kitten, most likely telling him to leave him alone. The kitten was adamant, oblivious to the General's anger as he kept stoutly trying to disguise himself from the game of tag. With a growl, Woundwort cuffed the kitten away from him, sending him flying by several feet. At the wail of pain, El-ahrairah, Hazel, and Campion and the other adult rabbits looked up, alarmed, and, in some of the grown-ups, with extreme anger. Woundwort just cast the audience an evil eye before he noticed that the black rabbit youngling was crying and was so dizzy from the hit, he couldn't sit up properly. Woundwort then had a sorrowful, pained look of remorse on his face, and after some hesitation, fearfully, the hulking buck hopped to the kitten and drew the young rabbit close, nuzzling him, begging for forgiveness. At the sight, the kittens that were playing tag cheered as they tackled Woundwort, happily sniffing and tussling with the General. Woundwort looked with irritation at Hazel, El-ahrairah, and Campion as the kits were tugging on his ears in a game of tug-of-war. The three rabbit warriors smiled warmly back, and, to Justin's surprise, Woundwort gave a small beam of content peace, of joy._

_ Under the full moon, Bluebell was heartily giving a hilarious performance to a small audience of kittens, eagerly rapt with attentive interest, as the jester acted the story, "Rowsby Woof and Fairy Wogdog", complete with goofy faces and an assortment of mirthful voices. After his tale was told, the kittens cheered as they bade Bluebell goodbye and made their way towards the warren, ready for bed. As Bluebell decided that the night was still young, he eventually made his way to a nice field of fresh timothy with a few patches of sweet buttercups. As he chewed hungrily, he started to hear soft sobbing, and curious, the brown, burly clown slowly inched his way towards the crying to find an weeping elderly, old doe, so ancient she had trouble moving her limbs and her pelt was sagging against her bony frame. Apparently, back in the physical world, she had no importance to her home warren, and in disgust, the Chief rabbit had his soldiers leave her as elil bait to ward a hound away from the young kittens, under the threat that if she returned, she would have been executed at once. Even her family, sneering with distaste, heartlessly kicked her out. And so, her life ended as a meal to the hound. Bluebell, with a soft, sympathetic, look of compassion, spoke gently to her, licking her tears away with his tongue. Bewildered, the aged doe could only gape; not even her own mate was this concerned for her, a useless geezer. After a few jokes (which gladly caused the doe to cackle with joviality), she eventually forgot her sadness. Guiding her slowly, both Bluebell and the doe feasted upon the delicious grass. Plainly, Bluebell's jokes and humor were always needed._

_ Dandelion was warmly telling a story to an audience of kittens, all huddled and eagerly breathless, gorging on every word of the tale of the cross-bearer with wide-starry eyes and open mouths of awe. At the end of the current chapter, Dandelion chuckled at the requests for more as he gently shooed his fans away and quietly hopped to his burrow, ready for some rest. Yet the burrow was not empty, for now it was a vast chamber of hundreds and hundreds of kittens, all of them his sons and daughters, each one of them waiting patiently for their surrogate parent to arrive so that they could cuddle up to him for the night. Dandelion was now never alone, for El-ahrairah made him the parli of every unwanted kitten that was ever born. Whether it was an aborted rabbit who dissolved in a doe's body, to an orphaned yearling who was ruthlessly killed by elil, to a small female who had her throat heartlessly ripped out by a harsh buck, the instant their souls came to the land beyond life, Dandelion became the father to them all, adopting them with great love and heart. As one, Dandelion had the young ones gather around him, and he bade each one goodnight before they slept together._

_ Speedwell and Violet sat enjoying the beautiful sunset as the rosy red and orange sky intermixed with the deep blue sky. Whispering sweet nothings, Speedwell closed his eyes in bliss as he and Violet brought their noses, touching each other in intimate love, her ears twitching and his leg thumping the ground softly in glee. It was certainly a romantic scene. A rabbit then squealed out, getting their attention as they both looked up. It was Hogweed and the band of rabbits that were once ghost mercenaries bent on trying to execute Justin in his dreams. Now, they were whole, renewed animals by Frith's blessing, with no trace of anger and cursed hate, and in friendly reception, both Speedwell and Violet greeted them happily, welcoming them into El-ahrairah's warren with much warmth and grace. From what Justin could tell, Hogweed and his faithful troupe were now hlessi and had returned from a long journey only to come back to El-ahrairah's warren for a brief visit before making their trek to the Prince Rainbow's kingdom. El-ahrairah wished to have Hogweed deliver a gift of dried rose seeds to plant into Prince Rainbow's garden, and in good faith, Hogweed rose to the job enthusiastically. Pleased, Speedwell and Violet went down into the warren where they willfully gave their burrows to Hogweed to rest in while Speedwell and Violet both lay curdled up together in close warmth in the Grand Hall._

_ In the mountains, deep within the precarious crevices and peaks, Sneezewort and Lousewort, the loyal weasels, were eagerly guiding Holly and his Wide Patrol, consisting of Blackavar and four yearling rabbits, though the rocky terrain. Holly decided to train both of the weasels to become honorary troop leaders for El-ahrairah's families, and even though they were elil, the Prince readily agreed. One of the young does, not used to traveling at such great heights, started shivering and quaking with fear at the sight of the tremendous altitude. Suddenly, to the female's surprise, she felt herself being gently lifted and cradled in the arms of Shardik, the grizzly bear. With him was his assistant, Lord Brock, the badger. Shardik was now the rightful pillar of the mountains, and at Fiver's request, both the bear and the Watership Owsla would always aid those creatures who needed safe passage through the cliffs. The doe now forgot about her fear as she giggled at Shardik's tickles while the smiling brown grizzly, Lord Brock, Holly, Sneezewort, Lousewort and Blackavar helped escort the rest of the Wide Patrol through._

_ Kehaar gave off a loud cry of proud exhilaration as he flew into the skies, the cold breeze gliding a pleasant, relieving welcome across his itchy back and torso. Ahead was the sight of dawn breaking light above the lands beyond life, the terrains still glossy with gentle, cool mist of the night, the sky rosy pink and blue. But the gull was not alone to enjoy the sight of the new day in paradise. Pipkin, with his eyes closed and his paws spread out like wings, easily navigated through the air currents with a bright smile of contentment on his furry face. And his dreams of flight were still granted, for now, the small brown rabbit was riding on the back of Scry-rah, the hawk leader of all birds and the pillar of the skies. The predatory bird was now a frequent and welcome visitor to the warren of El-ahrairah, and he and Kehaar became close friends. Sometimes, in the very brink of morning, they would be taking off together just to enjoy a simply exploratory flight or so. Pipkin pleaded to go along, and of course, the birds readily agreed, just so that the three of them could marvel at the spectacle of the skies together._

_ The Threarah was brooding with a dark look on his face as he chewed on lemongrass and burnet in a plush field of clover and wild weeds. Several younger and larger bucks, apparently in the mood for some bullying, surrounded the elderly rabbit and began to tease him, prodding the Threarah mercilessly about being a useless fool, about how he doomed his entire warren, and how even now, he was still one of the most embarrassing specimens of a rabbit. One daring male even gave the Threarah a swift kick into the side, knocking the old senior over onto his side. The Threarah was boiling mad now, but there was no way he could win a scuffle against such youths. Suddenly, a figure leapt in between the bucks and the Threarah. It was Silver, and from the angry look on his face and the snarls emitting from his throat, he was plainly defending his uncle. The bucks nervously and wordlessly retreated, almost scampering, for none of them wished to face the wrath of one of the original Watership settlers and one of the few who fought against Elil-rah. Silver was hesitant to face his uncle and was about to leave when a small, soft sentence of Lapine from the Threarah made Silver turn around. His uncle's face was pure stubbornness...and shameful remorse. After a few minutes of unintelligible conversation, to Justin's amazement, a bemused Silver squatted on all fours and began to silflay next to his stony uncle. The Threarah was mortified and awkwardly looked down, but Silver gave his uncle a small smile. It was a small step...but it was a step in the right direction._

_ In the warren of the Black Rabbit of Inle, where the snow-cropped mountains were black with iron and granite, in the midst of the Great Cavern in the very heart of the web of tunnels, Buckthorn was playing bobstones with none other than the Black Rabbit of Inle, himself. Buckthorn showed no emotion as he cast his stones, and neither did the Black Rabbit, and over and over, each exchanged brief words as they played like flames dancing on wood, like snow falling onto the ground, like flowers opening to the birth of the new, morning sun, meaningful, delicate, yet quick and without frantic rush. Yet there was a deep, understanding aura of respect and cordiality between them. Justin could also see members of the shadow Owsla of the Black Rabbit teaching their ways to a nervous, yet headstrong Hufsa and King Fur-Rocious. After the battle, Buckthorn asked if there was a way for Hufsa and King Fur-Rocious to live out their ways where they would feel more at ease, since it was clear that the antagonists' pasts with the Prince of the Thousand would be awkward, and paying homage to his friend, the Black Rabbit agreed to take in Hufsa and King Fur-Rocious as his own soldiers. Buckthorn occasionally visited for a story and a game, but mostly to check that the two guests were satisfied, behaving well, and at peace, which they both were with great joy and yearning._

_ In the Forests of Yesterday and Tomorrow, Prince Rainbow, now appearing as a flurry of various colors of warmth and vibrant energy cloaked under the mist, was speaking sternly to the stag King of Tomorrow and the bison King of Yesterday and the subjects from both kingdoms. All the animals were gathered around the clearing, the very same where Justin and Fiver were held for trial and where the cross-bearer had to duel against Shardik. El-ahrairah was standing side by side with Fiver, Snitter and Rowf. The bison did not look exceptionally pleased as he kept shooting Fiver and El-ahrairah poisonous looks, but both of the rabbits just returned the favor with soft and gentle glances of understanding. They both didn't expect the hard feelings to subside, especially since they were proven right with the matter of the cross-bearer and how, after the battle with Elil-rah, the King of Yesterday and the King of Tomorrow had lost their status as the Pillars of the Forests and Time. Prince Rainbow then told both the stag and bison, under Frith's orders, that Snitter, Rowf, and Fiver were to take Shardik's place as chief advisors to the creatures of the Forests of Yesterday and Tomorrow. There were some mutterings of protest and discontent from the animals all around who were witnessing this, but El-ahrairah then quietly hopped in front of the bison and stag, silencing the audience. El-ahrairah then lifted his paw to reveal two white sparks of spiritual essence before they floated in the air and immersed themselves into the Kings, momentarily covering them with a soft blanket of starlight. The stag and bison looked stunned, but then Snitter and Rowf stepped forward to explain that Frith gave El-ahrairah the authority to chose the new pillars, and in good faith and good will, the Prince of all Rabbit had already decided to return the roles back to the King of Yesterday and Tomorrow. He certainly did not have to…but El-ahrairah wished it so. Petulant and grateful (and the bison had a look of ashamed remorse), both kings touched noses with El-ahrairah in symbol of rebuilding the trust between their three kingdoms. And Prince Rainbow couldn't have been more pleased._

_ In a wide, endless dry tundra, Groundsel, Stonecrop, Mallow, Vervain, Mistletoe and Acorn strode on bravely through the uncharted wilderness. Acorn, now free of his hurt and anger, humbly asked for forgiveness from assaulting Mistletoe earlier and offered his forgiveness in return for what Mistletoe did to him in the past. Relieved, Mistletoe accepted, and, in time, both of them had readily healed. Feeling to make up for whatever lost adventures Acorn could have enjoyed if he did join the Threarah's Owsla back in Sandleford, El-ahrairah allowed Acorn and Mistletoe to join a excursion with the other hlessi for adventure and fun. All four of them had traveled together for over two months, but apparently, Acorn loved every second of it. Here, he was a soldier, a part of the team, a vital piece of the group, irreplaceable. Acorn was no longer the filler rabbit he made himself out to be. Full of energy, Acorn and Mistletoe ran along with Groundsel, Mallow, Vervain and Stonecrop under the warm sun and cool breeze, making an evident path through the tall wild-grass, hooting with glee all the way._

_ Bigwig and the Promised Friends, the foxes Mara, Lane, Carol, Mark, Gina, were all in the fields of Fenlo, training the Owsla of El-ahrairah along with Rabscuttle. Before them were about fifty or so yearling does and bucks, all of them watching the captain as he demonstrated to the trainees how to correctly dodge and roll out of an enemy's attack. Barking gruffly, the rabbits got together in pairs and did their best to imitate the strategies of evasion under Rabscuttle and Bigwig's watchful eyes. Lane, Mara, Carol, Mark, and Gina were operating with several others, showing them how to leap and roll correctly. Bigwig strolled by attentively, giving a sharp order every once in a while, sometimes even cuffing a young buck if the youngster appeared to not be taking his lessons seriously. Yet then the fur-capped rabbit noticed a lone, young, fat buck, miserably trying to practice alone by himself. Apparently, no one else wished to partner with him, and for good reason, for, though he was really trying, he kept tripping and stumbling in his evasive roll maneuver, embarrassing himself countless of times. Bigwig's brow furrowed as he marched up to the fat rabbit. Several of those surrounding him twittered in hushed whispers, thinking that the captain was going to harshly punish the buck, perhaps kick him out of Owsla training for being incompetent. Thinking of what was to come, the others watched attentively and the obese yearling, though extremely scared, braced himself as he looked at his captain directly in the eye, at full attention. Instead, to everyone's amazement, Bigwig just warmly smiled and then sternly told the buck what he was doing wrong, showing how to position his paw and twist his body, even demonstrating the move twice in front of the attentive soldier. Encouraged, the fat rabbit tried it, and though he needed several attempts and some sharp advice from Bigwig, he eventually got the move quite well. Bigwig then passed by, angrily roaring to the other rabbits to stop gawking and continue with practice. As Bigwig left, he gave the corpulent rabbit youth a small smile of support._

_ At the Great Tree that was sheltering the warren of El-ahrairah, the calf Whitehorn and the Ilip, Zhuron, were both helping Hawkbit and the doe Blethlin gather fruit and nuts to provide a nice treat for some rabbits. Whitehorn had Blethlin atop her head, and Zhuron had Hawkbit atop his head, and together, all four of the animals managed to pluck down various assortments of food and dropping them into a nice pile, where they were already being gathered by the rat, Veil Guplea, Volgnamass the weasel, and Nekas the serpent, with much thankfulness. El-ahrairah planned to have a small feast with all of his children, and in good faith, he invited the other non-Lapine animals to participate in the banquet for the tree had plenty of food. Blethlin was then bossily ordering Hawkbit to gather the hazelnuts correctly and to stop bruising the apples by dropping them with unnecessary force. Hawkbit was evidently slowly burning for he was trying to tolerate Blethlin's orders as best as he could, much to Whitehorn and Zhuron's amusements. After a while, Hawkbit snapped and grunting, he threw a cherry at the doe rabbit, which splattered messily on one side of her face. Outraged, Blethlin grabbed a plum and threw it back as hard as she could back at Hawkbit, only to have it hit Zhuron accidentally, the juice dribbling down his cheek. Annoyed, Zhuron tossed Hawkbit gently back onto the ground, none too delicately dropping the loudmouth onto a pile of grapes, getting the rabbit into a sticky mess of liquid, seed, and pulp. Blethlin started chuckling until, in an uncharacteristic display of naughtiness, Whitehorn also tossed Blethlin into a pile of mulberries on the ground. Now Blethlin was covered with squished fruit. Hawkbit started guffawing at Blethlin's predicament, which led to the doe tackling him and cuffing him mercilessly. Giggling, Zhuron, Whitehorn, Nekas, Veil Guplea, and Volgnamass just stopped working as watched the fight as Hawkbit and Blethlin pounded each other. However, Justin could see that despite the brawl, Hawkbit and Blethlin were smiling at each other, evidently showing more care and affection than they were letting on._

_ Deep in the woods, King Darzin and several of his cat subjects along with Flyairth, Hyzenthlay, and Thethuthinnang were vainly trying to chase down the rapids of a wide, deep, and churning river, for in the very center of the waterway and struggling to fight the swift current were two feline kittens and a young doe, Nyreem. Apparently, the cats, trying to cross the stream, lost their footing and fell into the rapids, and Nyreem valiantly went in after them, only to endanger herself at the same time. Unfortunately, all three of the animals were too weak to strongly swim against the current and make it for shore. King Darzin was about to dive in after them, despite the risk, when a series of squealing caused him and the others to look up. It was Blackberry, and the buck was resourcefully riding upon the rapids with a hollow, worn-out log. With a little difficult maneuvering, Blackberry managed to catch up to the three bobbing animals and skillfully plucked them out of the water by gripping the very napes of their necks with his teeth. Exhausted and done in, Blackberry laid sprawled out onto the log as it managed to heavily and blunderingly drift into the sandy shore a little ways downstream, out of the river's danger. Extremely relived, King Darzin licked and fawned over his lost cats while Hyzenthlay and Thethuthinnang tended to Nyreem. However, what was most touching was a humbled and apologetic Flyairth licking Blackberry's wet face and snout with her warm tongue, and chuckling, she and Blackberry brought their noses together, reconciled._

_ Under the roots of the Great Tree that housed the warren of El-ahrairah, Strawberry was leading a small group of rabbits to make a new tunnel, extending from the Great Hall underground and through two, thick, sturdy roots, a perfect place for an entrance. With a few short commands, he and the other does started digging, and to Justin's surprise, also with them were a very miserable Cowslip and Silverweed. Even though they were used to such an easy life of luxury and leisure, El-ahrairah made an offer to both of the rabbits to start their lives again in his warren, reminding them that it was never too late to relearn the natural ways of his legacy. At first, they complained and whined, but then Strawberry, who wholeheartedly agreed with El-ahrairah's good-natured proposition then told them that it was either this or to live out in the open as hlessi. It took some time, but Cowslip and Silverweed, now reeducated with the ways of digging, listening, running, and swift warning, were beginning to grow accustomed to their new lives, if not a bit begrudgingly. Justin had to chuckle when Silverweed accidentally dug into a soft spot in the dirt wall, causing the ceiling of the tunnel to slightly cave-in and dump a fresh amount of wet dirt onto Cowslip. Cowslip was not even remotely amused. Like a true saint, a smiling Strawberry brushed the dirt off Cowslip with one paw and directed them where to correctly claw away at the soil._

And then it was all over. The images vanished, and Justin was left facing the stone carving again.

_U vahra ma, rusati ma, ven atha ma_.

Despite the sadness, despite the tears of loss running down Justin's face, the boy smiled, laughing softly.

It was a smile of closure.

As the boy exited out of the cave with the newly-found cross necklace once again around his neck, he knew, deep in his heart, despite how much he desired otherwise, that El-ahrairah was right. Justin would never be able to return back to the land beyond life once again. The pain of separation would always be there, the constant wish that he could explore the grounds of the Garden of Eden with his old chums. That was to be expected. Yet the teen also felt the warmth of his friends' love inside him and his soul, and though it was not eternal bliss, it was enough for Justin to continue living. Living whatever life and path God wanted him to take. Unknown, mysterious, certainly foreboding and daunting, but nevertheless, it was also a life that held many hopeful potentials and possibilities for new friendships and new adventures in the world of men. And that was where he was meant to be, where he was always meant to live. The world of men. _Not_ the Garden of Eden.

Bluebell.

Campion.

Bigwig.

Acorn.

Hawkbit.

Silver.

Pipkin.

Blackberry.

Speedwell.

Buckthorn.

Fiver.

Dandelion.

Strawberry.

Holly.

Hazel-rah.

Each of them had left a remnant of their soul in Justin out of love and hope. His heart-brothers, no matter how far apart they were, would always be with him in spirit, and it was a comforting feeling to Justin. The knowing that he would never be alone.

The cave that graciously opened its doors to the cross-bearer closed itself once again, this time forever preserving the secrets of the legacy of Watership Down to itself until the end of time, never to be discovered and disturbed by curious, prying eyes. Yet, inside the spacious cavern where Justin found his cross, the carving still remained as an anonymous, untold tale of bravery, cunning, and friendship on the cold, gray wall.

However, the monument was different now. Justin, using a pocketknife, had made one last change to perfect the drawing, to express what he and the Owsla of Watership Down had felt.

On each depiction of the Watership rabbits, on all of the warriors of the cross-bearer's fellowship, was now a freshly scratched carving of a cross necklace draped around their necks, mirroring the one of the human cross-bearer.

The cross, though both a blessing and a burden, was shared by all.

**"All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed."**

_Richard Adams, Watership Down_

**"As it is written: For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."**

_NIV Bible, Romans 8:36-39_

**"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."**

_NIV Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:1-7_

_THE END_

/

Author's notes: I would like to express my heartiest thanks to the following reviewers:

**Kara Crane:** Thanks for your review, and now, it's done! Hope to see more of you!

**Brian:** Well, it has been a long wait, hasn't it? But, it was worth it, no? =)

**Lizella:** I'm glad to see I've at least attracted Bigwig's number 1 fan to this story, and I am very appreciative of all the reviews and emotions you showed for the chapters, especially about Bigwig! =) I just hope you're not too sad that the story is now finished. By the way, he says thanks and one of these days, he'd like to give you a ride on his back too.

Bulgeta la Wang: You never did get back to me about the contest. I hope you're aren't offended if I got tired of waiting. Hope you are doing well.

**David / AndrewB / Loganberry:** You are truly, without doubt, one of the best reviewers and fan of this story I could ever hope for, wish for really. You provided me so much help, from discussing about WD to translating Lapine phrases, to making me smile every time I read one of your reviews. To tell you the truth, this story could not be where it was without you being a part of it, and for that, I thank you. I admit I am being a bit lengthy with these chapters, but then again, I'm not a narrative author for nothing now, aren't I? Hope to see you complete your story as well.

**Me:** Thanks again, and I hope you join !

**Light Sneasel:** I'm also glad for your reviews! I certainly hope to see you around again soon! And yes, the trials by fire for each rabbit were no accident. =)

**Juunanagou4ever:** Glad you enjoyed it, and I hope the chapters of Holly and Strawberry do you justice. =)

**Windwalker:** Actually, I must give some credit to you. Without your review, I would have never thought of putting in the Plague Dogs in my story. Yet, after watching the sad video, I knew I had to do it because my heart ached for it. And yes, Hawkbit does certainly grow on you, doesn't he? =)

**Green Eve:** Thank you for your encouragement.

**Soul Reaver:** Thanks, and maybe someday I will. Hope to see you finish "Kilo Two Zero".

**L1701E:** As always, it has been a pleasure to review your stories.

**Wtw:** I thank you for lending me the Promised Friends for this story as since I feel in love with the characters while reading your fan fiction. I hope you are pleased with the result.

**Red Witch:** Thanks again, and I'm always a Misfit fan! =)

**Kelsey and Meleo / FiverandPipkin51 / Hell on Hooves:** I will, and I hope to see you guys again. Thanks for the reviews and I'm glad to see that you made yourselves quite comfortable in fan fiction.

**Entei-rah:** You are also a treasured reviewer, and I daresay you're a much more dedicated WD fan than I am. I thank you for writing 4th and 5th WD stories for all of us, and I especially thank you for tolerating the rabbits that constantly plague your guestbook to no ends! =) If it is any consolation, they do not intentionally mean to drive you crazy! =)

**Whispy-bunny:** Thank you for the reviews, and coincidentally, I love your dramatic stories! They are certainly heart-breaking and could give me a run for the money with angst! I hope to see you write more!

**Hehe:** Thank you, and for the number of words, look in the beginning of Chapter 31. =) It'll surprise you! =)

**Rogue14:** Thank you.

**Machine-Gunner:** Is it based on true experiences? I won't say, but I will say that every character has a small part of me in it, though I can attest my life has NEVER been as bad as Justin's! =) I appear to have struck a chord with everyone about the bullies part. =) I'm sure Justin appreciates the thought.

**Rhiannon Denli:** I hope it stays interesting too, or else I don't get reviews! =)

**David Monid / David M1:** Thank you, and again, I am always honored to have my story being the first you ever reviewed! =)

**Pipkin3:** Thank you again for lending Blethlin for me. I have no idea why, but the instant she appeared to me in your story, I knew I found a doe for Hawkbit at last (as much as they try to deny it, it keeps things interesting!)

**LifesPawn:** Actually, you'd be surprised at how trivial the reasons are people pick on others. And you are right that it's not that far off the mark from high school. Thanks for the review! =)

**YuooFox:** You certainly have my permission to print this but I doubt you'd have the money and paper to do so since it is a lot of pages. =) Still, feel free, and be sure to credit and myself if you ever decide to post this somewhere. Glad to have you as a reviewer! =) Oh, and I would love to see the figurine you made of Acorn! And yes, Justin is a bit unrealistic, but then again, you could say everyone can see themselves in Justin sometimes, and that was what I was aiming for. As for this being a long story, I agree, it is too long. But this is how I feel I wish to write it as, and it would better for it to be too long than too short, right? =)

**Sugercraze49:** Thanks, and I try to set deadlines for myself if I can because I certainly know I hate it if a story remains suspended. Glad to see you here! =)

**ADE123 / ADEEEE:** I would try to get it published, but I cannot because this is based on Adams' work, and to do so would try to take advantage of his creation. So, I decided that in the end, I just wish to post this on the Internet to share with everybody. I do not want to make money, I just wanted to tell people a story in my heart and get feedback, which is more than enough to satisfy me. Thanks again! =)

**D. Jackson:** As I have mentioned earlier before, thank you for the sincere review and I was touched and humbled to read your LJ to dedicate an LJ entry on the Cross-bearer. I am grateful that despite the religious tones, this story can still be enjoyed as a story, and I hope this suits well with you. And yes, I do try not to make it overly zealous if it can be helped. Thanks again! =)

**Wolfrat:** They do? Wow, I guess Justin isn't the only one! =)

**pIPPINpIRATE:** Glad to hear it, and I am certainly glad to see you are so passionate over this story! Can't wait to read your fics as well! =)

**Ragweed:** Again, thank you, but I am certainly no genius! =) And I can't wait to read your updated fan fiction as well! And thanks eternally for your kind words and praises! They really made my day, and yes, all good things must end, but I would prefer to end it gracefully, and thus, this needed to end. After all, I can't leave this hanging or go on indefinitely, now can I? =)

**Silver04:** Yeah, sorry for the lack of updates this time. Hope this story will more than make up for the months of waiting! =)

**Gryffindorhobbit: **Whoops, sorry! Didn't mean to make that mistake there! =)

**Nikkicub:** Well, here you go! I hope it is to your pleasure! =)

**Sebastian1:** I tried to read it, but it really got a bit confusing. Still, I'm glad you reviewed! Thanks again!

**Dee****:** Thanks Dee, and I'll visit you sometime in the office! =)

/


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